Why I Use Both Exact Match + Broad Match (And Ignore Google's 'Expert' Advice)

You have probably heard, might have heard by now, some people teaching you when you use broad match keywords, you should fully only use broad match keywords. Or I've heard Google reps just hey, only use broad match keywords. You should never use any other match type at this point. Now there are cases where broad match pretty much dominates everything. Usually that's larger, high volume accounts. So think big, big spenders large with lots of conversion data and volume. And that seems to be the case for a lot of them. However, I still love doing a combo of broad and exact once I'm at this stage of using broad match keywords. And I'm going to explain why exactly. Now first let's get into a few things with match types. And broad match is going to be semantic. Okay? So this is the meaning conveyed by a search. Google claims broad match. You're tapped into all of the AI signals that Google has, right? So a broad match keyword is not exact targeting. It's literally the meaning of the search. So they give you a good example here. If someone types in grass cutting services near me and lawn local lawn cutting services, that's the same meaning. So if you add a broad match keyword in there for lawn mowing services near me, it, it's going to pick up both of these searches or it should pick up both of them, right? Because that means the same thing. Syntax, meaning the specific word within each search would be really what you're getting from high targeted precision match type, like exact match. And they show you an example of this here, right? I have a video on match types where I go deeper into this. So if you want to go down that rabbit hole, I'll have the link to that video in the description below. But you, if, but here Google gives you a pretty good breakdown of match type. Exact is tight, broad is loose. Okay? And remember, exact is your, your. You are essentially targeting the word. And with broad you're, you're essentially targeting the meaning. Just that. That's the simplest way of how I look at it. Okay? Now exact does behave like phrase match years ago. So for all the people who've been in the game for a while, you know, exact is not necessarily exact like it used to be back in the day. Here's a quick visual they give of like the, the reach, right, of exact versus broad. And this is why I love the combination of both because with exact I get tight precision targeting for my high converting, high volume search terms and broad, I'm tapping into all of the AI signals for broad reach and further Reach to make sure I've got this sort of full circle covered by the time I'm using broad match. I I'm usually phasing phrase match out in most cases unless the performance is there with those terms. Now why do I use exact match, right? Because wouldn't broad technically capture all the exact match terms? And yes, that is what Google claims. However, if you're just using broad match, you're relying on Google's AI to capture that search term of that exact search. And I have found when I'm also using exact match, I'm sort of forcing my way or signaling to Google that I must be showing when someone is exactly searching this. So let me give you an example. Let's say I have the broad match keyword washable sectional sofas. All right? And someone searches washable pet friendly sofas. Okay, Technically that's the same thing, right? Like we sell sofas that are washable and hence they would be pet friendly too. That's just a use case of a washable sofas when you're using pets, right? But if I don't, if I'm just relying on that one broad match keyword, I'm relying on Google's AI to, to pick that search up and in cases it will. Right now there's a million variables that go involved there. It's, you know, what's your quality score during that, what's your bidding strategy, what's the competition during that auction? So there's lots of different variables that are taking place within the auction of that search term. But I'm also relying fully, if I'm just using broad match on Google to determine whether or not that search is the same meaning as my broad match keyword. So I may have washable sectional sofa as a broad match, but someone was typing washable pet friendly sectional sofa, right? Google might miss, now the system's pretty smart, but Google might miss that as like the intent isn't quite there. So you fully rely on Google picking up some of those exact searches that you might find. So if I'm looking at an account and I see the exact search of washable pet friendly sectional sofas is a high converting, high volume, money making search for me, you better believe I'm adding that as an exact match. Why? Because I'm forcing Google to make sure that I'm getting matched with that exact search. Because according to Google, the system will prioritize eligible keywords that are identical to the search term. So broad, I don't know, I'm relying on Google exact match I'm telling Google if someone exactly searches this now again they get loose with that with close variance. But if someone exactly searches this search term, match me as often as you can. Now again variables involved, quality scores, competitors, the bid strategy you're using, et cetera. But that gives me control back at my high volume search terms that are king makers or moneymakers for me. Now people ask well what if the performance is bad, right? Well then pause it and rely on broad to pick it up. Okay, so I don't. I still go off of performance overall. But you won't find in in my accounts all broad match. You will find a mixture. And to me this is like the money making combination which is broad and exact exacts giving me high intent. Prec. Broad has given me a broad reach for meanings of terms and whatnot and it does very well with smart bidding as well. I did a video recently called the New Way of Running Google Ads in 2025 or the new way to run Google Ads in 2025. I go through a framework and it's you know, like a five phase thing. And this just explains how Google Ads behaves quite a bit today. And here's sort of the framework I go by. I do not use Broad match until I'm dialed in, right? And by dialed in I've got consistency, I've got high volume of conversions. Usually that means 30 or 50 plus in a month. And I feel very confident in that campaign. Then I'll layer Broad match on. That's why I use a little rocket emoji here because this is intent targeting expansion. Okay, so Broad Match with smart bidding does wonderful. Now I'm fully using Google's AI audience discovery that Broad match allows you to fully tap into based off of Google's own documentation on what they're saying. But I do not fully lean into just broad only. And it's because I want to absolutely make sure that my kingmaker high volume, high converting keywords are absolutely getting targeted. Hey, that framework I just showed you that is from a video I did called the New Way of Running Google Ads in 2025. That video is probably somewhere on the screen or eventually will be and it'll probably be in the description below as well. I break down how Google Ads is behaving in 2025, how to manage and operate Google Ads in 2025 and the framework that I work off of usually when I'm working with accounts today in Google Ads. So if you want to learn more about that, there's tremendous value in that. I highly recommend it. So go watch that video next. And if not, no worries. See you on the next video.