Glossary

Understanding The Difference Between Broad Match And Phrase Match In Google Ads

Choosing the right keyword match type can make or break your Google Ads performance; this guide breaks down the key differences between broad match and phrase match so you can match intent, control reach, and optimize budget. Broad match casts a wide net to capture varied search queries and drive volume, while phrase match offers tighter relevance by triggering ads only when user searches include your keyword phrase in order. Read on to learn which match type aligns best with your campaign goals and how to use each for better ROI.

Broad Match vs Phrase Match

Broad Match: A keyword match type that shows ads for searches containing any words in the keyword, in any order, plus synonyms, related searches, and variations; maximizes reach but may return less relevant queries. Example: broad match keyword "women's hats" can trigger for "buy ladies cap," "hat sale," or "women's headwear."
Phrase Match: A keyword match type that shows ads for searches that include the exact phrase or a close variant in the same order, possibly with additional words before or after; balances relevance and reach. Example: phrase match keyword "women's hats" can trigger for "cheap women's hats" or "women's hats sale" but not "hats for women sale" if word order is altered, depending on platform variations.

What is Broad Match?

Broad match is a Google Ads keyword match type that maximizes reach by triggering your ads for searches that include any word in your keyword phrase, in any order, as well as synonyms, related terms, plurals, misspellings, and other close variants. It is designed to capture broad user intent and pull in high-volume, varied search queries you might not have predicted.

How it works

When you add a broad match keyword (e.g., “women’s hats”), Google’s algorithm checks the search query for relevance to any component or semantic equivalent of that keyword. This can cause your ad to appear for queries like “buy ladies cap,” “hat sale,” “women’s headwear,” or even related searches such as “beach sun protection” if Google considers them contextually relevant.

Benefits

Maximum reach and impression volume, useful for discovery and testing.

Uncovers new keyword opportunities and long-tail variations you have not listed.

Simplifies keyword management—fewer keywords are required to cover a wide range of queries.

Drawbacks

Lower relevance risk and a higher likelihood of irrelevant traffic, which can waste budget.

Requires robust negative keywords and active monitoring to maintain ROI.

Less precise control over who sees your ads compared with phrase or exact match.

Best practices

Use broad match for top-of-funnel campaigns, audience discovery, or when scaling reach.

Pair with Smart Bidding (e.g., CPA/ROAS) to optimize conversions while broadening coverage.

Implement a comprehensive negative keyword list and review search terms frequently to reduce wasted spend.

Combine with phrase or exact match keywords for tighter control of high-value queries and to protect conversion volume.

Example

A broad match keyword like “women’s hats” might trigger ads for “cheap cap for ladies,” “straw sun hat,” or “hat sale near me,” helping you uncover converting variants you can later add as more targeted keywords.

What is Phrase Match?

Phrase match is a Google Ads keyword match type that shows your ad when a user’s search includes your keyword phrase—or a close variant—in the same word order. Additional words can appear before or after. It balances reach and relevance: more targeted than broad match, but more flexible than exact match.

How it behaves

Matches searches that contain the full phrase or close variants (misspellings, plurals, stemming, and some paraphrases) in the same sequence.

Allows words before or after the phrase, so “cheap women’s hats” or “women’s hats sale near me” can trigger a phrase match for “women’s hats.”

Generally prevents matches when crucial words are reordered or separated in ways that change intent.

Benefits

Higher relevance and CTR than broad match because the core intent is preserved.

Better control over spend while still capturing variations and modifiers.

Useful for scaling mid- and bottom-funnel queries without micromanaging every variant.

Limitations

May miss relevant queries when users reorder words or use significantly different phrasing.

Still requires monitoring and negative keywords to exclude irrelevant modifiers or contexts.

Best practices

Use phrase match for high-intent keyword groups where word order affects meaning.

Pair with broad match for discovery and exact match for high-priority terms.

Review Search terms reports regularly and add negatives to refine relevance.

Combine with strong ad copy and landing pages that reflect the phrase to improve Quality Score and ROI.