Advertising & measurement
Broad match
By Rubén García · 3 min
A Google Ads keyword type that lets your ad show for related searches, not only those containing your exact words.
It's the option with the most reach. Google considers the meaning of the search, your pages and your other keywords.
Example: with the keyword ‘running shoes’, your ad can show when someone searches ‘shoes for road running’.
Google Ads has three match types: exact (the same search or same meaning), phrase (searches that include the meaning of your phrase) and broad (related searches).
With AI Max, Google widens searches even further based on your keywords and your website. Since September 2026, campaigns with the campaign-level broad match setting move to AI Max.
Watch out: check the search terms report every week. Add negative keywords (words that stop your ad from showing) to cut searches that don't sell.
