Broad match
Broad match is the loosest keyword match type: ads may serve on any search Google considers related in meaning to the keyword, including searches sharing no words with it.
Modern broad match works differently from its 2015 reputation — it uses the full context of the auction (landing page, other keywords in the ad group, user signals) and is designed to pair with Smart Bidding, which bids down irrelevant matches rather than serving them at full price.
It is an expansion instrument with two prerequisites: reliable conversion data for the bidder to steer by, and an active negative-keyword practice to fence the semantic drift. Broad match with manual bidding and no negatives remains the classic way to torch a budget.
Knowing what Broad match means isn’t the edge.
Knowing what it’s doing to live accounts right now is. Operator notes from $200M+ in managed spend — sent when we find something worth your time.
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