What are Google Ads Keyword Matching Options?

Google Ads keyword matching options are tools that allow you to display your services or products in search results according to the terms users have searched for.

You can reach your target audience more easily by using keyword matching options, and you can choose different matching options suitable for the strategy you have determined. In this blog post, we will examine keyword matching options in detail with definitions and examples.

What Are the Keyword Matching Options?

Wide mapping
Sequential mapping
Exact match
Negative matching

Without understanding the logic of keyword matching options, the likelihood of your ads being successful is quite low. So much so that if you ignore this and run your ads; you may be wasting more than 95% of your budget for Google Ads due to irrelevant clicks.

1. Wide mapping option

Among keyword matching options, this is the most preferred match type. To use this match type, you need to place a “+” sign before the keywords. This way, by allowing different words to appear before, after, and around your keywords, you keep your ad exposure broad.

Since you are reaching a very large audience with the broad match editor, your advertising budget can run out very quickly. Therefore, when using the broad match option, if you don’t do negative keyword targeting, this can reduce the click-through rate of your ads. Therefore, it may result in fewer conversions.

For example:

Broad Match Keyword:

women’s hats

Matching Searches:

buy women’s hat

women’s clothing

women’s scarves

winter hats for women

2. Sequential Matching

In phrase match, keywords are more focused compared to broad match keywords, providing you with greater flexibility in attracting visitors to your website.

In phrase match keywords, additional words can be added before or after the keyword.

For example:

Phrase Match Keyword:

“women’s hats”

Matching Searches:

blue women’s hats

buy hats for women

women’s hats for sale

3. Exact Match

Exact match keywords, as the name clearly suggests, are based on exact search queries and terms. For your ad to be shown, the search query must exactly match the keyword on the SERP.

For example:

Exact match keyword:

[kadın şapkaları]

Matching calls:

women’s hats

women’s hats

hats for women

women with hats

Since the probability is low for exact match, the traffic to your website will be lower than for broad and ranked match keywords. To increase traffic volume, you need to add more keywords to your campaign.

4.Negative Match

Suppose you sell interior paints. You can produce your products with paints, varnishes, enamels, water-based and oil-based paints, etc. you will prevent your ads from being shown for art paints such as gouache and watercolor, while making them available for those looking for them. This is where negative mapping comes in. this keyword type will show your products or services for specific search terms, and you will be able to exclude your ads for keywords you don’t want to be searched for.