[Update as of 14th July 2021] – Starting in late July, advertisers will no longer be able to create new broad match modifier keywords. Read about the update here.
Broad Match Modifier match type reaches more audience than phrase match type but is more restrictive than broad match type. So, if you want to reach more audience but relevant ones, then BMM is the match type to put to practice.
[ This post has been updated as of 27th March 2020 with new content]
How is Broad Match Modifier match type used?
To add your keyword as BMM you need to add a ‘+’ sign in front of it. So, for instance, if you wish to show for searches such as red formal shoes, red evening shoes for women, red sport shoes for kids, etc., then +red +shoes would show for all these searches.
The + sign denotes which keyword needs to be necessarily present in the search query. For instance, if your keyword is just +shoes then your ad will show for queries such as pink shoes for girls, women shoes with heels but not for queries such as booties for babies, sandals for women, etc. BMM also shows for close variant of the keyword but not for any synonyms.
Here are some more broad match modifier examples to help you understand it much better.
Note: Remember that broad match modifier cannot be assigned to negative keywords.
Benefits of using Broad Match Modifier match type
1. Using BMM results in less wastage and hence your negative keywords list might not become as extensive as in the case of a broad match keyword. Though researching and adding negative keywords is still a must-do task, BMM supports a strong negative keyword strategy and will keep your campaign more focused.
2. As explained above, it helps reach a wider section of the audience but the ones that you can consider relevant. Unlike broad match type, where the volume of traffic is low on quality, BMM covers up that loophole.
3. If you have a long tail keyword, then with BMM you can aim at the important terms by assigning a + sign before that. With this you ensure that your long-tail keyword draws traffic that is searching for the terms you wish to show your ad for.
4. A BMM match type keyword can easily help you assess a keyword’s productivity and you can decide whether to go ahead with it or not. Additionally, it helps you identify prospect search queries that you can bid on which can be missed when using a phrase or exact match type.
5. Advertisers build multiple ad copies to identify the best and worst performing ads, eventually running the ones driving results. In such a case, using Phrase Match may not be able to gather significant data for you to draw c conclusion. Opting for BMM match type can offer a considerable analysis of your ad messaging and which ones to further go ahead with. BMM’s extensive search volume data will give you insights about your ad, however, it might also result in some inefficiencies such as low conversions and higher CPC. But the main purpose of identifying valuable ads is attained with BMM.
6. When starting a new campaign using BMM will help capture the search queries that you can later on bid for. Though broad match would also meet the same purpose but BMM is a level up by running in a controlled environment and not resulting in attracting unwanted traffic.
7. BMM can also match to close variants that share the same meaning, this change was announced the last year. Let’s say, you are a wholesale seller of ethnic clothes and use +folk + national as your keyword. After BMM began to match to close variants, your ad can trigger searches like cultural, traditional, tribal, etc. This change can give advertisers an opportunity to reach qualified searchers while being restrictive, which in turn might help to increase conversions.
8. People who search using High Purchase Intent keywords generally have the intention to buy the product. BMM can be used to modify those search terms. Though these search terms do not always get high traffic but they are highly targeted to get the audiences to your website when they are ready to make a purchase. This, in turn, increases the CTR and saves your wasted ad spend. For example, if someone searches for “affordable holiday homes in Goa”, it shows that the person genuinely looking for something affordable to spend his holidays in Goa. One can then use BMM to add the word “+affordable to the targeted keywords such as +affordable +holiday +homes, +affordable +country +house and so on.
BMM has its own pros and cons which advertisers need to assess. But it is evident that if you wish to reach out to relevant but considerable volume of audience, BMM serves the intent. Having repeatedly mentioned that it is a more controlled match type, there would be instances when an exact or phrase match would be more appropriate. So, evaluate what the objective of your campaign is and weigh how the usage of a match type will impact the performance.
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