Google’s latest keyword matching update prioritises search results with keywords that match exactly with those used in the search query.
Based on the latest update, Google will prioritise keywords that are identical to both, the reader’s search query and broad keyword matches. For instance, consider a user searches for “media events 2021”. Before the update, Google would have shown results with keywords “media events” and “media events 2021”. Now, the update will prioritise the keywords “media events 2021”, since it is identical to the query.
To optimise for the latest update, Google suggests publishers should group keywords into thematically consistent ad groups. It would enable Google to display more diverse, compelling ads. If “World Cup” and “Champions League” are popular search categories on the site, publishers should create ad groups pertaining to “World Cup”, “Champions League” and a third one under “Football”.
As the update would likely affect the site traffic, brands must re-evaluate their campaign budgets. They should also combine keywords with multiple match types to optimise ads for smart bidding. Further, regularly check the Recommendations page to avoid duplicates and continue using negative keywords to exclude unwanted matches.
[3 minute read]
