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Separating Match Types in AdWords: A Follow Up Post

July 7th, 2009 | Joe | Advanced PPC Strategies, Google AdWords, Match Types


My last article focused on separating your keyword match types into different campaigns. Today, I would like to discuss details on implementing this strategy, as well as clarify the benefits of separating match types into separate ad groups (not campaigns).

As I mentioned previously, for robust accounts with optimized campaign structures, separating your match types for your mission critical, high-traffic keywords into individual ad groups can be beneficial. However, the accounts we have recently restructured had implemented this tactic poorly.

First, I’d like to describe the accounts we have been inheriting and why their methodology for match type segregation was not well executed. The campaign structure for each account was driven almost solely by match type. Each match type, including broad, phrase and exact, had its own campaign – not its own ad group within a campaign.

For example, with this structure in place, my keyword for tennis shoes was in three different campaigns – not three different ad groups within the same campaign.

The campaigns for each match type also had poorly structured ad groups. Each ad group contained too many keywords without much thought given to ad text relevancy and Quality Score. Here is a quick list of why this doesn’t work:

  • The ad groups were too broad, and too general. The previous manager thought that since they had lumped large groups of keywords together, and separated their campaigns out by match type, that their work was done.
  • The ad texts for each campaign and ad group were the same. As we discussed in the comments from my last article, separating out your match types can help you write more targeted ads. But this was not the case here.
  • Even though the match types were in their own campaigns, they all still had the same bids. Each match type for a specific keyword can have its own individual bid.
  • There was only one landing page for the entire account. Another benefit of well structured campaigns is to have targeted landing pages. And this account did not.
  • With this campaign structure in place, management and reporting was unnecessarily complicated.

There are benefits to properly separating your high-traffic keywords by match type, but these accounts were not receiving any of them. Such as:

  • For your high-traffic, mission critical keywords you can segment your match types to write very targeted ad texts.
  • Separating your match types for these keywords can help you determine which variations work best, and where you should adjust your bids.
  • You may need different negative keywords for different match types and breaking your match types out into separate ad groups can help with targeting.
  • Creating granular ad groups can improve your keyword/landing page relevancy, therefore  increasing your conversion rate and your AdWords Quality Score.

This was the difference I wanted to explore further: segregating match types out into separate campaigns vs. separate ad groups. Also, these accounts had the entire account separated by match type, when they should really implement this tactic for their most important keywords at a more granular level.

I certainly think that there are benefits to creating granular ad groups down to the match type for your high-traffic keywords, but I think it just needs to be done correctly. Otherwise, you don’t receive the positive effects this can generate, you only make more work for your self.

Related posts:

  1. Separating Your Matches Types into Different Campaigns is a Bad Idea
  2. How To Separate Match Types In adCenter
  3. Match Types in Google AdWords – Use ‘Em if You’ve Got ‘Em
  4. Keyword Match Types: The What and Why
  5. Utilizing Match Types in MSN to Increase Traffic and Leads
  • trebuchet

    thanks for your clarification on this. :) In defense of your last post which I disagree with, I called Google to clarify, and they actually told me not to use all 3 match types at all within the account if possible. I tried to rationalize the cost savings of having these match types, especially when moving from broad, to exact if the term converts for us, in order to better segment our traffic, create more focused adgroups etc. They tended to agree but I’m still surprised that they’d suggest such a thing. Regardless, the clarification is well appreciated.

  • http://www.customermagnetism.com Richard A. Lewis

    Joe.. That is a very interesting way that the account you inherited was setup. It can be quite frustrating to inherit an account that you have to completely overhaul. Do you believe there is one best way for Campaign/Adgroup structure? Or do you believe that it has more to do with the individual client (i.e. a service site as opposed to an ecommerce site). I personally enjoy “cleaning” up inherited accounts but sometimes feel I am just changing it to my style of doing things, and that the previous manager might not have been wrong, just saw things differently.

  • http://ppcisme.com PPC is me

    Do you think all keywords should have all 3 match types?
    I personally think that only your “core keywords” should be with all 3 match types because having all match types for all your keywords will actually triple the amount of keywords you have in the account and will make the analysis and reporting harder. The question is when the benefits of using all 3 match types is beats the disadvantages in having too many keywords?

    @trebuchet, of course Google will tell you to use just the broad matching – it means more money for Google.

  • http://www.pcchero.com Joe

    @trebuchet: Thanks! Really? Google told you not to use all 3 match types? Very interesting indeed! Well, now I’m going to have to call them and see what kind of answer I get from them.

    @Richard: Yes, inheriting accounts can be frustrating and exciting all at the same time. There are some tried-and-true tactics like creating very tightly focused campaigns and ad groups. But I don’t think there is “one best way” to structure a campaign because each product/service are going to be different with varying needs and goals. Really, it comes to relevancy and conversion optimization.

  • http://blog.ppcproz Dan PPCPROZ

    Erez (ppc is me)

    I agree with you on that.

    I am putting a post together now on my suggestion for a best practice strategy for account development, re: match types.

  • http://ppcisme.com Erez (PPC is me)

    Thanks Dan,

    I want to do the same thing soon.

    Twit me when you’re done:)

  • http://www.resourcenation.com/ Matt Commins

    I’m a big believer in having all three match types for most of my keywords. That way you can learn which match type is generating the most conversions. Sometimes exact match keywords do not convert at all while the phrase match will provide most of the conversions.

  • http://upsmack.com Nate Schubert

    I recently modified a client AdWords account into a campaign consisting of broad match terms, and a campaign consisting of phrase & exact terms and I’ve had mediocre results. My phrase & exact groups are able to bid on those match types and thus the amount goes a bit lower. Additionally, running Search Query Reports on the broad match campaign more easily reveal terms I should be bidding on, and terms I should be adding into my negatives lists.

    My test is running until the end of this month but if things keep going the way they are, Joe is right. There are benefits such as those I’ve noted above but as far as I can tell, the cons are outweighing the pro’s. One major con? Conversions have seemed to drop pretty significantly in the first 2 weeks.

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