Plain answer
Keyword match types control how loosely Google matches real searches to the keywords you bid on. Exact match sticks close to your keyword's meaning, phrase match requires the same intent, and broad match lets Google reach anything it deems related — a wider net, and a wider bill.
How match types actually work
You don't buy words in Google Ads; you buy permission for Google to match your ad to searches. The match type sets how much permission:
| Match type | You write | Google may show for |
|---|---|---|
| Exact | [emergency plumber] | That idea and close variants |
| Phrase | "emergency plumber" | Searches carrying that intent, with extra words around it |
| Broad | emergency plumber | Anything Google's systems decide is related — searches you'd never have guessed, good and bad |
Broad match vs phrase match: which should you use?
Broad match is a bet on Google's judgment, and it pays off mainly when the algorithm has conversion data to learn from — a mature account with solid tracking. On a new account with a small budget, broad match mostly buys expensive exploration. Phrase and exact keep your money on searches you understand, at the cost of missing some volume. You can widen later; refunds for irrelevant clicks are not a thing.
Field note from TomasThe most expensive account I've audited wasted ~80% of its budget because loose keyword modifiers let the algorithm pull in consumer traffic — the full story is under negative keywords. The match-type lesson: these settings decide who the algorithm is allowed to bring you. Set them deliberately, then police the search-terms report.
How do you see what you actually matched?
The search terms report shows the real searches your ads ran on — it's the least glamorous, most profitable page in the account. Read it weekly. Every irrelevant search you find becomes a negative keyword, and every surprising winner becomes a new keyword of its own.
What this means for your ads
Start narrow: phrase and exact on searches with buying intent, negatives added weekly, broad match introduced only once conversions flow reliably. Match types are the steering wheel of a search account — loosen your grip in proportion to how much the car has proven it can drive.
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