Keyword match types in Google, Yahoo, Bing

In order to effectively target audiences with correct ads, keywords have to be chosen very carefully.  If not, search marketers can waste alot of client’s marketing budget.

In addition to appropriate keywords, keyword match types are also crucial in ensuring success.  Here are the differences between the 3 platforms’ keyword match types.  As Google has the largest market share in search marketing, we will compare the keyword match types against Google’s.

 

Description Punctuation Google & Bing Yahoo
synonyms, related searches, and other relevant variations tennis shoes Broad match Advanced match
close variations but not synonyms or related searches tennis +shoes Broad match modifier* NA
a phrase and close variants of that phrase “tennis shoes” Phrase match NA
an exact term and close variants of that exact term [tennis shoes] Exact match Standard match
searches without the term -old Negative match Excluded keywords

 

Google and Bing actually have the same keyword match types.  Yahoo though lacks broad match modifier or phrase match.

* For Bing, broad match modifier is only available for campaigns running in the U.S. and Canada.

Do remember the differences in the platforms so as target audiences effectively.