What Is Exact Match?
Exact match is Google Ads' tightest keyword match type — your ad is eligible only for queries that share the keyword's intent. Since 2019, Google has expanded exact match to include 'close variants': same meaning with reworded, reordered, or plural forms.
Behaviour
The exact-match keyword [meta ads agency] can trigger on 'meta ads agency,' 'meta advertising agencies,' 'agencies for meta ads,' or 'meta ads agency Bangladesh.' It will NOT trigger on 'facebook advertising,' 'social media agency,' or 'meta ads course.'
Benchmarks
- Highest CTR and conversion rate of the three match types typically.
- Lowest reach — usually 5–20% of what broad captures for the same keyword.
- Best for: brand terms, top commercial queries, controlled testing.
Why it matters
Exact match is the surgical tool of Google Ads — for terms you know convert profitably, exact protects them from being lumped into broader auctions with worse-performing queries. Every mature account should have a core exact-match structure for money keywords.
Common mistakes
- 1.Running only exact match. Volume never scales; smart bidding lacks signal.
- 2.Ignoring close variants. Modern exact isn't as 'exact' as it once was.
- 3.Duplicating exact terms across campaigns — internal auction cannibalisation.
Put Exact Match to work
Related services
FAQs about Exact Match
Does exact match still mean 'exact'?
No — since 2019 it includes close variants (reworded, reordered, plurals). It's more 'exact intent' than 'exact string.'
Should I use exact-only campaigns?
Only for brand campaigns or hyper-controlled tests. Non-brand exact-only usually caps volume too tightly for smart bidding to work.
Related terms
Broad, phrase, and exact — how Google matches keywords to queries.
Google keyword match type that also triggers on related queries.
Google match that fires on queries containing the keyword's meaning.
Google's 1–10 rating of expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page.