Advertisers bid on these terms in order to get their ads placed in theSponsored Links section whenever someone searches for them Keywords are at the heart of Paid Search (at least in the current SEM environment). Advertisers bid on these terms in order to get their ads placed in the Sponsored Links section whenever someone searches for them. Your SEM performance can be greatly impacted by choosing the right keywords and implementing the right bidding strategy. If you want to be successful in keyword targeting, it is essential to understand your match type options and how to use them to your advantage. The three main match types for those involved in Search Engine Marketing are broad, phrase, and exact match.
The only match types you had at your disposal were until recently. Last year, Google launched Modified Broad Match, which has been helpful. Broad match modifier is a match type that can be used to target a wider range of queries while still maintaining a lot of control compared to standard broad match. I have been using the modified broad match feature a lot since it was introduced, and I have been really happy with the results. So far, only Google AdWords supports modified broad match.
As a quick example, here are the four match type options for the keyword Ping Golf Driver:
- Broad: ping golf driver
- Phrase: “ping golf driver”
- Exact: [ping golf driver]
- Modified Broad Match: +ping +golf +driver
Your ads can be triggered by many different queries if you use broad match. This can be the most effective option in terms of getting noticed, but it can also be the most risky. Broad match keywords require close monitoring of raw queries to ensure that ads are not triggered by unrelated or untargeted searches.
In the future, you can target your audience more accurately by using phrase match to only match the phrase “ping golf driver”. When you use phrase match, you can be confident that the searcher will include the phrase “ping golf driver” in their query, and it will be in the same order as you specified. As a search marketer, you are aware that someone had input the exact phrase (all three words in order) as their search query.
Exact match is the most restrictive match type. Your ads will only be triggered if the person enters the exact keywords and nothing else. The order of the keywords also matters. If you prioritize quality over quantity, you will have fewer impressions and clicks. However, you will be able to track which specific query was entered.
What is Modified Broad Match in Google AdWords?
After discussing the three main match types in AdWords, the author wants to focus on Modified Broad Match. Modified broad match is a type of keyword matching that is more restrictive than broad match but less restrictive than phrase match. By adding plus signs in front of keywords, you are telling AdWords that those keywords must be present in the query in order for your ad to appear.
You’re not giving AdWords full control over your keyword matching, and you’re not requiring that your keywords be in a specific order. This allows you to target a wider range of people, but in a way that is strategic. Using our example from above, the modified broad match keyword +ping +golf +driver could match the following queries:
- ping golf driver
- how much does a golf driver cost from ping
- new golf driver ping g15
- golf beginners best driver ping
- used golf driver ping
You get the picture. This type of match allows you to be more in control than when you use broad match blindly, without being too restrictive. As long as you analyze the various queries triggering your ads, you can learn a lot about your target audience and what they are searching for. This information can be useful in developing your marketing strategy.
The keyword data that you can see in your Google Analytics account only shows the keywords that were used to trigger your ads, not all of the keywords that people used to find your site. The reporting will not show the raw queries that triggered your ads. It is important to look at the specific words that are being used in searches when using broad match, as this can help you to improve your targeting, reduce irrelevant clicks, and increase your return on investment. Yes, raw query analysis is extremely important.
The Power of Analyzing Raw Queries
The example from earlier showed that a query using the word “ping” might not be the best match for a business that doesn’t sell used golf clubs. In this case, you could add “used” as a negative word to help exclude these types of queries. This would ensure that your ads never show when someone includes “used” in their query. You can also increase your chances of success by bidding more aggressively on targeted keywords that you were not previously bidding on.
If you were to notice a modified broad match keyword that captured a query such as “buy ping g15 driver 2011”, you might want to add that keyword to your list and bid more aggressively on it. This is why it is so important to analyze raw search queries. Honing your targeting can lead to finding many negatives, as well as more targeted keywords to bid on separately. This can all lead to increased ROI, which is what SEM is all about.
The Four Types of Search Term Matches
There are four different types of keyword and search term matches: broad match, broad match modified, phrase match, and exact match. Each of them has its own benefits and drawbacks, so let’s go over them in more detail:
Broad match
This is the default match type for AdWords. Your ad will show up whenever someone searches for the phrase you specified, or something similar. This can include singular and plural forms, misspellings, synonyms, and other related terms.
The advantage of this approach is that you reach a large number of people. You will give off the impression that you are high-value and end up with a lot of data on keywords that can help you find new ones.
Cons: Unnecessary traffic. Creating too many broad match keyword campaigns can be detrimental to your ad budget and increase the amount of work you have to do to maintain your campaigns. This is because you will likely have to continually check your search terms and add negative keywords to avoid your ad being shown for irrelevant searches.
Broad match modified
This is a modified version of the broad match. It still has a large audience, but you have more control over who sees it. You can add terms to your query that will act as mandatory inclusion terms, allowing you to have more control over your keywords. The phrases in brackets are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Other terms (can be included), and the necessary terms (don’t have to be present) in the (listed) order. The match is still broad but offers more precision.
Benefits: increased volume of traffic that is more relevant than when using the standard broad match method.
The disadvantages of using broad match are that you will still need to regularly update your keyword list and add negative keywords to make sure you are targeting the right audience.
