Broad Match vs Exact Match vs Phrase Match: Which Should You Use?

# Broad Match vs Exact Match vs Phrase Match: Which Should You Use?

Google Ads match types are one of those things that sounds boring but actually costs you real money if you get them wrong. We see it all the time: a plumber in Manchester wastes £800 a month because their keywords are set to broad match and they're paying for clicks from people searching "how to fix a tap myself" instead of "emergency plumber near me."

The good news? Once you understand match types, you can actually save money whilst getting better results. Let's break this down in a way that makes sense.

What are match types, anyway?

When you create a Google Ads campaign, you tell Google which keywords you want to bid on. A match type is simply the rule that decides whether your ad shows up when someone types something into Google.

Think of it like this: if you're a local electrician in Leeds, you might bid on the keyword "emergency electrician Leeds." But what happens when someone searches for "electrician" without the "emergency" bit? Or "emergency electrical repairs"? Or (and this happens more often than you'd think) "how to become an electrician"?

That's what match types control. There are four of them, but three matter for most small businesses:

1. Broad match — your ad can show for almost anything vaguely related 2. Phrase match — your ad shows when someone searches your keyword phrase (plus stuff before or after it) 3. Exact match — your ad only shows when someone searches that exact term (or very close variations)

There's also broad match modified (with a + symbol), but Google stopped letting new advertisers create it in 2021, so we'll skip that.

Broad match: the budget burner

Let's be direct: broad match without negative keywords is a money pit for most small businesses. It's what happens when you set up your campaign quickly and don't think much about it.

Here's how broad match works. You bid on "plumber Manchester." Google's algorithm then decides your ad is relevant for:

• "plumbers in Manchester" ✓ (good)
• "emergency plumber Manchester" ✓ (good)
• "plumber" (nationwide) ✗ (you pay for clicks from London)
• "how to fix a leaky tap" ✗ (DIY searches, no chance of sale)
• "Manchester United" ✗ (yes, this happens)
• "swimming pool maintenance Manchester" ✗ (not a plumber)

The problem is Google's algorithm gets it wrong. A lot. Especially for niche services. You end up paying for clicks from people who:

• Are nowhere near you
• Are trying to solve the problem themselves
• Have already picked another tradesperson
• Aren't even looking for what you offer

We once worked with a local handyman in Birmingham. He'd been running broad match keywords for six months and spending £1,500 a month. His cost per enquiry was £180. We switched him to phrase match and exact match, added about 50 negative keywords (like "DIY," "tutorial," "how to," etc.), and his cost per enquiry dropped to £45. Same budget, four times the return.

Broad match can work, but only if you're willing to actively manage negative keywords every single week. Most small businesses don't have time for this. If that's you, skip broad match.

Exact match: the safe choice

Exact match is the opposite end of the spectrum. Your ad shows only when someone searches your exact keyword (or very, very close variations — like if they misspell it slightly, or rearrange the words).

You bid on "boiler repair London." Your ad shows for:

• "boiler repair London" ✓
• "London boiler repair" ✓
• "boiler repairs London" ✓ (plural)
• "boiler service London" ✗ (different intent)
• "boiler repair" (no location) ✗
• "emergency boiler repair London" ✗ (different meaning)

Exact match is safe. You know exactly what you're paying for. The people clicking are genuinely looking for what you offer.

The downside? You miss searches you should be capturing. Someone might search "24-hour boiler repair London" instead of "boiler repair London," and you won't show up. You have to anticipate every variation of your keyword.

For most small businesses, exact match alone isn't enough. You'd need hundreds of keywords to cover all the different ways people search for what you do.

Phrase match: the Goldilocks option

Phrase match sits in the middle. Your ad shows when someone searches your exact phrase, plus extra words before or after it.

You bid on "dog grooming Sheffield." Your ad shows for:

• "dog grooming Sheffield" ✓
• "best dog grooming Sheffield" ✓
• "dog grooming Sheffield city centre" ✓
• "dog grooming near Sheffield" ✓
• "Sheffield dog grooming" ✗ (word order matters)
• "cat grooming Sheffield" ✗ (different service)
• "dog training Sheffield" ✗ (different intent)

Phrase match is the sweet spot for most small businesses. You catch variations people actually search for, but you're not paying for completely irrelevant clicks.

Which one should you actually use?

Here's the honest answer: it depends on your business type and whether you're willing to manage negatives.

Use exact match if:

• You have a very specific service (e.g., you only do boiler repairs, nothing else)
• You want to keep setup simple
• You're willing to create 30+ keyword variations
• You have a healthy budget and don't mind missing some clicks

Use phrase match if:

• You're a local service business (tradesperson, salon, dentist, etc.)
• You want reasonable control without exhaustive management
• You want to catch variations without paying for junk clicks
• You have moderate budget and want good efficiency

Use broad match only if:

• You have time to manage negative keywords every week
• You have a decent budget to absorb wasted spend
• Your service is broad enough that variations are actually useful (e.g., general digital marketing services, rather than "wedding photography")

A practical example for a UK business

Let's say you're a local accountant in Bristol. Here's how we'd recommend setting this up:

Phrase match keywords (your main focus):

• "accountant Bristol"
• "tax accountant Bristol"
• "small business accountant Bristol"
• "self-employed accountant Bristol"

Exact match keywords (for high-intent searches you want to protect):

• "accountant near me" (if you want to bid on this, exact match ensures local intent)

Negative keywords (critical — add these to all campaigns):

• "become an accountant" (training searches)
• "free" (people looking for freebies)
• "software" (they want tools, not your services)
• "training"
• "courses"

This setup means you'll catch people searching "accountant Bristol," "tax accountant in Bristol," and "Bristol accountant for small business," but you won't pay for someone looking to become an accountant or find free tax software.

The real-world result

We recently worked with a local plumbing company that switched from chaotic broad match to a structured phrase + exact setup. Here's what changed:

• Monthly spend: stayed the same (£1,000)
• Clicks: went from 85 to 52 (fewer, but better quality)
• Cost per click: went up slightly (£11.76 to £19.23)
• Cost per enquiry: went down dramatically (£142 to £68)
• Conversion rate: improved from 4% to 13%

That's the real magic of match types: not all clicks are equal. Quality beats volume.

What to do today

If you're running Google Ads right now:

1. Audit your current keywords — check what match type they're set to. If everything is broad, that's your problem.

2. Add 20-30 negative keywords — at minimum, add "free," "DIY," "how to," "tutorial," and anything that doesn't match your actual service.

3. Set new keywords to phrase match — when you add keywords, default to phrase match rather than broad.

4. Start measuring — check your cost per enquiry (not cost per click). That's what actually matters.

If you're not sure where to start or your campaigns feel wasteful, BrightClick can audit your account and restructure it. Most small businesses we work with find they're overspending by 30-50% with poor match type choices.

But honestly? This is something you can improve today without waiting. Switch to phrase match, add negatives, and watch your cost per enquiry drop. Small changes, real results.