Google has continued evolving its ad targeting systems, emphasizing AI-driven, intent-based matching that connects ads to user searches more flexibly.
With this shift, Google Ads aims to give advertisers a balance between reach and control – where phrase match keywords can now capture broader, intent-aligned search terms.
Recent updates focus on “relevant variations” of search terms, leaning heavily on Smart Bidding to provide cost-effective results while allowing AI to show ads for a broader set of queries that match the user’s intent rather than specific words.
Phrase Match Examples
Phrase match’s looser definition introduced in 2024 means ads can appear for broader, intent-aligned queries rather than just queries that contain the same words as the keyword.
For example, a keyword like “eco-friendly cleaning supplies” may trigger ads for searches like [sustainable cleaning products] or [green cleaning solutions].
While these queries don’t have the same words as the keyword, which phrase match used to require, Google’s AI judges these variations as relevant, offering broader reach without sacrificing quality.
User Insight: To analyze phrase match performance, monitor Google’s enhanced search term reporting, updated in June 2024.
With this update, Google improved visibility by including misspelled search queries alongside their correct counterparts, revealing approximately 9% more search terms that were previously categorized as “Other.”
This additional visibility allows you to identify trends better and spot irrelevant terms, providing more data to refine your campaigns for optimal results.
What Is Phrase Match In Google Ads?
Image from author, November 2024
Phrase match traditionally required ads to appear only for searches containing the keyword phrase in the exact order.
However, with Google’s transition to intent-based matching, ads can now appear for searches that align with the advertiser’s keyword intent, even if the phrase order or specific wording differs.
This means that ads may show on searches that include the meaning of the keyword, even if that meaning is implied or if the user’s search is a more specific form of it.
Example of Phrase Match Flexibility: Suppose your phrase match keyword is “tennis shoes.” With 2024’s updates, this keyword could trigger ads for searches like [men’s tennis sneakers] or [women’s sports shoes for tennis].
Although the words aren’t identical, Google’s AI recognizes that they share a similar intent, allowing advertisers to capture more relevant clicks within this broadened scope.
This approach enables advertisers to reach a wider audience than with an exact match but still maintains more control than broad match.
The syntax for phrase match remains the same – by placing quotes around the keyword, such as “tennis shoes,” advertisers signal Google to match ads to relevant variations of the keyword’s meaning.
This intent-based system ensures ads appear only on searches that closely relate to the product or service, giving advertisers the reach they need without diluting relevance.
New Brand Controls And Thematic Targeting In Phrase Match
Phrase match now prioritizes search intent over strict keyword matching, using Google’s AI to focus on relevance rather than exact phrasing.
This shift enables phrase match to capture a broader range of intent-aligned queries, making thematic keyword grouping a strategic approach.
Organizing keywords by theme allows advertisers to better manage reach and relevance within ad groups.
For instance, if you’re promoting fitness leggings, a thematic ad group could include terms like “workout leggings,” “athletic leggings,” and “high-performance gym tights.”
This approach ensures your ads reach intent-aligned searches across a focused product theme, achieving both precision and broader coverage.
The June 2024 update also introduced expanded brand controls that enhance targeting flexibility, allowing advertisers to better manage ad placements with two new tools: brand exclusions and brand inclusions.
Brand Exclusions
This setting allows you to prevent ads from appearing on specific brand-related search queries that don’t align with campaign goals.
It’s useful for filtering out irrelevant brand terms, misspellings, or close brand variants and is applicable across all match types and Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs).
By using brand exclusions, you can maintain ad relevance and ensure that impressions focus only on relevant traffic.
Brand Inclusions
Specific to broad match, brand inclusions allow ads to appear only on queries associated with selected brands.
This is useful if you want broad match reach but with more brand-specific targeting, helping you avoid unwanted brand associations while benefiting from broad match’s potential for higher reach.
Together, these brand controls offer advertisers more refined management over ad placements, which is especially helpful as phrase match broadens to capture more thematic intent.
However, it’s essential to monitor the impact of brand exclusions on reach and conversion rates.
Regularly review and adjust brand settings to optimize reach while maintaining ad quality and relevance.
Phrase Match Vs. Other Match Types
Image from author, November 2024
Phrase match stands distinct from exact and broad match types by offering a balanced middle ground between controlled targeting and reach.
Exact match remains the best option for high-precision campaigns, ensuring ads only appear for searches that closely match the target keyword.