Phrase match
The ads will be triggered when the user types in the exact phrase or a phrase with other terms surrounding it. If you’re looking for a local food delivery service, you’ll want to check out our options for quick local food delivery or local food delivery thai.
The phrase match keyword allows you to have a lot of control over the search query.
The cons of this strategy are that the volume is limited, as some people may not type in the words from the phrase in the exact order.
Exact match
This is the most strict and targeted match type. The ad will only appear if the user types in the exact phrase, with no additional terms before or after it.
Pros: Excellent targeting. You won’t get any unnecessary traffic.
One of the main disadvantages of this method is that the search query reports will be inaccurate and you will not be able to find new keywords.
How To Analyze Modified Broad Match in Google Analytics
Since we understand how crucial it is to analyze unrefined queries, where can we find them in our reports? What raw queries were mapped to each modified broad match keyword? Having both quantitative and qualitative data is necessary to improve your company’s productivity. If you are using Google Analytics, you can get to data about your AdWords campaigns pretty easily. To do this, go to Dimensions and Filters in the new AdWords reporting.
Google Analytics has added several new features with the latest changes to AdWords reporting. This means that you can see which queries led people to your ad. One of the new features is being able to see which matched search queries led people to your ad based on the keywords you were targeting. This allows you to see the search queries that are causing your ads to be shown. With Dimensions and Filtering, you can see both the original search queries that caused your ads to appear and the modified broad match keywords associated with those queries. That’s exactly what we want. Let’s dig in.
1. Find new keywords
The search term report will tell you which words your prospective customers are looking for. To improve your Google Ads campaign, you should consider organizing your landing pages and ad groups. This will help you to determine if some new terms might be more suited to their own ad groups. If this is the case, you can then move keywords around between ad groups, which will result in increased traffic to the correct page.
2. Use negative keywords
It is important to keep track of unrelated terms that bring traffic to your page, as well as those terms that have a high bounce rate. An SQR can help you save money by identifying search terms that you don’t want to rank for and adding them as negative keywords. This ensures that you don’t get traffic from unwanted searches, saving you money in the process.
You can add negative keywords to your ad group or campaign, or you can add them to your negative keyword list.
Click the box next to an unwanted term and then click the “Add as negative keyword” link above.
3. Identify root keywords that aren’t converting
This is similar to the concept of negative keywords but is important enough to warrant its own section. You may get question phrases such as “how to prepare thai food” that don’t help you get any conversions.
Search queries that are looking for information, not a service, are called informational search queries. They may help you get a sale once in a while, but they are not a good investment in the long term. If they are not driving conversions, remove them so that they are not eating through your budget.
4. Compare search terms
Compare the best and worst performing search terms and try to analyze the data you get. You can use this information to improve your website by optimizing it for the keywords that are bringing you traffic and conversions. You will also be able to find more negative keywords to exclude from your campaign.
5. Make sure you’re using the correct match type
The “Match type” column can help you understand how changing the match type for a keyword affects your performance. The “search term report” feature in Google Ads lets you see the actual terms that a user typed into the search engine before clicking on your ad. This can be helpful in determining which keywords are actually driving clicks and conversion. This is an invaluable insight into the consumer journey. Taking the right actions will result in a positive outcome.
6. Download and export the report
Google offers the ability to download your search terms in various formats. You can schedule the text as an email to ensure you receive the most recent information at regular intervals. A customized dashboard designed for PPC campaigns can present all the data in a way that is simple, clear, and easy to understand.
You should always be kept informed about your ad campaign so you know you’re not wasting money on keywords that aren’t working.
7. Make changes to the website
This occurs when you focus on your customers’ desires. The PPC campaign can be modified to fit the needs of the company, but more levels need to be looked at in order to get the full benefit of the information. If you want to improve your ROI, create new landing pages or streamline old ones based on search term reports. This will help improve user engagement.
How Often Should STRs Be Checked?
Although search term reports update in real-time, you don’t need to check them very frequently. However, this isn’t the case. If you use the report too much, you will be distracted from your other responsibilities.
A search report should be conducted every 2-4 weeks for most businesses. To change the dates of your campaign, click on the dates at the top right of the campaign screen.
You should check the keywords more frequently at the beginning of the campaign. After establishing your keywords, you should check your search term results (STRs) a few days later to discern which keywords are preforming well, and which are not. Then you can make the necessary modifications.
Use Search Query Reports to Improve Every Aspect of Your Business
This is a guide on how to use search query reports in Google Ads. The following tips on how to run your PPC campaigns efficiently will help you boost your ROI. If you are smart about how you use STRs, they can even help you develop your overall digital marketing strategy and brand image. It’s important to remember that the key to success is identifying what customers want and then adapting to their needs.
Databox can automate your PPC reporting, making the process easier and saving you time and money. The Databox dashboards offer full Google Ads integration, which allows you to track all the metrics you need and create easy-to-understand visual reports.
Our Google Ads PPC performance templates can help you learn:
- Which metrics should you be tracking for your Google Ads campaigns?
- How to measure click-through rate for all of your ad groups.
- How to track keyword-level clicks on your ads.
And there’s more!
This deep integration will allow you to track data points such as impressions, clicks, conversions, keywords, and search terms, to engagement metrics such as ads, groups, or campaigns. And this is not an exhaustive list of what can be tracked.
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