SEA Keywords

Google Ads keywords are the words or sentences you want to be visible for in Google search results. You can determine how strict your Ads campaign has to adhere to your keywords.

Broad Match Keywords

The standard ‘strictness’ in Google Ads are broad keywords. When using broad keywords, you won’t just be visible for those keywords, but also for synonyms and variants. For example, if you’re advertising for ‘low-carb diet’, you might also be displayed in search results for ‘low-carb food’, ‘low-carb diets’, ‘Mediterranean diet books’, ‘eating fewer carbs for beginners’, ‘meals without carbs’, etc.

Phrase Match Keywords

Keyword groups are stricter than broad keywords, but not as strict as exact keywords. When using keyword groups, you won’t just be visible for your keywords, but also for any keywords containing the ones included in your campaign. For example, if you’re advertising for ‘tennis shoes’, you might also be displayed in search results for keyword combinations such as ‘shoes for tennis’, ‘tennis shoes sale’, ‘red tennis shoes’, or ‘comfortable tennis shoes’. Your advertisements will not be displayed for keyword combinations like ‘tennis equipment store’, or ‘buy sneakers’.

Exact Match Keywords

Exact keywords are the strictest options for keywords. When using these, you will have the highest level of control over who sees your advertisements. They will only be shown for queries with the exact same meaning or intention as your keywords. For example, when advertising for ‘shoes for men’, you might also be displayed for keyword combinations like ‘shoes men’, ‘men shoes’, ‘men shoe’, and ‘shoes for a man’. Your adverts will not be displayed for keyword combinations like ‘tennis shoes men’, or ‘shoes for boys’.

Search Terms

Search terms are the keywords your advertisement was actually displayed for. If you advertise for ‘SEA specialist’ for example, you will see you were displayed for many related queries.

Negative Match Keywords

Exclusion keywords, or negative match keywords, are keyword combinations you do not want to be displayed for. Negative match keywords are one of the most effective ways to limit Google in when it displays your advertisements.