Last week, Google announced to the search engine marketing community that they will be making a major update in keyword match types, specifically impacting phrase and broad match modified keywords.
This update, slated to begin mid-February 2021, should help consumers find better results based on the assumed intent behind Google’s searchers. While we don’t disagree with this stance, as a search focused on driving results for our clients, we do see potential impacts that need to be further optimized.
Simply put: Broad Match Modifier, a very wide net to catch keywords (essentially a reach play) is being phased out. As this is done, Phrase Match will now vastly expand which keywords trigger search results. While the two had some significant overlap prior to this change, this means that phrase match keywords and the resulting search queries generated from this match type will explode, regardless. In our opinion, the ramifications on budgets and pacing as well as optimizations such as keyword selection and negative keyword usage will need more attention.
According to Google, this is how this change will work:
In theory, these changes should benefit search marketers and capture greater searcher intent, but a clear “watch out” regarding negative keywords, removing keyword redundancy and spending more time with your budgetary management is necessary.
As data comes in post-change, we will be sure to share this out as well! Happy Optimizing! This is the first post of our three-part series featuring search marketing updates.
Stay tuned for next week’s topic!
In theory, these changes should benefit search marketers and capture greater searcher intent, but a clear “watch out” regarding negative keywords, removing keyword redundancy and spending more time with your budgetary management is necessary.
As data comes in post-change, we will be sure to share this out as well! Happy Optimizing! This is the first post of our three-part series featuring search marketing updates.
Stay tuned for next week’s topic!
