AdWords Update Aug. 2014 to Impact Exact & Phrase Match Keywords

Back when organic keyword data was still a thing (wow, I must be an SEO dinosaur), I remember sorting through Blue Corona’s keywords and softly chuckling at my deskicle (it’s not quite a cubicle) at all of the people who searched for “Blue Carona.” I wonder if Corona has the same problem.

The point is, people can’t spell. Especially my cousin Tony. For a good time, ask him how to spell “bananas.” Didn’t Gwen Stefani teach you anything, my dear boy?

According to Google, at least 7 percent of Google searches contain a misspelling (in the most ironic twist that I’m only willing to admit because I have no shame, Microsoft Word just autocorrected my misspelling of the word “misspelling.” Whoever awarded me first place in my second grade spelling bee should have their teaching license revoked.).

As of yesterday, Google has decided to change the way it defines “exact match” and “phrase match” keywords in AdWords to help you get business from people who want your products and services but can’t necessarily spell them. After all, their money is just as green. Or maybe it’s grean.

Default Close Matching Variant Keyword Matching

Close matching variant keyword matching—which includes misspellings, abbreviations, singular and plural forms, acronyms, and stemmings—is not a new thing. Google first introduced this type of keyword matching in 2012.

In the past, you could tell AdWords that you only wanted your business to show up for searches that exactly matched your keyword. However, as of September 2014, close variant keyword variation will be the default and only option.

“Starting in late September, we’re applying close variant keyword matching to all exact and phrase match keywords. Because close variant matching was already the default setting for campaigns, most of you won’t see a change in your keyword matching behavior. For advertisers that opted out, the option to disable close variants will be removed in September. Your exact and phrase match keywords will then begin matching to close keyword variations, allowing you to reach more of your potential customers with the right ad while aiming to lower cost per click and improve clickthrough rate.,” Google reported in its Inside AdWords blog post yesterday.

How Will Close Matching Variant Keyword Matching Impact My Campaign?

Positively, I imagine. According to Blue Corona Account Manager and all-around badass Tara Gasparovic, “This is an opportunity to cover more ground where advertisers might otherwise be missing out on keyword opportunities. For example, if someone searched for ‘plummers’ and close variant keyword matching wasn’t turned on, they wouldn’t see an ad where we’re bidding on ‘plumbers’.”

If you happen to manage your own AdWords campaigns (kudos, by the way, because I can’t navigate AdWords any better than I can navigate a set of Ikea furniture assembly directions. Fortunately we’ve got a baller pay-per-click team at Blue Corona so I don’t have to.), you’ll most likely save time on building out keyword lists since you won’t have to include every misspelling, plural form, or abbreviation.

Need Help with Your AdWords Campaign?

Even if you don’t understand the complexity of AdWords, you should still have picked up on one thing from this blog post—Blue Corona does. We specialize in all aspects of online marketing for small to medium sized businesses. From SEO and content marketing—which I consider my stomping grounds—to things I let my teammates dominate like PPC, Web design, call tracking, and more, Blue Corona’s goal is to be a virtual online marketing manager (VOMM—not our greatest acronym so far) for companies that don’t have the time or resources to manage these marketing channels in-house.

If you’re interested in seeing what Blue Corona can do for your AdWords campaign, give us a call or fill out the form below.

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