Keyword match
Keyword match describes the relationship between a target or seed term and those terms that Google associates (or matches) with it
Matches are used in AdWords and the Google Keyword Tool to define the target term(s)
Match types include:
Broad:
Broad Match criteria is a loose match. For example it could include a match with:
- individual terms
- terms re-ordered
- other terms similar to the original terms
e.g. these terms could potenially be broad matches for the term: pink elephant
pink, elephant, elephant pink, pink elephants, pink pachyderms, pink elephant trunk
Syntactically broad search is shown without markup
Phrase:
Phrase match is a ‘string’ match – a match of the target terms in sequence
eg These terms could potentially be phrase matches for the term: pink elephant : pink elephant, pink elephants, bright pink elephant
These terms are not a phrase match : pink pachyderm, pink large elephant
Syntactically phrase match is shown with apostrophes ie “pink elephant”
Exact:
Exact match is just that. An exact match of the target term(s)
eg The exact match for the term: pink elephant is pink elephant
These terms are not a exact match : pink pachyderm, pink large elephant, pink elephants
Syntactically exact match is shown with open and close square brackets ie [pink elephant]