Google AdWords Modifies Broad Match Keywords

We all know broad keywords are good for getting your site some traffic, but there is a downside, you are at the mercy of the Google synonym machine. Your ad could show up for all manner of keywords if Google feels they are representative. Does this mean it will be wrong? Not really, it just means that some of the situations where your ad will show are out of your control, unless you go-to-town using negative keywords to combat it.

So what was the solution?

Well before today it seemed to be a case of careful use of broad keywords while also using phrase and exact match keywords as your staple diet for targeted traffic. But it seems that Google has introduced a new tool to let AdWords advertisers reign in those easy going broad matching keywords – the Broad Match Modifier.

Cool, I like new stuff, but what is it?

It’s a way to ‘anchor’ parts of your broad matching keywords to the actual word (or at least to very close matches such as singular/plural, abbreviations, etc.). Synonyms will no longer trigger the keyphrase.

Sounds intriguingly useful, but how do I use it?

The example Google uses on their Inside AdWords blog is the keyphrase ‘formal shoes.’ To modify the broad keyphrase you simply place a '+' symbol before the word you wish to anchor. So if you used the keyphrase ‘formal +shoes’ it would trigger for searches like ‘evening shoes’ but the modified keyphrase ‘+formal +shoes’ would not.

Still a little lost? Well Google has drawn up this handy table to show how different configurations will affect which searches will trigger your ads:

Click to enlarge (Image courtesy of Google)

This certainly looks like good tool for AdWords users; it seems like we will finally be able to tame those broad matches!

This new development is currently limited to UK (hurrah!) and Canada in open beta. Google is also looking for user feedback on this new broad match modifier system.

..More information can be found on the Google Inside AdWords blog.

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