Why should I use different match types?
In a previous blog post, we took a look at three concepts:
- Broad Match - match your keywords to the broadest possible number of user searches
- Negative Match - refine your Broad Match keywords to eliminate unwanted matches
- Smart Match - match your keywords to the most precise user searches
In this edition of Did You Know...? we'll look at some specific examples of how each of these are used.
Example: a local coffee shop
For our example, let's assume you are the proprietor of a Springfield, Illinois-based business called The Coffee Corner situated near the University of Illinois campus (this coffee shop does not really exist). You want to draw customers to your web site to learn more about your specialty espresso drinks and pastries. Your text ad looks like this:
Try a double-shot macchiato with one
of our fresh-baked blueberry scones.
coffee-corner.example.com
You create a new campaign with the following keywords:
| Keyword | Match Type | CPC |
|---|---|---|
| coffee shop | broad match | $0.50 |
| espresso drinks | broad match | $0.25 |
Optimizing this Campaign
How might we optimize this campaign? Well, first of all we can expand this campaign to include more keywords. We might also want to throw in some words that will narrow the scope of our campaign to just people who are likely to be looking for coffee near the University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS). Lastly, we can add some negative keywords that will keep us away from users who are not really looking for coffee shops in our area.
Here's our refined keyword list:
| Keyword | Match Type | CPC |
|---|---|---|
| coffee shops near springfield illinois | broad match | $0.50 |
| coffee shops near university of illinois in springfield | broad match | $0.50 |
| espresso drinks near springfield illinois | broad match | $0.25 |
| espresso springfield illinois | smart match | $1.25 |
| espresso drinks near university of illinois in springfield | broad match | $0.25 |
| prairie stars coffee | broad match | $0.75 |
| blazing | negative match | n/a |
| maple park | negative match | n/a |
Optimization Explained
So, what exactly did we do here? Let's take a look:
- broad match keyword expansion. We added additional search terms to the short phrases we were using. This narrowed the matching down so that we were not advertising to all Internet users who were interested in coffee shops and espresso drinks.
- geographic terms. We included words in our keyword bids that would limit our region of interest down to areas near the University where our coffee shop was located. This also reinforced our ad copy which also made reference to our geographic location.
- smart match terms. We added a Smart Match term that included only the essential keywords "espresso", "springfield", and "illinois". This is a very precise match so we increased our bid price to get the best position on the page for our ad.
- negative terms. Our keyword "prairie stars coffee" was very similar to a business called "Blazing Prairie Stars" located in nearby Maple Park, IL. We added negative terms so that our ad was unlikely to show up for people searching for those stables.
These techniques can be applied to your own campaigns and keywords. Think about the types of search terms that identify your business, products, or services. If you need help figuring out the best approach, give us a call. Please feel free to contact us by e-mail, or call our customer service team at 877-512-LOOK (5665).
Allen Hammock
Product Marketing Manager
allen.hammock@looksmart.net
