| If you are intending to do any kind of pay per | | | | marketing. |
| click advertising on the internet, you will probably | | | | BROAD MATCH |
| mainly deal with the "Big 3" search engines - | | | | Google: |
| Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (MSN). All 3 have | | | | The ad will be displayed any time somebody |
| fairly similar business models and all work in | | | | types in a search query that includes the |
| roughly the same manner. There are however | | | | keywords, regardless of the actual word order. |
| some differences the user should be aware of. | | | | This means there could be additional words in |
| One example is how keyword match types have | | | | front of, behind, or even in between your original |
| certain differences from Search Network to | | | | keyword phrase. |
| Search Network. | | | | There is also some light synonym matching. For |
| As a search engine advertiser, it's vitally important | | | | example, the following might all trigger the |
| for you to know exactly when your ad is going | | | | keyphrase "Canon digital camera" on Broad match: |
| to be displayed. The match type determines | | | | "Used Canon Camera" |
| whether your ad will be displayed to the user on | | | | "Compare digital camera Nikon and Canon" |
| the basis of how the search query matches your | | | | "Canon Powershot SD750" |
| keyword. | | | | MSN: |
| As an example, lets say you are promoting a | | | | Very similar to Google will but will only trigger a |
| website dealing with digital photography, and one | | | | search query that includes all of the words. There |
| of your key words is "Canon digital camera" | | | | is also some light synonym matching. Generally |
| EXACT MATCH | | | | not as broad as Google. |
| Google: | | | | Yahoo: |
| Exact match in Google will only match the EXACT | | | | In yahoo it is known as Advanced match and will |
| text and nothing else. Any words before, after, in | | | | be triggered by any query that contains all of the |
| between or the phrase with words re-arranged | | | | words, plus singular/plural, misspellings and |
| will not count. It will only match if "Canon digital | | | | synonyms. |
| camera" is typed in as a search query. "Canon | | | | It is important to note that in all the search |
| digital cameras" or "Buy Canon digital camera" will | | | | marketing systems, Broad and Advanced are the |
| not trigger an exact match. | | | | DEFAULT type of search matches. So be careful |
| MSN: | | | | as they may not be specific enough to target the |
| Almost identical to Google, but they ignore words | | | | market you are trying to reach. |
| like a, an, the etc. Which means that "a Canon | | | | NEGATIVE MATCH |
| digital camera" is considered the same as "Canon | | | | Google: |
| digital camera", and is therefore an exact match | | | | These are words that block unwanted searches |
| Yahoo: | | | | that you believe may not be relevant to what |
| Yahoo have what they term as Standard Match. | | | | you are offering. For example, if your ad deals |
| It not only matches the exact phrase but also | | | | with only new cameras you might want to |
| includes singular/plural, common misspellings and | | | | exclude buyers who are looking for used cameras |
| alternative spellings. The following would all trigger | | | | from clicking. So if you include "second hand" as a |
| Standard match in Yahoo: | | | | negative, if a person types in "second hand Canon |
| "Canon digital camera" | | | | camera" your ad would not show up. |
| "Canon digital cameras" | | | | MSN: |
| "Cannon digital camera" | | | | The same as Google |
| PHRASE MATCH | | | | Yahoo: |
| Google: | | | | Known as Excluded Match, is very similar to |
| The ad will be triggered in phrase match any time | | | | Google and MSN but singulars and plurals are |
| there is a search query that includes your | | | | considered equivalent. For example, if you wanted |
| keywords using the same word order. This | | | | to exclude people searching for camera lenses, |
| means that the phrase "Canon digital camera" | | | | you could put "lens" as an excluded word and the |
| must appear somewhere in the user's query. The | | | | query "Canon digital camera lenses" would not |
| search can include words before or after your | | | | trigger your ad. |
| keyword, but not between them. For example | | | | Match types play an important role in determining |
| "buy Canon digital camera" | | | | which ads will be displayed for the specific |
| "Canon digital camera on sale"will both trigger the | | | | selected keywords. When setting up an ad |
| keyword as a phrase match. | | | | campaign, try to envision how each match type |
| MSN: | | | | will affect your keywords. You also need to |
| The same as Google | | | | anticipate keyword variations that may result in |
| Yahoo: | | | | unwanted visitors clicking on your ad so that you |
| No phrase option is offered with Yahoo search | | | | can filter out non-profitable traffic. |