The broad match campaign setting enables Search campaigns to exclusively use broad match as the keyword match type. Enabling this setting will convert all existing phrase and exact match keywords into broad match and ensure all keywords added also use broad match.
This setting is only available if the campaign is using conversion based smart bidding.
Impact on keyword prioritization logic within a Google Ads account
| Priority | Match characteristics | Explanation | ||
| 1 | Exact match keywords that are identical to the search term* | For the search term "skydiving license", the identical exact keyword [skydiving license] in the Search campaign is prioritized over any other broad or phrase keyword or a Performance Max campaign. | ||
| 2 | Phrase and broad match keywords or search themes that are identical to the search term* | For the search term "skydiving license", the identical Performance Max search theme “skydiving license” is prioritized over the phrase keyword “skydiving”. In this case, the phrase keyword isn't identical to the query. | ||
| 3 | Relevance: AI (artificial intelligence) based keyword prioritization |
The search term "skydiving certifications near me" could match to keywords in several ad groups, some of which may be more relevant, such as “skydiving license,” and others may be less relevant, such as “skydiving courses for beginners”. In this case, only the most relevant keywords from the most relevant ad groups are considered. Learn more about how AI keyword prioritization works. |
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| 4 | Ad Rank | If you have several Search keywords or Performance Max search themes that share equal priority based on the criteria above, the ad or asset group that generates the ad with the highest Ad Rank will be prioritized. |
*Keywords in campaigns with the broad match setting enabled will be prioritized as if they are both exact and broad match.
Enabling the broad match campaign setting will affect existing keyword prioritization rules within an account.
- All keywords will be converted to broad match. Keywords in a campaign with this setting will be prioritized, from a keyword prioritization perspective, as if both broad match and an exact match version of the keywords are present.
- If you have the same keyword in exact match in a separate campaign, the keyword with the highest Ad Rank will be sent to the auction.
Enabling the broad match campaign setting can also help simplify upgrading campaigns to broad match.
Instructions
Enable broad match setting for a new campaign
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
.
- Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
- Click Campaigns.
- Click the plus button
and follow the steps in the create a new Search campaign article.
- In the “Campaign settings” section, under the “Broad match keywords” card, select “On: Use broad match keywords for your entire campaign”.
- Complete the remaining campaign creation steps.
Enable broad match setting for an existing campaign
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
- Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
- Click Campaigns.
- Click the Settings tab.
- In the “Settings” table, click the checkbox next to the campaign that you want to apply the broad match setting to.
- Click the Edit drop down on the table toolbar, then select Change broad match keywords.
- Select “On: use broad match keywords for your entire campaign”.
- Click Apply.
FAQs
Why do the keyword prioritization rules change when enabling the broad match setting?
We made this change based on user feedback that it was difficult to measure the impact of upgrading a campaign to broad match, because traffic would match to other parts of the account and skew the results.
For example, let’s say you had the exact match keyword [Pixel 7] in one of your campaigns, and you upgraded it as a broad match keyword in a different campaign. The performance impact of the broad match campaign would be hard to assess. If a user searched for “Pixel 7” exactly, the identical exact match keyword would be strictly preferred and your upgraded broad match campaign would be ineligible. With the new broad match campaign settings’ keyword prioritization rules, you can more accurately measure the true performance impact from broad match. Pixel 7 will be prioritized like an exact match keyword, even though it shows up as a broad match keyword.
Campaigns with all broad match keywords that don't have this setting enabled won't be impacted.
How will other campaigns be impacted?
What are the most common use cases for enabling this setting?
If you have a specific need to separate branded from non-branded traffic in your campaigns, it's a common practice to have branded campaigns include only exact match keywords with the goal of not matching to queries that don't include the brand and also to meet traffic prioritization expectations for brand vs. non-branded campaigns.
With this setting, you can benefit from expanding the reach of your branded campaigns powered by broad match technology while:
- Ensuring the traffic only matches to queries with the defined brands included in brand inclusions
- Consolidate to broad match only campaigns while maintaining the preferred prioritization of traffic between brand and non-branded campaigns
- Clearly notice the impact of upgrading the branded campaign from exact match to broad match
How is this setting different from a campaign with all broad match keywords?
- Access to brand inclusions
- Keyword prioritization behavior changes as listed above
- All newly added keywords will use the broad match type
After I enable this setting, will I be able to view historical data for my keywords?
After I enable this setting, will I be able to view stats by match type?
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
- Click the Audiences, keywords, and content drop down in the section menu.
- In the “Search keywords” page, above the table, click Segment.
- Select Search terms match type.
How can I revert the changes back to the original settings?
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
- Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
- Click Campaigns.
- Click the Settings tab and select the campaign that you want to edit.
- Click the Change broad match keywords drop down.
- Select “Off: Use keyword match types” to turn the broad match setting off.
- Click Save.
If all keywords were either exact match or phrase match:
- Click the Campaigns icon
- Click Campaigns.
- Click the Settings tab and select the campaign that you want to edit.
- Click the Change broad match keywords drop down.
- Select “Off: Use keyword match types” to turn the broad match setting off.
- Click Save.
- In the section menu, click the Audiences, keywords, and content drop down.
- Click Search keywords.
- In the “Search keywords” table, click the checkbox next to the keywords, and then click Edit.
- Hover over “Change match types", and then click Change all match types.
- Select the original match type in the match-type drop down.
- Click Apply.
If keywords were a mix of different match types, access your historical keywords.
Filter your keywords
- Click the Campaigns icon
- In the “Search keywords” page, above the table, click Keyword status.
- Select All.
Change broad match keyword settings and match types
- Click the Campaigns icon
- Click Campaigns.
- Click the Settings tab and select the campaign that you want to edit.
- Click the Change broad match keywords drop down.
- Select “Off: Use keyword match types” to turn the broad match setting off.
- Click Save.
- Decide on the best match type for the majority of keywords in your campaign.
- If all keywords should be present in one match type, follow the steps below:
- In the “Search keywords” table, select all keywords, and then click Edit.
- Hover over “Change match types”, and then click Change all match types.
- Select the preferred match type and then click Apply.
- If you want a mix of match types in your campaign, select each individual keyword and change its match type.
