Most Triad AdWords accounts we inherit are running every keyword on broad match. That single setting is usually responsible for 40 to 60 percent of wasted spend, because broad match shows your ad for searches that have almost nothing to do with what you sell.
What Each Match Type Actually Does
- →Broad match: Triggers your ad for any search Google considers related, including synonyms and loosely related concepts. A High Point roofer bidding on "roof repair" can show up for "roof rack."
- →Broad match modifier: Add a plus sign before required words (+roof +repair) to ensure both appear in the search. Much tighter than pure broad.
- →Phrase match: Quotation marks ("roof repair") trigger only when the phrase appears in order, with words allowed before or after.
- →Exact match: Brackets ([roof repair greensboro]) trigger only on that exact query. The tightest control with the lowest waste.
The Match Type Strategy We Recommend for Triad Service Businesses
Start every campaign with a tight foundation of exact and phrase match keywords for the searches you know convert. For example, a Greensboro family law attorney would start with [divorce attorney greensboro], [family lawyer greensboro nc], "divorce lawyer near me," and "child custody attorney." That core structure produces predictable, high-quality leads.
From there, add a separate ad group with broad match modifier (+divorce +lawyer +greensboro) to discover new search variations. Mine the search terms report weekly. Promote the converters to phrase or exact match. Add the wasters as negative keywords.
The Negative Keyword List No Triad Account Should Skip
Common waste-reducing negatives for service businesses: "free," "DIY," "jobs," "salary," "training," "school," and major out-of-market city names you do not serve. A Winston-Salem dentist who added 60 negatives over two months cut wasted clicks by 27 percent and saw cost per lead drop from $84 to $51.
Match types only matter if your conversion tracking is in place. Read our guide on AdWords ROI tracking first, or hand the whole structure to our digital marketing agency.