Broad Match Keywords

not so broad match?

[apauto]

So I started a campain with broad match keywords for Hyper Widgets.

Instead of adding keywords such as:

Hyper Widgets Blue
Hyper Widgets Red
Hyper Widgets Orange
Hyper Widgets Yellow
Hyper Widgets Green

I just simply added the keywords Hyper Widgets, hoping that any query that had hyper widgets in it would show my ad. Not the case.

For this broad match keywords, it would only show if I only typed in Hyper Widgets, and with no other keywords in front or behind it.

Any suggestions? There are so many different combinations, I cant even think of them all....

[vincevincevince]

This should not be the case, unless Google decided that the keywords after or before change the keyword totally...

[cline]

Unless your AdRank is strong, broadmatch doesn't kick in.

[SanDiego Art]

In this case, if you truly wanted variations of "hyper widgets" you should be using PHRASE match as BROAD match will likely results in searches related to "hyper widgets" that doesn't actually contain the terms.

[buckworks]

Is your daily budget set high enough to ensure that your ads show consistently?

[AdWordsAdvisor]

apauto, you wrote the following (with bolding added by me):

I just simply added the keywords Hyper Widgets, hoping that any query that had hyper widgets in it would show my ad. Not the case. [...]

Please note that broad match (and phrase match as well) are not designed to show for any and all variations - but for relevant variations.

There is a bit more info on this subjed in this page from the AdWords Help Center:

[adwords.google.com...]

Excerpting from that page:

[...] an advertiser specializing in Mediterranean cruises may have selected cruises (broad-matched) for their campaign. Previously, this keyword may have been marked inactive for search due to poor performance on more popular queries such as Caribbean cruises. Instead of inactivating all broad-match variations of cruises, we will now show this ad for specific query variations that are more relevant to the ad, such as Mediterranean cruises.

So vincevincevince essentially had it right when he said:

This should not be the case, unless Google decided that the keywords after or before change the keyword totally...

AWA

[MadeWillis]

I've had broad match keywords that I could not get to display. I called Google and was told "if I want to rank for a specific term add it to your campaign". I kept asking and have never got a clear answer from them.

Check the number of compeitors for the keywords you think your ads should be displaying. What do their ads say? Are they more relevant to the actual query? Maybe you need to bid higher? Try changing your ad copy too. making it more relevent to the search query could help.

Ultimately I think you would want to add any keyword you want your ad to display for. If you expect "Hyper Widgets" to display your ad for "Hyper Widgets Blue" and "Hyper Widgets Red", how would you know if blue widgets or red widgets was getting more impressions or clicks? How would you know which one is converting and which one is just wasting money?

[justshelley]

It is a common misconception that you can use very general broad matched keywords and run a very small, efficient, easy to manage campaign. I've never seen that happen. From experience...Google will reward you for expanding your keyword list and your ads will show when your competitors ads don't show because you took the time to create longer keyword lists. Does it hurt to keep that one or two word, broad matched keyword in your AdGroup...no...but don't plan on having that keyword be a catch-all for every variation of searches that use that keyword.

[Sharpseo]

There are so many different combinations, I cant even think of them all....

Google's keyword tool should give you a good list of related phrases to bid on.

I also recommend bidding on the exact, broad, and phrase match versions of the same keyword separately. Most of the time traffic from exact matches will be more valuable, but I still want the broad matches too as long as they provide a positive ROI.

[edited by: Sharpseo at 5:45 pm (utc) on Jan. 30, 2008]