Broad match in Google Ads: what it matches now
Broad match is the default keyword match type in Google Ads, and it no longer means "these words in any order". This guide explains what it matches today, the signals it reads, how Google decides which keyword wins, and how to check the searches it brings in.
This guide is built from Google's own pages: Your guide to broad match, About keyword matching options, About ad group and asset group prioritization, About the search terms report, How to steer AI-powered Search ads, About Smart Bidding and Google's Search Automation technical guide (a 2022 PDF that the Help pages still link to). Where we add our own view, we say so.
What broad match is now
Broad match is the default match type. You type a keyword as plain text, with no quotes or brackets, and it is broad. Google's definition: Ads may show on searches that are related to your keyword, which can include searches that don’t contain the direct meaning of your keywords.
That is a long way from the old idea of broad match as any search that contains the keyword's words in any order. The technical guide explains the change. Keyword matching used to work on syntax, the words in the search. Now the same technology that is used to understand search intent is employed in keyword matching
, so a keyword can match on meaning. Google's example is a landscaper with the keyword lawn mowing service who can reach searches like "grass cutting service near me" without either word appearing in the keyword.
Broad match also covers everything the narrower types would. In Google's words, a broad match keyword will match all the searches of equivalent phrase and exact match keywords, plus additional related searches.
That is why Google says you do not need to repeat the same keyword in all three match types.
One side effect that surprises people: language. Google says multi-lingual users may see an ad in a different language from their search if Google is confident they understand it. Its example is a search for "zapatos azules" matching the English keyword blue shoes.
Broad, phrase and exact side by side
| Match type | How you write it | What Google says it matches |
|---|---|---|
| Broad | red shoe | Searches related to the keyword, including ones without its direct meaning. Uses extra signals (below). |
| Phrase | "red shoe" | Searches that include the meaning of the keyword, which can be implied or a more specific form of it. |
| Exact | [red shoe] | Searches with the same meaning or intent as the keyword. The most control, the fewest searches. |
Negative keywords also come in these three types but behave differently. Our search terms and negative keywords guide covers that in full, so it is not repeated here.
The signals broad match uses
The keyword is only one input. The Help page lists three more that broad match may also take into account
:
- the user's recent search activity,
- the content of your landing pages and assets,
- the other keywords in the same ad group, used to understand the keyword's intent.
The technical guide adds user location and gives an example for each signal:
| Signal | Google's example |
|---|---|
| Other keywords in the ad group | Keyword pink socks, search "salmon socks". Because the ad group also has red, blue and purple socks, the system reads "salmon" as a colour, not a fish. |
| Previous searches | Keyword chicago vs ny baseball, search "chicago vs ny". Earlier searches for baseball scores tell the system what the user means. |
| User location | Keyword restaurants in NY, search "Restaurants near me" from a user in New York. |
| Landing page | Keyword shoes, search for a specific running shoe model that the landing page sells. |
The guide states that Broad match is the only match type that uses all of the signals available
, because phrase and exact match must meet stricter matching rules. Two practical points follow. Your landing pages shape what you match, so a page that covers services you do not want ads for can pull in searches for them. And the keywords you group together change how each one is read, which is one more reason to build ad groups around one theme.
Why Google pairs it with Smart Bidding
Every Google page on broad match carries the same note: It’s critical to use Smart Bidding with broad match.
The reason given is that every search is different, so the bid for each one should reflect its own signals at auction time. Smart Bidding means the four conversion-based strategies: Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions and Maximize conversion value. The matching options page puts it the other way round too: Smart Bidding works best with broad match because the wide set of searches allows it to learn what works best for you.
Smart Bidding can only aim at what you measure. If conversion tracking counts the wrong thing, broad match plus Smart Bidding will find more of the wrong thing, faster. Check conversion tracking before switching, and see budgets and bidding for the strategies themselves.
The technical guide also argues against splitting the same keyword by match type. If exact and broad versions sit in separate ad groups or campaigns, Smart Bidding may have to attain the target average cost per conversion for each of the segmented match types independently
, which can raise the cost of extra conversions. Google's recommendation is one campaign per business objective and one ad group per creative theme, and it says it does not recommend single keyword ad groups.
Which keyword wins when several match
With broad match, one search can match keywords in several ad groups. Your own keywords do not bid against each other; only one can trigger the ad. Google's prioritization page sets the order:
| Priority | What wins |
|---|---|
| 1 | An exact match keyword identical to the search term. |
| 2 | A phrase or broad match keyword (including AI Max) or a Performance Max search theme identical to the search term. These share priority. |
| 3 | Relevance: when no keyword is identical, AI picks the most relevant ad groups, judged on the search, all the keywords in each ad group and its landing pages. |
| 4 | Ad Rank decides between candidates that are still equal. |
"Identical" includes spell-corrected searches but, in Google's words, doesn’t include plurals or synonyms
. Google's example for priority 3: a search for "skydiving certifications near me" could match a "Skydiving License" ad group and an "Advanced Skydiving Courses" ad group under broad match, but only the license ad group enters the auction, because "license" and "certifications" are much closer in meaning. Google's advice from this is direct: Structure your ad groups thematically to clarify which ad group should match for a given search.
