Term
Keyword (SEA)
A search term an advertiser targets to trigger ads. In Google Ads a keyword is not a literal user query but a trigger rule paired with a Match Type — Phrase, Exact, or Broad.
Keyword — in more detail
In SEA, a keyword is the term an advertiser books inside the account to surface ads for matching user queries. Important: a booked keyword is not identical to the search term the user actually types — the Match Type (Broad, Phrase, Exact) governs the link between the two. Keywords sit at the ad-group level in the account hierarchy and carry their own bid (under Manual CPC) or feed Smart Bidding as a signal. Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns no longer use classic keywords — there, audience signals and asset groups replace the keyword logic.
Example / In practice
An online shop books the keyword women's running shoes as Phrase Match. The ad can then trigger on queries like “cheap women’s running shoes”, “lightweight women’s running shoes”, or “women’s running shoes review” — but not on “men’s running shoes” (different gender).
Distinction from similar terms
A search term is the user’s literal input; a keyword is the booked trigger rule. Negative keywords are the inverse — they block serving. Audience signals replace keywords in PMax with audience hints rather than exact matches.
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Match Type
The rule that defines how closely a booked keyword must align with a user query to trigger an ad. Active types in Google Ads: Broad, Phrase, Exact.
LexikonGoogle Ads account structure — from campaign down to ad group, set up right
Account segmentation, campaign types, ad groups, SKAG/STAG, match types, negatives and brand/generic/competitor — woven together.
NewsGoogle Ads launches Journey-Aware Bidding and expands Smart Bidding Exploration
Smart Bidding now learns from the full lead-to-sale funnel. Smart Bidding Exploration is rolling out to Performance Max and Shopping.