Google AdWords™ For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Forgetting Keywords in Quotes (Phrase Matching) or Brackets (Exact Matching)

When you put a keyword in quotation marks, you tell Google that the quoted words or phrase must appear exactly as written somewhere in the keyword. Brackets are even more specific: They signify that the searcher must enter the keyword exactly as it appears within the brackets, with nothing added or removed.

When you use broad match keywords only (putting no quotes or brackets on the keyword), you don't really know what your visitors actually entered as search terms. You lump many different searches into a big vague basket and miss some valuable market intelligence.

Phrase and exact match keywords often achieve higher CTRs than broad matches achieve because you can create ads that speak directly to the exact words and phrases that your visitors type.

Because of the hierarchy among broad, phrase, and exact match keywords, be aware that phrase match keywords cannibalize their broad match counterparts, and exact match keywords steal impressions from both. If the CTRs differ among the three match types for high-traffic keywords, peel the underperformers and stick them into their own ad groups. (See more about keyword matching in Chapter 5.)