Broad Match
Definition: Broad match is the most flexible match type. It allows your ad to show when a customer’s search term contains all the keyword terms in any order, as well as close variations.
Use Case: Broad match is excellent for discovering new, relevant search terms you might not have considered. It’s often used in the research phase of campaign optimization.
The recommended strategy to use is:
- where possible add negative search terms when setting up
- monitor closely to spot any irrelevant search terms which are being matched, add these as negative search terms
- when you have sufficient data then replace the broad match with phrase and/or exact match campaigns for more precise and controlled refining.
Phrase Match
Definition: Phrase match is more restrictive than broad match. The customer’s search term must contain the exact phrase or a close variation, but can include additional words before or after.
Use Case: Phrase match is useful when you want to maintain the context of your keyword phrase while still capturing some variations.
The recommended strategy to use is:
- where possible add negative search terms when setting up
- monitor closely to spot any irrelevant search terms which are being matched, add these as negative search terms
- when you have sufficient data then replace the phrase match with exact match campaigns for the most precise and controlled operation.
Exact Match
Definition: Exact match is the most precise match type. It will only show your ad when the customer’s search term matches your keyword exactly or is a very close variation (plurals, misspellings, etc.).
Common Misconception: Many believe exact match only triggers for the precise keyword entered. However, Amazon does allow for close variations to improve reach.
Key Behaviors of Exact Match:
- Singular and Plural Forms: The A9 algorithm treats singular and plural forms of keywords as matches.
- Stop Words: Common “stop words” such as “for,” “the,” “and,” “of,” etc., are often ignored or treated as interchangeable.
- Close Variations: Slight misspellings, accents, and very similar terms may be considered matches.
Amazon Stop Words:
Amazon doesn’t have an official list of stop words specifically for PPC purposes. However, we can infer some common stop words that are likely to be ignored or treated as less significant in Amazon’s search algorithm. These typically include:
- Articles: a, an, the
- Conjunctions: and, but, or
- Prepositions: of, for, with, by, in, on, at
- Pronouns: it, they, we, you, he, she
- Common verbs: is, are, was, were, be, have, has
It’s important to note that while these words are often considered stop words in general text processing, Amazon’s A9 algorithm may treat them differently depending on the context and the specific search query.
In the context of Amazon PPC and exact match keywords, the treatment of these words means that searches including or excluding these stop words might still trigger your ad. For example, if your exact match keyword is “[box of sweets]”, searches like “box sweets” or “box with sweets” could potentially trigger your ad.
As is so often the case with Amazon, the best way to discover how is actually treats your exact match keywords is from your advertising data.
Consequences of These Matches:
- Broader Reach: Your ads may appear for a wider range of searches than anticipated, potentially increasing impressions and clicks.
- Relevance Challenges: While many matches will be relevant, some may not align perfectly with your product, potentially affecting click-through and conversion rates.
- Bidding Implications: You might be bidding on terms you didn’t explicitly choose, which could impact your budget allocation.
- Creating Negative Search Terms: This is the most critical consequence of all (as we learned to our cost many years ago!). Just because a single search term is unprofitable doesn’t mean that you should automatically add it as a Negative Search Term because that might have a knock-on effect on profitable search terms…
You can only evaluate any single term based on its overall effect, for every variation that Amazon considers as a match.
Strategies for Managing Exact Match:
- Regular Search Term Analysis: Frequently review your search term reports to identify any unexpected matches.
- Negative Keywords: Use negative exact match keywords to exclude irrelevant variations that are triggering your ads.
- Multiple Exact Match Keywords: Consider creating separate exact match keywords for singular and plural forms to have more control over bidding and performance tracking.
- Ad Copy Alignment: Ensure your ad copy is flexible enough to remain relevant for close variations of your exact match keyword.
Use Case: Exact match is ideal for:
- Targeting high-converting search terms with precision
- Controlling spend on expensive keywords
- Testing specific product features or benefits in ad copy
Remember, “exact” in Amazon PPC doesn’t always mean precisely exact, but it still offers the highest level of control among the match types.