Exact match shows your ad for searches with the same meaning as your keyword. Phrase match shows it for searches that include the meaning of your keyword, possibly with words before or after. Broad match is the widest, showing your ad for searches related to your keyword's meaning, informed by signals like the user's recent searches and your landing pages. (Broad match modifier was retired in 2021, with phrase match absorbing its behavior.)
Google increasingly recommends broad match paired with Smart Bidding, letting AI find relevant queries — and it can work well in accounts with strong conversion data. But broad match without good tracking and a solid negative-keyword list can spend heavily on irrelevant searches. Most well-run accounts use a deliberate mix, guided by the search terms report.
Example
The exact-match keyword [emergency plumber] can show for 'emergency plumber' or 'plumber emergency,' while the phrase-match version can also show for '24 hour emergency plumber near me.'
How Sloss Digital uses it
We choose match types by data maturity — tighter matching while an account learns, broader matching with Smart Bidding once conversion data is strong — and police every option with negatives and search-term reviews.