An effective PPC strategy should always start with defining measurable and quantifiable goals for your business; what do you want to achieve from each campaign and what sort of time-scales are realistic? This is where the keyword research process is crucial to achieving these goals by ensuring that each ad is being triggered by the right search query. This post will cover the differences between the different keyword types, to help your construction business find the right match for your PPC strategy.
– Match types
Keyword match types allow you to refine the search possibilities for your campaign in order to retain the most accurate results. There are four different types to consider: broad match, modified broad match, phrase match or exact match.
So let’s look into exactly what these match types are, as well as some advantages and disadvantages of each.
• Broad match
A ‘broad match type’ means that your ad will appear in Google searches related to your key phrase, regardless of the order it is written or whether additional or similar words are used in replacement.
For example, if you use broad match on “glass rooflight”, your ad might be displayed if a user types “glass rooflights” or “glass windows.” Google may also match your ad to other relevant queries, which don’t include any of the terms in your actual keyword, such as “expensive rooflights”.
This means that whilst it reaches the widest possible audience due to little restrictions being placed on the keyword phrase, it also means that your ad is eligible to appear in irrelevant search queries, and the costs for these is one reason that poorly optimised PPC campaigns show little return for spend.
It is important to regularly check that these phrases aren’t bringing in irrelevant traffic, as broad match searches also include any singular/ plural forms, synonyms and even misspellings of the keyword.
However this keyword type is great for driving a high level of click-throughs for a new account with no historical data. This allows you to determine at an early stage what keywords customers are searching for, whilst eliminating those searches that are bringing through irrelevant traffic to your site.
Try running this for a set amount of weeks in order to establish both good and bad search terms for your construction business.
• Modified broad search
As the name suggests, ‘Modified broad search’ enables you to gain more control over your keyword phrase by applying a set of rules. This ensures that your PPC ad is excluded from particular searches that are irrelevant to your Ecommerce site.
Whilst you can reach a similarly wider audience, you gain better control over who actually see’s your ad by using the + parameter in front of a term in your keyword. The + parameter simply informs Google that it must include this keyword in all searches.
For example, if you enable modified broad match for the keyword “timber decking”, the + parameter can be added to the word “timber” to ensure Google only matches your ads to queries including the word timber. Anyone searching for another material, and who is therefore not your target audience, will not be directed to your ad and as such will not be wasting your PPC spend.
• Phrase match
Phrase match ensures that your ad appears when the user types in your keyword phrase in the exact same order. Whilst there may be other words either before or after that phrase, this again introduces a higher level of control and accuracy to your PPC strategy.
For example, if your key phrase was “roof tiles and slates”, your ad could appear when a user searches for “roof tiles and slates”, “discount roof tiles and slates,” or “where to buy roof tiles and slates”.
Therefore flexibility is obtained through “Phrase match” as the text can contain additional words, but the actual phrase remains the same regardless. This allows you to gain high levels of quality traffic.
• Exact match
This is the most specific keyword match type to consider; with “Exact match”, the user must type in your exact keyword, in the same order, and with no additional words in order to view your PPC advertisement.
This is a fairly restrictive method of keyword matching, and as a result will bring in a much lower search volume (and overall impressions). However if you’ve researched the phrase well enough then the quality of the queries will surpass this; those who type in your exact keywords are more likely to be interested in your product or service and as a result your conversion rates should increase.
Choosing the appropriate Adword match types and optimising these is crucial to the effectiveness of your PPC campaign; this process will enable you to reach your target audience whilst avoiding unnecessary spend on irrelevant clicks.
For more information on implementing an effective PPC strategy for your construction business, download our brand new PPC eBook for Ecommerce websites here.
