Google Ads: ‘Exact Match’ Keeps Getting Less Exact

Google Ads: ‘Exact Match’ Keeps Getting Less Exact

The change had three components: Function words such as “in,” “a,” “the,” and “to” could be ignored by Google in queries or in the exact match keywords inside of Google Ads; Function words in the query could be changed by Google; Word order could be changed by Google as long as it “doesn’t affect the meaning.” I was not a fan of the change then. Matching Variants Google announced the latest change on Sept. 6, 2018, in a post in the Google Ads Help documentation. There could be multiple intents behind a query such as “yosemite camping,” including information about bears, permissible camping locations, camping policies, and permit rules, among others. Ad Copy Assume you’re an outfitter who arranges camping trips in Yosemite National Park. It could have a “Yosemite Camping Permits” ad group and a “Best Time To Camp In Yosemite” ad group and a “Yosemite Camping” ad group. Using the exact match keyword type would have meant that the advertiser could write ad copy specific to each instance (or generic for the “Yosemite Camping” ad group) to ensure relevance and get the click. For example, use “permit” and “permits” as negative keywords in all ad groups except the “Yosemite Camping Permits.” Then, repeat this for all ad-group themes to inform Google on the keywords and ads that a specific query should trigger. Google Ads has a limit of 10,000 negative keywords per campaign. Again, for large accounts it could be time-consuming. Machine Learning Google Ads should stop calling it an “exact” match when there are brackets around a keyword.

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In April 2017, I wrote about a change to AdWords — now Google Ads — affecting exact match keywords that made them, well, less exact. The change had three components:

  • Function words such as “in,” “a,” “the,” and “to” could be ignored by Google in queries or in the exact match keywords inside of Google Ads;
  • Function words in the query could be changed by Google;
  • Word order could be changed by Google as long as it “doesn’t affect the meaning.”

I was not a fan of the change then. I am still not a fan because keywords are no longer an “exact match.” However, Google has now taken it even further.

Matching Variants

Google announced the latest change on Sept. 6, 2018, in a post in the Google Ads Help documentation. The post stated, in part, “exact match close variants will begin including close variations that share the same meaning as your keyword.” This was accompanied by a graphic, below, with an example using “yosemite camping” as the keyword.

Google Ads reported in September that “exact match close variants will begin including close variations that share the same meaning as your keyword.” This example from Google is for the keyword “yosemite camping.”
Google Ads reported in September that “exact match close variants will begin including close variations that share the same meaning as your keyword.” This example from Google is for the keyword “yosemite camping.”

The change introduced three new concepts.

  • Implied words. It’s implied that a reference to “yosemite” is the national park.
  • Paraphrase. Google assumes that “camping” occurs in a “campground.”
  • Same intent. Someone interested in “yosemite camping” needs a “campsite.”

As pointed out by search practitioner Brad Geddes, even these changes show a bias. There could be multiple intents behind a query such as “yosemite camping,” including information about bears, permissible camping locations, camping policies, and permit rules, among others.

Ad Copy

Assume you’re an outfitter who arranges camping trips in Yosemite National Park. If you’re bidding on the keyword “yosemite camping,” what do…

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