Near-duplicates are wasted effort. Google says red car and car red as broad keywords are treated as duplicates and the one with the higher Ad Rank is used; it does not hurt cost or performance, it just adds nothing.
When a search lands in an ad group you did not expect, the prioritization page lists the usual reasons the intended one could not serve: a keyword with "low search volume" status, disapproved ads or landing pages, targeting (location, audience, IP exclusions), a campaign limited by budget, and searches from Lens, AI Mode, AI Overviews or autocomplete, which are not treated as identical to a keyword. The Ad preview and diagnosis tool shows whether an ad group lost to an identical or more relevant one. Shopping ads are outside these rules and can show alongside your exact match ad.
If your campaign uses AI Max, its search term matching goes further than broad match and Google's old campaign-level broad match setting is being folded into it. Our AI Max guide covers that separately.
Checking what it matched
Google's own advice is to review the search terms report often. Three things in it matter most for broad match:
- The Match type column describes the search, not your keyword. Google explains that a broad keyword can still match in a narrower way: if someone searches purple flowers and your broad keyword purple flowers triggers the ad, the row shows exact match. A row marked "Broad match" means the search was a variation of your broad keyword.
- Close variants are flagged as such. Google says they can include singular and plural forms, acronyms, stem words (floor and flooring), abbreviations, accents and other variants with the same meaning.
- Not every search is listed. Low-volume terms are left out for privacy reasons and grouped into subthemes or "other queries" in search terms insights.
For unwanted searches, Google's steering page suggests blocking specific words or phrases
rather than every full search, and warns to Use negative keywords sparingly, as you may inadvertently block performing traffic.
It also says negatives must not overlap with your keywords, or the ad will not show. How to build and share negative lists is in our search terms guide.
Switching keywords to broad match
A single keyword is changed in the Match type column. For many at once, Google's steps are:
- Go to Campaigns, open Audiences, keywords, and content and click Search keywords.
- Tick the keywords to change and click Edit.
- Choose "Change match types", then Upgrade to broad match if offered; otherwise Change all match types and pick broad match.
- Click Apply.
Two other routes exist. If a campaign uses Smart Bidding, Google surfaces keywords it thinks would do better as broad match on the Recommendations page; our recommendations guide explains how to judge those. And the technical guide suggests testing a broad match strategy with an experiment first, which our experiments guide walks through. For finding the keywords to start from, see the Keyword Planner guide.
When we use it, and when we do not
This part is our own working view, not Google's:
- We use broad match in campaigns that already record real conversions (a lead form or a sale, not a page view) and run on a Smart Bidding strategy with a realistic target.
- We keep phrase or exact match when a campaign runs on manual CPC, when the budget is too small for the system to learn, or when the business only serves a very narrow need and nearby searches would cost money without leads.
- We tidy the landing pages and ad groups first. Since both feed the matching, a vague page or a mixed ad group shows up as vague searches.
- For the first weeks after a switch we read the search terms report every few days and add negatives for clear misses only, then step back to a weekly check.
- We judge it by conversions and cost per conversion, not by how many new search terms appear.
Frequently asked questions
Is broad match the default in Google Ads?
Yes. Google says broad match is the default match type for all keywords. A keyword typed without quotes or brackets is broad.
Do I still need exact and phrase versions of my broad keywords?
Google says no: a broad keyword matches all the searches of its phrase and exact versions plus more, and an identical keyword is prioritized across all match types. Exact match keywords identical to the search still take first priority, so you can keep one where you want a particular search routed to a particular ad group.
Can I use broad match with manual CPC?
The setting allows it, but Google calls Smart Bidding critical for broad match, because a fixed bid cannot reflect the signals of each search.
Why did my broad keyword show for a search with none of its words?
Broad match works on meaning, using signals such as your landing page, the other keywords in the ad group, the user's previous searches and location. If the match is wrong for you, add a negative keyword and check whether the landing page or ad group is sending mixed signals.
Is broad match modifier still available?
Google's current Help pages describe three match types, broad, phrase and exact, and do not include broad match modifier. Google's 2020 announcement on broad match and Smart Bidding already spoke of switching "broad match modified keywords" to broad match.
Broad match reads your landing pages, so a clear, focused page helps your ads as well as your visitors. See our website development service and all our services, or read the rest of our guides.