Adding Match Types To Your PPC Account May Decrease Conversions
I have been in and out of hundreds of paid search accounts over the last several years and for the first time I saw an account with every keyword in the account using broad, phrase, and exact match. I did not feel this was a best practice and my initial thoughts on doing this is are:
Testing different match types for single keywords and some 2 keyword phrases, but not for many 3+ keyword phrases. Managing a 2000 keyword account would now go to a 6000 keyword account and I am not sure it is necessary considering in many accounts 10% of the keywords generate about 90% of the revenue/conversions. Also, I would think the more keywords in your keyword phrase, the less impact it will have. So you are essentially increasing the number of words you have to manage, but it may not be worth the time and return.
I asked around and received two answers that confirmed my thoughts. The first was from a poster on HighRankings.com. The poster wrote:
For me, using all 3 match types had 2 negative consequences:1. It seemed to dilute my conversion rate by not always showing the best match for the query. Conversion was better when I used only one match type.2. It somehow seemed to boost our content network impressions and clicks, showing our ad on sites that weren't very relevant and causing content conversion to drop in many cases. This makes no sense, but when I pared the list down to only one match type per keyword, everything went back to normal.Now I mostly use exact match, with some phrase and very little broad. YMMV, depending on your product, market, strategy, and whether you use content or not.
Then, I emailed my Google contact and received this reply:
To answer your question, we don't recommend using all three match types for your keywords, just the most lenient match type that meets your needs. You're right about the number of keywords expanding dramatically when all three types are used, and this typically happens without a similar gain in traffic or conversions.
I am a huge advocate for testing, so feel free to test an adgroup or two, but to add all match types to your entire account may increase your workload and decrease your conversions.
Testing different match types for single keywords and some 2 keyword phrases, but not for many 3+ keyword phrases. Managing a 2000 keyword account would now go to a 6000 keyword account and I am not sure it is necessary considering in many accounts 10% of the keywords generate about 90% of the revenue/conversions. Also, I would think the more keywords in your keyword phrase, the less impact it will have. So you are essentially increasing the number of words you have to manage, but it may not be worth the time and return.
I asked around and received two answers that confirmed my thoughts. The first was from a poster on HighRankings.com. The poster wrote:
For me, using all 3 match types had 2 negative consequences:1. It seemed to dilute my conversion rate by not always showing the best match for the query. Conversion was better when I used only one match type.2. It somehow seemed to boost our content network impressions and clicks, showing our ad on sites that weren't very relevant and causing content conversion to drop in many cases. This makes no sense, but when I pared the list down to only one match type per keyword, everything went back to normal.Now I mostly use exact match, with some phrase and very little broad. YMMV, depending on your product, market, strategy, and whether you use content or not.
Then, I emailed my Google contact and received this reply:
To answer your question, we don't recommend using all three match types for your keywords, just the most lenient match type that meets your needs. You're right about the number of keywords expanding dramatically when all three types are used, and this typically happens without a similar gain in traffic or conversions.
I am a huge advocate for testing, so feel free to test an adgroup or two, but to add all match types to your entire account may increase your workload and decrease your conversions.
2 Comments:
I have read your comments and I would like to precise some points.
Match type is apowerful tool that depends on your objectives and your budget.
For example, you can't put a KW listings in broad math type if your budget is low and if you want to make conversions such as sales. On the contrary, you can do it if you have enough budget and your primary objective is visibility.
To resume my thoughts, CTR is one thing but conversion objectives are the deteminant element for mathing types.
If you want to go deeper in this conversation, meet at http://semandseo.blogspot.com, it would be such a pleasure to share our views.
David
I have read your comments and I would like to precise some points.
Match type is apowerful tool that depends on your objectives and your budget.
For example, you can't put a KW listings in broad math type if your budget is low and if you want to make conversions such as sales. On the contrary, you can do it if you have enough budget and your primary objective is visibility.
To resume my thoughts, CTR is one thing but conversion objectives are the deteminant element for mathing types.
If you want to go deeper in this conversation, meet at http://semandseo.blogspot.com, it would be such a pleasure to share our views.
David
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