Google Ads stands as a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience. However, the key to success lies in understanding and effectively combining two crucial elements: keyword match types and bidding strategies. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate these essential components to optimize your search campaigns and maximize your return on investment.

The Power of Precision in Google Ads

Creating a successful Google Ads campaign is like solving a complex puzzle. Two of the most important pieces are keyword match types and bidding strategies. These elements act as levers, allowing you to control the precision of your targeting and the efficiency of your ad spend.

• Keyword Match Types: Determine how closely a user's search query needs to match your chosen keywords for your ad to appear.
• Bidding Strategies: Define how you want Google to optimize your bids based on your campaign goals.

By mastering the art of combining these elements, you can significantly improve your campaign's visibility and return on investment. Let's dive deeper into each component and explore how to pair them effectively.

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Conversions

Conversion focused bidding strategies like maximize conversions, maximize conversion value, and target ROAS/CPA can work in all match-type scenarios as you are “forcing” Google to deliver a higher barrier of return than the other bidding strategies.

Smart bidding (maximize conversions, maximize conversion value, and target ROAS/CPA) and broad match tend to produce the best performance/results if you optimize towards an efficiency target like target ROAS/CPA.

Clicks + Visibility

If the focus is clicks and visibility I would in 9/10 cases not use broad match, but keep the match types tighter with phrase and exact match (that is at least possible for now when writing this, but my experience is that match types are getting looser and looser in terms of which search terms Google let through the gate) as the barrier for Google to deliver clicks and visibility is much lower and easy for Google to obtain, so you would want to be more strict with your keywords.

Understanding Keyword Match Types

Google Ads offers three main types of keyword matching:

1. Broad Match: The most flexible option, allowing your ad to show on searches that include misspellings, synonyms, related searches, and other relevant variations.Example: Keyword [women's hats] might match searches like "buy ladies caps" or "female headwear"
2. Phrase Match: More targeted than broad match, your ad can appear when a search includes your keyword or close variations of your keyword, with additional words before or after.Example: Keyword "women's hats" might match "buy women's hats online" or "stylish women's hats for summer"
3. Exact Match: The most precise option, your ad only appears when a user searches for your exact keyword, or very close variations with the same meaning.Example: Keyword [women's hats] will match "women's hats" or "hats for women" but not "ladies' hats"

It's important to note that Google has been gradually loosening match types over the years, making even exact match less restrictive than it once was. I imagine that these match type will get more "loose" in the future, but this is that we have to work with now.

Pairing Match Types with Bidding Strategies

I read a lot of agencies/freelancers talk badly about all match types, but in reality, it all comes down to the specific situation you are finding yourself in, which ultimately determines which match type and bidding strategy you would want to use. Here are some common scenarios and recommended pairings:

1. New Search Campaigns

For new campaigns, start with a combination of exact and phrase match keywords using the Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value bidding strategy. This approach allows you to maintain control over which searches trigger your ads while optimizing for conversions.

Recommendation: Exact/Phrase Match + Maximize Conversions

2. Competitive Niches (e.g., Legal, SaaS)

In highly competitive industries with expensive CPCs, precision is key. Use exact match keywords paired with Target CPA or Maximize Conversions with a set Target CPA.

Recommendation: Exact Match + Target CPA

3. Established Campaigns (50+ conversions/month)

Once your campaign has a stable history of conversions, consider experimenting with broad match keywords paired with Target ROAS or Target CPA. This combination allows Google's machine learning to find new, relevant searches while maintaining your efficiency targets. It has been the winning combo for me over the years, and has produced some solid and consistent performance for my clients, but as you are tapping into broad match you also need to work proactively with your negative keyword

Recommendation: Broad Match + Target ROAS/CPA

4. Brand Campaigns

For brand protection and visibility, use exact match keywords of your brand name and variations, paired with Target Impression Share bidding. The reason for exact match keywords is that you do not want to enable Google to target other similar terms than the actual brand name in the keyword itself. There are cases where it can make sense to use some phrase variants of your brand keyword, but it's rare. If you run Performance Max in the ad account you will also not see as many branded terms being targeted in the Performance Max campaign. The reason I use target impression share is that my goal is to be as visual as humanly possible on my brand terms so I target +90% impression share for example.

Recommendation: Exact Match + Target Impression Share (90%+ top of page)

Best Practices for Match Types and Bidding

1. Start Narrow, Then Expand: Begin with exact and phrase match, then gradually introduce broad match as you gather data.
2. Use Negative Keywords: Regularly review search terms and add irrelevant queries as negative keywords to prevent wasted spend.
3. Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review your campaign performance and adjust your match type and bidding strategy combinations as needed.
4. Consider Account History: The effectiveness of broad match + smart bidding improves with more historical data.
5. Test Different Combinations: Don't be afraid to experiment with different pairings to find what works best for your specific business and goals.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. High Spend, Low Conversions: If using broad match, consider tightening to phrase or exact match. Review and expand your negative keyword list.
2. Low Impression Share: If using exact match, try expanding to phrase match or adjust your bidding strategy to be more aggressive.
3. Inconsistent Performance: Ensure you have enough conversion data for smart bidding strategies to work effectively. Consider manual CPC bidding if you lack sufficient data.

Future Trends in Google Ads

As Google's algorithms continue to evolve, we can expect:

1. Further blurring of match types and how they match up with search terms
2. Increased importance of audience signals (such as 1st party data) and linking them to campaigns
3. More A.I being introduced into Google bidding algorithms

Conclusion

Mastering the dynamics between keyword match types and bidding strategies is crucial for Google Ads success. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution, understanding these elements and how to combine them effectively will significantly improve your campaign performance.

Remember, the key is to start with a solid foundation of keyword research and a well-curated negative keyword list. From there, test different combinations of match types and bidding strategies, always keeping your specific business objectives in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: How often should I review and adjust my keyword match types and bidding strategies?

A: It's recommended to review your campaigns at least weekly, with more frequent checks for new or high-spend campaigns. Make adjustments based on performance data and any changes in your business goals.

Q2: Can I use different match types and bidding strategies within the same campaign?

A: Yes, you can use different match types within the same campaign. However, bidding strategies are typically set at the campaign level, so you'd need separate campaigns to use different bidding strategies.

Q3: How many conversions do I need before using smart bidding strategies?

A: Google recommends at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days for most smart bidding strategies. For Target ROAS, it's best to have 50 conversions in the past 30 days.

Q4: Should I always use broad match with smart bidding?

A: While broad match with smart bidding can be very effective, it's not always the best choice. It depends on your campaign goals, budget, and the amount of conversion data you have. Always test different combinations to find what works best for your specific situation.

Q5: How do I know if I'm using the right match type and bidding strategy combination?

A: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rate, cost per conversion, and ROAS. If these metrics are meeting or exceeding your goals, you're likely on the right track. If not, consider testing alternative combinations.