This article will analyze in detail 5 important keyword match types in Google Ads, with specific examples, advantages and disadvantages, and how GTG CRM helps you conduct keyword research for your ads.

Broad Match

How it works: Advertising Display when the query has related words to the keyword, including synonyms or similar contexts.

• For example: Keyword web design service can display for queries like cheap website design, web design company, even website SEO service.

Advantages:

• Reach a wide customer base, suitable for the market research phase.
• Take advantage of Google's machine learning capabilities to find new opportunities.

Disadvantages:

• It can easily consume your budget because it shows for less relevant queries.
• CTR and Quality Score are often lower.

Broad Match is a good way to start exploring the market because it allows your ads to show for many search variations, including synonyms or related contexts.

When running Broad Match, you can easily attract a large amount of new traffic and discover additional insights that you didn't think of. This is the top of the funnel (TOFU) stage, where the main goal is to build awareness and expand reach. However, because the search volume can be quite diluted, Broad Match needs to be combined with Smart Bidding for Google to optimize and must be controlled by negative keywords.

Phrase Match

How it works: Ads are displayed when the query contains the exact keyword phrase, can add words before or after.

• For example: Keyword “online marketing course” can be displayed for the query online marketing course in Hanoi or buy a reputable online marketing course.

Pros:

• Balance between control and expansion.
• Still exploits variation but keeps search intent quite close.

Cons:

• May still appear on some searches that are not very relevant if the context is broad.

When using phrase match, your ad will show for searches that contain the exact phrase, allowing you to stay relevant while still expanding on variations.

Phrase Match is often used in the middle of the funnel (MOFU) stage, when customers have a clear intent and are considering solutions. Combining Phrase Match with negative keywords will help you refine your traffic and focus on more specific needs, for example: “CRM software for startups” instead of general searches.

Exact Match

How it works: Ads only show when the query exactly matches or very closely the selected keyword.

• For example: Keyword [buy CRM software] only show when users search buy CRM software or buy crm.

Advantages:

• High accuracy, CTR is often high → increase Quality Score.
• Optimize costs, avoid wasting on unintended keywords.

Disadvantages:

• Limit the ability to expand the market.
• Need a lot of time to research keywords to avoid missing opportunities.

Exact match provides the highest accuracy because ads are only displayed when users search exactly or almost exactly with the keywords you choose. This is the most powerful strategy in the bottom of the funnel (BOFU) stage, where the goal is to convert.

While the cost per click may be higher, conversion rates from Exact Match are often superior because the purchase intent is clear, e.g. “buy GTG CRM software”. For maximum effectiveness, prepare an optimized landing page and a clear call to action.

Negative Match

How it works: Prevent your ad from showing when a query contains negative keywords.

• Example: Main keyword photography service, negative word free. Ads will not show for free photography service.

Advantages:

• Eliminates spam clicks, increases conversion rates change.
• Save budget, focus on real potential customers.

Disadvantages:

• If the negative is too broad, it can lose opportunities from potential customers.

Negative matching does not generate additional traffic, but helps eliminate unwanted queries, such as adding “free” to the negative list to avoid spam clicks. This is an important tool throughout the entire marketing funnel because it keeps TOFU traffic from being diluted, ensuring the MOFU group focuses on the right customers and BOFU is left with only people who are truly likely to buy. Using negative keywords properly will help save budget and increase conversion rates.

GTG CRM – Comprehensive AI Keyword Research & Management

Not just stopping at lead management, GTG CRM integrates AI directly into the keyword research process - which is a very time-consuming step time-consuming and requires high expertise.

Suggest potential keywords

• Based on industry, product/service, website content, GTG CRM's AI will automatically suggest a list of related keywords.
• This list includes short keywords (head keyword), mid-tail keywords (mid-tail) and long-tail keywords (long-tail) → suitable for both recognition and conversion campaigns.

Keyword analysis for

• GTG CRM is capable of crawl and analyze data from competitors in the industry, helping you see:
• Which keyword groups are they focusing their budget on?
• Which keywords are bringing in the most traffic?
• The weaknesses that are still open for you to take advantage of.

Assess competition & costs

• The AI system not only provides a list but also includes search volume, estimated CPC, and competition level.
• You can easily know which keywords to allocate your budget to for the highest ROI.

GTG CRM not only manages customers, but also becomes an “AI assistant” for Google Ads:

• Keyword research is many times faster.
• Know what your competitors are doing.
• Know your costs and competition from the start.
• Manage leads by match type and optimize your nurturing scenarios.

Therefore, small businesses can deploy Google Ads campaigns as standard as a professional agency without having to spend extra money on hiring outside.

Conclusion

Understanding and correctly applying the 5 keyword match types in Google Ads is the key to optimizing your campaign: reaching the right people, saving costs, and improving your quality score. However, stopping at the click level is not enough - you need a system like GTG CRM to support the implementation process.