PPCChat | Testing the New Broad Match in Google Ads | 4th April 2023

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Greetings Readers! Host Julie F Bacchini and guest host Ginny Marvin discussed about testing the new Broad match in Google ads during this week’s PPCChat session. Here is the screencap of the entire session.

Q1: Are you currently running any campaigns in Google Ads that are utilizing broad match? Are you exclusively using broad match? Are you using it with smart bidding?

Yes, we are definitely using Broad Match & only with Smart Bidding. Not exclusively though. I think of Broad Match as an expansion/growth strategy. @KurtHenninger

Yes, we have actually started using broad match more & more since it has changed. We test it for top-of-funnel purposes. Used to be terrible, but it’s actually sometimes useful these days. In most cases exact is still much better, but broad has its time and place. @gilgildner

Yes. I’m running campaigns in Google Ads with broad match enabled. And yes, they are using smart bidding. I use it on almost all campaigns, except branded and competition. @DianaAlinaAldea

Yes, I am using broad match but I admit I don’t by default start there and yes I am using automated smart bidding strategies. @runnerkik

I do not have broad match running in any campaigns right now. @NeptuneMoon

I’ve been using broad match since July last year, and never looked back since. I admit that I tested it prior on a campaign with audience layering, five months before, and just five months later I was decided to do the big jump, as performance was very good. @DianaAlinaAldea

I do use broad match however my usage of it has shifted away from sequestering it in it’s own ad group with all the other keywords added as negatives in that ad group to just including it in the ad group. I found that the broad ad group was hurting the non-broad. @navahf

It depends. Currently running the brand name on broad match not utilizing smart campaign atm. @BRAVOMedia1

Yes, and every instance is using smart bidding The only times they are used are within campaigns that have strict audience/location targeting and extensive negative keyword lists or low search volume topics I have stopped using it for brand terms. @C_J_Ridley

Our thinking is that automation works best automation so when we use broad match we use tROAS with it. @tonyzara

Yup, been testing and using BM more frequently since middle of last year and only with smart bidding. @dylanppc

Not currently using Broad Match in any capacity. I’d like to test a Search remarketing or “broadience” style campaign with Broad Match + Smart Bidding soon though, just a matter of having the time, budget, and right client to do so. @adclarke10

Yep! it’s a really good approach when blended with audiences. and I sometimes use it for lower-volume campaigns. @JuliaVyse

Yes, I am creating SKAG style BOFU broad match keywords in my Google Ads Campaign. This is specifically for lps with relevant topic keywords. I try to avoid using it with home page. Yes, with Max Clicks, Max Conv. and TROAS. @1tagupta

I’ve been testing using broad match for a few clients. For one it worked incredible well, for another it spent a ton on absolutely ridiculous unrelated terms. @marketingsoph

We do use Broad Match along with other match types. Broad works well for commodity-type products within ecom and DTC. Really comes down to what is being sold. Broad match can and does work. @duanebrown

Yes, and if you have the right audience or audience signals it can be very effective. I would say test small, fail small though. Not all products, brands, or categories are the same. If we are talking Microsoft, it is a hard no. They are not ready yet. @lchasse

Q2: If you are not currently using or testing broad match in Google Ads, why are you not using it?

The main reason I’m not using broad match more is because the accts I work on are very often low conversion volume and I’ve found the automated bidding just can’t get into a groove, so not trying broad w/out it. @NeptuneMoon

@adsliaison – what are your recommendations for accounts like this (very low conversion volume accounts) to test broad match? @NeptuneMoon

Definitely recommend using broad match with smart bidding so consider the conv action you’re optimizing for. Be sure to tightly theme the keywords in your ad group & create highly relevant assets. And consider using experiments to get started. @adsliaison

There are some situations where it causes problems, specifically in super-specific ad groups where we already know the exact term we need to appear for (for example, competitor or brand campaigns). @gilgildner

I am not using broad-match keywords for Branded terms due to already struggling to keep phrase-match under control for Brand terms When “Doordeals” can trigger ‘doors for sales’ and ‘cheap doors’ then there’s no hope for broad match. @C_J_Ridley

I’ve been very cautious in testing it as I have lots of public sector clients and any mishaps have major consequences for us. My restaurant client is a bit simpler. Burger exact and burger broad are fairly safe bets. @JuliaVyse

