Amazon Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a crucial tool for boosting product visibility and driving sales. However, one of the most important elements to master in PPC campaigns is choosing the right match types for your keywords. By understanding how each match type works, you can optimize your campaigns, control ad spend, and ensure your ads are reaching the most relevant audience.
In this post, we’ll explain the different Amazon PPC match types—Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match—detailing how each one functions and when to use them in your advertising strategy.
What Are PPC Match Types?
In Amazon PPC, match types determine how closely a shopper’s search term must match the keywords in your campaign for your ad to be triggered. Each match type offers a different level of control over when your ad appears, balancing flexibility with precision.
The three primary Amazon PPC match types are:
- Broad Match
- Phrase Match
- Exact Match
Let’s break down each one to understand how they work.
1. Broad Match
Broad Match offers the widest reach by showing your ads to a broad range of search queries that are related to your keywords. When you use broad match, Amazon will match your ad to search terms that may include synonyms, plurals, variations, or any combination of the words in your keyword (even if they appear out of order).
Example:
- Keyword: “Running Shoes”
- Potential Search Queries:
- “Best running shoes”
- “Running sneakers for men”
- “Shoes for running outdoors”
- “Men’s running gear”
When to Use Broad Match:
- Prospecting: Broad match is great for discovering new keyword opportunities, as it exposes your ad to a wide variety of search queries.
- Increasing Visibility: If your goal is to maximize impressions and reach a broader audience, broad match can help.
- Early Campaigns: When starting a new campaign, broad match can provide valuable insights into how shoppers search for your products, which you can use to refine your targeting later.
Key Considerations:
While broad match can bring in more traffic, it may also result in less relevant clicks, which can lead to wasted ad spend. It’s essential to monitor your search term reports and use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant queries.
2. Phrase Match
Phrase Match offers more control than broad match by ensuring your ad only shows for search terms that contain your keyword in the exact order you specify. However, additional words can appear before or after your keyword, as long as the phrase remains intact.
Example:
- Keyword: “Running Shoes”
- Potential Search Queries:
- “Best running shoes for women”
- “Running shoes on sale”
- “Lightweight running shoes”
With phrase match, the core keyword—“running shoes”—must appear in the shopper’s search query in the exact order. This helps you maintain relevance while still allowing for some variation.
When to Use Phrase Match:
- Targeted Reach: If you want to reach shoppers with more specific search intent while still allowing for some flexibility, phrase match is an excellent option.
- Improving Relevance: Phrase match strikes a balance between broad exposure and precise targeting, making it ideal for refining your audience reach after using broad match.
- Focus on Intent: Phrase match can help target search terms where the shopper’s intent closely aligns with the product you’re selling.
Key Considerations:
Phrase match provides more relevant traffic compared to broad match, but your ads will still be shown to some queries that may not be perfectly aligned with your product. As with broad match, reviewing your search term report and adding negative keywords is essential for maintaining relevance and controlling costs.
3. Exact Match
Exact Match offers the highest level of control and precision. With exact match, your ad will only be triggered when a shopper’s search term exactly matches your keyword, or includes very close variations (like plural forms or slight misspellings).
Example:
- Keyword: “Running Shoes”
- Potential Search Queries:
- “Running shoes”
- “Running shoe”
- “Running shoes” (with minor misspellings)
When to Use Exact Match:
- Maximizing Relevance: Exact match is ideal for targeting shoppers who are using very specific search terms, indicating a higher purchase intent.
- Controlling Ad Spend: By using exact match, you minimize the chance of irrelevant clicks, helping you control your ad spend and maximize ROI.
- Highly Competitive Niches: In competitive product categories, exact match ensures your ads are only shown to the most relevant shoppers, improving conversion rates.
Key Considerations:
While exact match provides the most precise targeting, it also limits your reach. You may miss out on potential customers who use slightly different search terms. To counter this, exact match should be part of a broader keyword strategy that includes other match types to capture a wider audience.
Choosing the Right Match Types for Your Amazon PPC Campaigns
Each match type serves a different purpose in your overall PPC strategy, and using a combination of match types can help you maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right match type based on your goals:
- Broad Match: Use when you want to explore new keywords, reach a wider audience, or discover new search terms.
- Phrase Match: Use when you want a balance between flexibility and targeting, focusing on relevant search queries while allowing for some variations.
- Exact Match: Use when you want to target highly specific search terms and control ad spend, ensuring you only pay for the most relevant clicks.
Conclusion
Understanding and using Amazon PPC match types effectively is key to optimizing your ad campaigns and maximizing your return on investment. By carefully selecting the right match types—Broad Match, Phrase Match, or Exact Match—you can ensure that your ads are reaching the right audience, driving relevant traffic, and converting clicks into sales.
Remember to regularly monitor and adjust your campaigns using search term reports and negative keywords to fine-tune your targeting and improve performance over time. If you need help optimizing your PPC strategy, our team of Amazon advertising experts is here to assist. Contact us today to learn more!