Similar variations, or what does Google actually match?

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Phrase Match in Google Ads. What is it and how to use it?
Keywords are the basic building blocks of a Google Ads campaign. Choosing them correctly is only half the battle. You also need to choose the right match. One of them is phrase match. How does it work and how to use it?



Keyword matches in Google Ads let you control which queries your ads will show up for. Phrase match is one of four options. You can also use broad match, phrase modifier, and exact match. Each has its own specifics and specific uses.



In the article you will read about:

What is phrase matching and how does it work?
Similar variations, or what does Google actually match?
How to use phrase match?
Negative phrase match
What is phrase matching and how does it work?
Phrase match is marked with quotation marks (“marketing agency”). It allows you to display your ad to users who have entered a search query that includes the phrase you have specified. It can be preceded or followed by additional words, as long as the order of the words in the phrase itself remains unchanged (see table). The ad will not display if a word is added in the middle of the phrase.



The exception are so-called "close variations" of the searched word, but more about them in a moment.



Phrase matched keyword: Ads may appear for the following searches: Ads will not show for the following searches:
"marketing agency" best marketing agency marketing agency warsaw
proven marketing agency contact

content marketing agency
Marketing company




On the surface, it’s a simple matter: in phrase match, whatever’s inside the quotation japan rcs data marks must appear unaltered for the ad to show. But Google recently started tinkering with its matching options , introducing “close variations” of searches that slightly expand the criteria for phrase match (and other matches).



As Google explains, close keyword variations allow you to "reach users who are searching for your business using phrases that are similar to the keywords you selected, but are not the same."

If the campaign is targeted at Polish-speaking users, these include spelling errors, singular or plural forms, related words (e.g. "podłoga" and "podłóka"), abbreviations or accents.



This change can be viewed positively, as it allows you to limit the number of keywords in a campaign without reducing its reach. Especially since the basic principle of phrase matching, i.e. maintaining the order of words, does not change.



However, in campaigns operating in English (and a few other languages), the changes are much more far-reaching, which has caused a real storm in the industry.

The algorithm allows for expressions with a different word order with the same meaning, added or deleted function words (prepositions or conjunctions), synonyms, paraphrases, and even words with the same intention.

Marketers have therefore lost much of their control over which searches trigger ads…



Of course, Google says that the changes in the Polish version are not as profound, and that phrase matching works pretty much as before. However, it is worth remembering them if you run foreign campaigns or campaigns in other languages.