More Changes Coming to the Keyword Match Types on Google Ads!

Changes to Keyword Match types on Google Ads has already started reflecting on SERP

In a recent update, Google confirmed that it will now trigger ads for terms that might look similar in meaning for BMM and Phrase match keywords.

Earlier this month, Google in an official statement made it clear that it is implementing some more changes to the Keyword match types. This is nothing but yet another push towards its machine learning project.

Google confirmed that going forward the tool will trigger ad copies for the search queries that the tool identifies as searches with similar meanings. This change is going to be for only the broad match modifier and phrase match keywords. Which means, the exact match keywords will not come under this change as of now.

Below are a couple of examples:

This change will be a huge challenge for the advertisers with higher ad spend levels as they will be having a huge base of BMM & phrase match keywords into their structure. Now, with no option to opt-out of this, it is going to be super challenging for them to maintain the budget and use it towards only the keywords that they intend to bid for.

As this change is towards triggering ads to the keywords with similar meaning, the number of variation that an account with a huge keyword structure can have is countless. And since the bigger advertisers’ accounts are also predominantly not “limited by budget”, the spend is definitely going to shoot up.

Even though there are a couple of opportunities for the advertisers like getting more keyword ideas or time saving from making granular ad groups, below are some of the challenges that the advertisers are set to face with this new change being already implemented:

Spend may Increase:

With this new change being put in place by Google which will now allow keywords to trigger ads to the similar meaning search queries, the spend for the advertisers’ whose campaigns are not “limited by budget” will definitely shoot up.

Effect on CTR:

As this new change is set to showcase ad copies to the similar meaning search queries, the chances are high that the ads might be served to irrelevant terms as well which might impact on the CTR as people finding the ads irrelevant might not click on the ads. Thus, chances are also there of wastage of impressions on the inappropriate search queries.

Thorough Check-up of the Keyword Structure:

As this change is set to trigger ads to trigger ads to a huge number of irrelevant terms, the advertisers need to perform a thorough health check-up of the keyword structure and pause/remove as many irrelevant keywords/terms from the account as possible.

More Frequent Search Query Analysis:

This new change will definitely be going to be a pain in the advertisers work-life as it would require more frequent search query analysis in order to identify all the irrelevant terms for which the ads were triggered and remove them on a daily basis.

Setting up Ad groups with One-word Keyword:

This is another issue that the advertisers are going to face as a one-word keyword will definitely challenge them in order to restrict the keywords to trigger ad copies to irrelevant searches. In case advertisers want to create a one-word keyword ad group, they would need to revisit the search queries on a daily or in some cases on an hourly basis to make sure that the keywords are not triggering ads to the terms that they do not intend to.