Not using broad match + tCPA (I had named it ‘Broadomation’ while at Solutions 8 where I don’t have a solid conversion history in the account. @PPCNinjaWarrior

I used it on a brand campaign, but there were a lot of irrelevant terms, related to the brand, but not containing the brand name in the search term. So I preferred in this case to turn back to phrase match. @DianaAlinaAldea

Continued, there are also certain clients with household names where broad category matches to brand, I still segment out brand and non brand and don’t broad match brand or model names etc. @runnerkik

Having this in mind, the competitor campaign was set from the start on exact match, for safety. @DianaAlinaAldea

I will share the reasons I used to not use it (and why I now do): 1. Bad matches – now the matches are reasonable 80% of the time vs the 20% they are meh. 2. Waste/cost – now I find I get cheaper exact/phrase match 3. Brand standards – this one isn’t always solvable. @navahf

I am using the broad match for targeted BOFU type SKAGs. I avoid it in Brand & Competitors. The reason: I am running G ads in industries where retail is preferred so less volume on the broad keywords. I separate the intent as transactional from SEMrush though. @1tagupta

Definitely recommend using broad match with smart bidding so consider the conv action you’re optimizing for. Be sure to tightly theme the keywords in your ad group & create highly relevant assets. And consider using experiments to get started. @adsliaison

A big factor is client fit. I work mostly in B2B, where companies want/need to have tighter KW coverage. Some also have smaller budgets & they can’t afford to waste ad spend on irrelevant queries, so Broad Match isn’t really a good fit in these cases. @adclarke10

I can see why people don’t use it. I would also say don’t discount it if you have not even tested it in the last 12 – 24 months. Using it can get you scale. @duanebrown

With some brands Google does not do a good job. Running tests, you can find out pretty fast with big enough spends if it will work or not though. @lchasse

Most clients are pretty budget conscious. phrase is basically broad now anyways and we have found it’s not adding enough conversions to justify the terrible matches for our clients. @selley2134

Q3: What strategies have you found that work well when using or testing broad match in Google Ads?

Having a big list of negative keywords in place before adopting it, and in my case using maximize conv. or TCpa as smart bidding strategies. @DianaAlinaAldea

I like to add broad match into one of my “b” or “c” level campaigns (not my “a” winners) and assess the quality of queries and cost. It’s worth noting I always start new accounts off with broad match to get data quickly and prove out which concepts fit the budget. @navahf

1) Get conversion data first with Exact & Phrase 2) Use very specific, longer tail variations of keywords that have conversion data, just different match type. 3) Strong use of negatives 4) Use them to help scale an account at same conversion value. @KurtHenninger

Audiences. it’s the easiest way for me to inform the machine of what I want and shape traffic the way I need. Layer an audience with it to experiment, and if you’re in a situation with a ‘burger’ or ‘drive thru’ type term, test it once you have some results. @JuliaVyse

My go to strategies are Max Convs and Max Conv Value with the tCPA/tROAS settings when possible. The only time I’d use broad-match on Maximise Clicks or another bid strategy is when I need to generate a lot of keyword data quickly or for testing. @C_J_Ridley

BM with a Target CPA is a must on some/all of my accounts. – audience layering with TOFU/general keywords. – ad groups with all match types included. @dylanppc

Making sure you keep on top of negative keywords, and structuring your ad groups based on topic (which you should usually do anyway) will help with account hygiene and performance in general. @gilgildner

Being even more vidulent with negative keywords. Using first-party data whenever possible. Daily checks to keep an eye on what’s going on. Designated testing budget (if it works that’s great, if not, you’ve not spent more than you can afford). @marketingsoph

If we maxed out Exact & Phrase match. Broad in its own campaign with embedded negatives. If Exact & Phase lack traffic. Use Broad to get scale to leverage data. We got a UK client where broad works for what they sell. @duanebrown

For broad, doing your negative keyword research ahead of time, making sure you have the right conversion actions selected, setting up audience signals all can help you be more successful out the gate. @lchasse

It goes without saying that goals are the best first step but then I agree about negatives, monitoring what can be seen in search term reports and looking at keyword performance. @runnerkik

