Google Match Type Changes

Ultimately, Google Ads has now gotten rid of broad match modifiers (BMM) and it has also updated how phrase match targeting works to expand matching capabilities. The aim of this change is to improve relevancy from search term to keyword and ultimately improve the connection between service and consumer. The new phrase match type is broader than the old phrase rules which requires specific phrases and work order, but not as BMM. If you’re looking for some help as a result of the recent changes then please get in touch with us at Embryo.

Alongside the new and improved phrase match, both exact and broad keyword match types will be updated.

• The exact match is now the dominant match type, overriding the previous dominance of phrase and broad match which was often the overall winner in the auction.
• Broad match will update to consider both content on the website and content in your Ads account. Overall, the goal is to better refine the broad match functions and to improve the focus on search intent

Do advertisers need to change their entire account setups?

In short, no. All of the changes were finalised for a number of languages in April. However, Google was very vocal in announcing that they don’t recommend shifting BMM keywords to phrase yet. BMM still functions normally as far as Google is aware but I’ve personally noticed quite a big drop in performance from a couple of accounts I manage which were heavily BMM.

Key action points to take note of;

1. Keep a close eye on performance. Get ready to shift your budgets and change your bidding strategies if you see a drop in performance.
2. Closely monitor search queries (this is where I’ve noticed the biggest impact) Very important to do this on budget-conscious clients
3. Monitor the recommendation tab in case of any new keyword suggestions which fit the new keyword changes.
4. Change the way you build upcoming accounts, Our department was very quick to act on discovering a new way of effectively building accounts.
5. Negative match types are staying the same so there’s no need to take action on pre-existing negative lists.
6. It’s very important that clients are made aware of changes like this, performance may or may not be affected but it’s always key that they are forewarned in case of any dips in performance. 

As account managers all over the world are now starting to get used to the new keyword formats. It’s really important that we all keep an eye on any changes that are on the horizon, below are a few I’ve noted down for 2022 which will most probably affect the vast majority of marketers across lead gen and e-commerce.

1. Updates to how smart bidding strategies are organised – See here.
2. Piloting a new “strikes” system to address repeat ad policy violations.
3. Maximising audience reach across TV, YT with reach planner in 18 new countries.
4. Upgrading video action campaigns.
5. Ending all support for BMM keywords by August 2021
6. Video extensions being brought to the platform
7. Image extensions – These have already been rolled out by the team at Embryo and they are already proving to be a brilliant addition to maximise CTR for a wide range of clients in a number of different industries.
8. New bidding features – See here.
9. Acquire high-value app users at scale with target ROAS bidding.
10.  Options to automatically implement the changes which are suggested in the recommendations tab. (I’d definitely make sure you keep a close eye on this to avoid inflating spend and decreasing the ad relevancy).

To summarise, there’s no need to panic! We’ve all been there when it comes to Google’s changes, but by being on the ball from a social perspective, staying up to date with rumors you’ll always able to act quickly to avoid any major issues.