Expanded Broad Match vs Automatic Matching at Google Adwords

November 18th, 2009

by Laura Thieme

If you bid on keyword phrases at Google in the Adwords console, you should be familiar with three match types, minimum:

1) broad match
2) phrase match
3) exact match

You might have also heard about the opt-in system of Automatic Matching. You should also know what a negative match is.

But have you ever heard of Expanded Broad Match?

In my recent blog posts, I’ve referenced my concerns over a particular client’s ad campaign in Google Adwords. In short, I’ve discovered many keywords showing up in the:

See Search Terms queries on a selected keyword that has clicks in a given period of time

Which are NOT relevant at all to the search query that my client bid upon

Quick background note:
Bizresearch provides PPC Conversion & CTR audits that assess KPIs across a 12-13 month period of time
We work to improve CTR, CVR, cost of conversion, and average position, as well as quality score ratings at campaign, ad group and keyword level

In doing our PPC audits, we often find numerous opportunities with match types; content vs search; and a lack of negative keywords.

In recent weeks with the Google Adwords account manager, I’ve learned that this particular client is on ‘expanded broad match’, something that is automatically elected, and not a part of an opt-in system, or opt-out system.

So, if my client chose to bid on the word “design school” broad match, and phrase match - don’t you think that my client should show up for terms that include “both” design “and” school, or for broad match, with at least one of the keywords “design” or “school”?

What if my client showed up for terms that had NOTHING, NADA, ZILCHO to do with “design school”?

Adwords account manager says that we’re in an expanded broad match program. Huh?

What the heck is expanded broad match?

Well, Adwords person says it’s to help my client show up for misspellings and singular vs plural.

I’m sorry but what I’m showing up for, by the way, is way off on a misspelling.

How are “brown and blue bathrooms” related to design schools? Yes, the word brown or blue has to do with color. Color has to do with design. But if I wanted to show up for colors, and bathrooms, I would have bid on it, damn it!

Google makes no reference whatsoever to expanded broad match in its Learning Center.

So, if you haven’t clicked on keywords that have clicks, poor CTR, and/or high cost of conversion; click on the keyword, choose a date range of at least 3+ months if possible or where at least 50 or more clicks exist, and “see search terms” for that one keyword. If you see keywords that in no way relate to your ad campaign, and weren’t an issue of simply adding a negative match (see blog entries below for ideas on negative matches); I’d be documenting it and asking Google for a refund.

I’m also asking Google to create an opt-out system for expanded broad match. I want the ability to ensure that my client isn’t paying $13+ per click for keywords that I didn’t say I wanted to show up for.

There is no “plural” or “misspelling” on the word “design school” if you show my client for “blue and brown bathrooms” or “church blueprint ideas” or “daycare decorating ideas”. They may be contextual in concept, but Google your relevancy concept is profiting you and only you in this regard.

Please examine your recent data. Write me on Twitter @bizresearchlmt if you have questions about this. And then document the number of keywords and cost related to non-related keywords. Again, I’m not looking for negative matches, I’m looking for terms that should have never been included.

Lastly, I’m not seeing this with all clients on broad match. I’m seeing this really with only one client. It just happens to be a client who is spending tens of thousands each month.

Perhaps we can get the client’s spend down $20k a month by handling this issue, and perhaps the cost of acquisition will become acceptable for this particular campaign within this long-term account.

Posted in Paid Search Tools, Search Analytics.

 

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