Layering on audiences! Instead of adding them as an “Observation”, set the campaign to “Targeting” & pair it with Broad keywords (also particularly useful with remarketing lists). Negative keywords are crucial too, as always. @adclarke10

We’ve learned that Broad usually goes straight to conquesting. Conquesting is the least profitable tactic for most retailers. Setting up the negatives to anticipate that is helpful. @tonyzara

Filtering, organising and segmenting are very important with Broad Match. – Keep removing the negative keywords, especially with an automated bid strategy. – Keep the structure of your campaign tight to avoid budget leaks. – Include the KW on the LPs. – Use intent…@1tagupta

I always start with phrase & exact-match keywords. Once I have a decent amount of quality convs (and a strong list of negative kws) I test out a couple of broad match keywords & that have worked well for me a handful of times! @alexnicoll93

Q4: If you’re using or testing broad match in Google Ads, what have your biggest challenges or frustrations been?

Well, I h8 to repeat myself, but search terms! I can see conversions, but I need to actually verify the relevance of what I’m testing. When testing with audiences in regional campaigns, volume has been a real challenge. @JuliaVyse

At the beginning the search term report needed to be verified more frequently, and more terms were added than now. Also, a challenge was the brand campaign, where even after a period of time of constantly adding negatives, the search terms quality didn’t improve. @DianaAlinaAldea

The biggest challenge is if the product or brand name has a common word in it. Google will try and match it to everything with that term in it. This is why the negative work ahead of time is so important even when using smart bidding options. @lchasse

This isn’t a broad match frustration – it’s a Google Ads frustration: I want my search term data!!!!! Understanding what ways of searching that led to conversions (or didn’t) is the key to getting more budget to spend more on those ideas. @navahf

Other keywords not seeing the light of day. Which impacts hyper-targeted ads. @runnerkik

Not knowing what else you can do to help the system work better for your account. Conversions, customer lists, correct tracking, negative keyword lists, RSAs, decent landing pages… what else can we do to help the machine get it right? @marketingsoph

Can we talk about broad match matching to competitors for both brand terms and nonbrand terms (and phrase and exact match for that matter)? Can you speak to this @adsliaison – is this something on Google Ads’ radar? It’s frustrating for advertisers. @NeptuneMoon

Intentionally using Broad Match KW’s in very tight Ad Groups, Ads, Landing Page – works when they’re highly targeted. @BRAVOMedia1

I have accepted my fate but I would looove more reported search terms from Google when using broad match. Google can take some liberties when deciding intent. @alexnicoll93

No frustrations. Broad is broad is broad. @duanebrown

It doesn’t work for every account and that first month BM will keep you super busy in the Search terms report. @dylanppc

With the broad match, it is tough to manage with small budgets. You gotta find the right keywords without exhausting all the budgets in one campaign. That is a tough battle. Especially for low-budget lead gens. So, finding the right audience & conversions fast. @1tagupta

Q5: What questions do you have for @adsliaison about using or testing broad match in Google Ads in 2023?

I am very happy with where Broad is going, but as I’m sure you know many folks want more search term report coverage. Do you think there’s any chance of that? @gilgildner

Hi @adsliaison. Thanks for the chat today. For fresh accounts with no data and less search volume KW, what are the bids you would suggest, and with what match type? Especially in the phase of finding the first few conversions. @1tagupta

Thank you for all you do! 1. Do restricted industries that get flagged for using audiences normally miss out on the audience piece of broad match? 2. Can broad keywords recover faster from being paused than phrase/exact? 3. Which is better: broad or DSA? @navahf

Well, @adsliaison when is exact and phrase going to just go away? I’m guessing you don’t know ir can’t say but when given the chance to ask. @runnerkik

@adsliaison There are a lot of times when the recommended optimizations in Google recommends trying broad match as a test. Is there a threshold of data that it gathers before recommending that or is it just doing that by default? No shade, only curious! @alexnicoll93

We feel like this when we try to figure out the paths a query can take in Semantic (Broad) search. PMax, Search, DSA. Is there a good framework we can use to understand where a query flows? @tonyzara

Thanks for everything @adsliaison! What’s a hotter topic for you right now, Performance Max or Broad match? Which of these changes do you feel the community prefers? @dylanppc

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