: What exactly does "exact" and "broad" mean in keywords adwords tool? I have read several articles on this, but still fail to understand. For example I have the following keywords in adwords:

@Nimeshi995

Exact Keywords

This should be pretty obvious but this is when people type exactly the same keywords as your targetted ad, for example if you pay for an ad that is Buy A Pet Rabbit Today and then someone types exact into Google then this becomes an exact search. Your add will only be revealed when they type the exact search.

Phrase Match

If you bid on Pet Rabbit as "phrase match" then your ad will show for anything that contains the phrase such as:


I want a pet rabbit
Why is my pet rabbit naughty
Why is my pet rabbit circling me
What can pet rabbits eat


This can cause lots of useless clicks if the person is not looking to purchase and in turn would not be seen as a return of investment. Generally with good keyword research exact is the better of the two.

Broad Match

Broad match also has synonyms and phrases with synonyms such as "Pet Bunny", "Rabbits as Pets", and "How do I keep a bunny as a pet?"

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