This month, we’ll explore the subtle differences between broad match and phrase match negation.
A very good question arises Ask about PPC Although we have already introduced Negative match type Previously, this question allowed us to think about other strategic elements that we didn’t cover. A reader in Rio asked:
“Hello! Might be a stupid question, but what’s the difference, if any, in negating a one-word term with a broad match or phrase match type?
For example, if I want to avoid any search term that contains a specific word, let’s say BLUE. Should I use broad or phrase match to negate BLUE?
Most negative keyword examples I’ve seen so far are compound words, which doesn’t help me much. Thank you and keep up the amazing work! “
We’ll dive into:
- The strategic advantage of phrases versus broad match is no.
- When to use word vs. multi-word negation.
Spoiler alert for this post: I chose this question because it gives us a good talk cross-channel marketing.
If you only advertise on one channel (whether it’s Google, Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, or whatever), you’re missing out on the huge rewards of leveraging the entire customer journey.
The Strategic Advantage of Phrases and Broad Match Negatives
The simple answer to this reader’s question is that there is no difference between individual keywords for broad/phrase match negation (on Google).
Your ad won’t show if that term is in the query.
Both match types require syntax to match what is entered to block traffic.
However, we don’t want to limit ourselves to just Google.
Microsoft Advertising Broad match negatives are not supported, so you’ll need to do a lot of extra work yourself when you import your campaigns.
It would be easier to simply add all negatives to phrase match negatives.
All negative match types require you to consider variations.
This means that the only reason to include keywords in broad match negatives is if you need to eliminate queries originating from a set of terms (two or more).
When to Use Words vs. Multiword Negatives
Terms are added as negatives for one of two reasons:
- Eliminate wasted spending.
- Direct spending toward its best homes.
In most cases, a negative word will be the best way to meet both needs.
However, sometimes an idea can be associated with relevant traffic, leaving the door open to waste.
This is when I tend to choose the negative of two or three words.
For example, if I wanted to generate leads for a software company, I might want to add the word “support” as a negative because I don’t want to pay for existing customers.
However, support seekers may also want to understand what kind of customer success they can expect.
screenshot from search [cro support software]Google, June 2022By adding the concept of “numbers” to negatives, you can ensure that expected traffic is blocked, while opening the door to potential customers searching in unconventional ways.
In this example, you’ll add the term “support number” to the broad match and phrase so that you can block traffic regardless of the order in which the user enters those terms.
This way you can still appear in Transactional SERPs.
Single word negation is ideal for making sure ad groups don’t steal from each other.
For example, if you know that “software” and “platform” have different auction prices and conversion rates, you might want to bid on both.
Making them single-word negatives in each other’s ad groups will protect your budget and ensure you don’t accidentally bid on yourself (as they’re variants of each other).
last point
While there is no technical difference between single negatives on broad/phrase, there is a strategic advantage to leaning towards phrase matching.
It is also important to strategically choose words and multi-word negatives based on intent.
Questions about PPC?by submitting this form Or tweet @navahf with the hashtag #AskPPC. See you next month!
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Featured image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Magazine
