Term
Phrase Match
The middle Google Ads match type. Triggers when the query includes the keyword's meaning. Since 2021 the old quotation-mark rules have been replaced by meaning-based logic.
Phrase Match — in more detail
Phrase Match triggers an ad when the user’s query contains the keyword’s meaning — strict word order is no longer required. In 2021 Google replaced the old phrase rules (quotation marks, exact word order with additional words before or after) with a semantic logic: tokens may appear in any order as long as the core intent is preserved. Phrase now sits between Broad and Exact and is the most-used type for SEA teams that want reach and control.
Example / In practice
The keyword women's running shoes as Phrase Match triggers on:
- “cheap women’s running shoes” (extra word before)
- “running shoes for women with high cushioning” (reordered, extra words after)
- “women’s running shoes asphalt”
But not on:
- “men’s running shoes” (different gender — meaning not included)
- “women’s gym shoes” (different shoe type)
Distinction from similar terms
Broad Match goes beyond meaning into synonyms and related topics. Exact Match requires the same meaning as the keyword. The former Modified Broad type was folded into Phrase Match in 2021.
Entdecke mehr
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.
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