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Today I noticed in one account interface a message that if ignored could radically change how often ads are triggered and for what keywords. I thought they had a similar match type already implemented called “extended match,” but this possibly takes the liberty at which Google will trigger your ads for search (related and sometimes unrelated) queries even further.

According to Google:

“Automatic matching is an optional feature that helps your ads reach targeted traffic missed by your keyword lists. It works by analyzing the ads, keywords, and landing pages in your ad group. It then shows your ads on search queries relevant to this information.

When automatic matching is first enabled, it dedicates a short period of time to gather information about your campaign. During this period, you won’t see any change to your traffic levels. Once automatic matching has evaluated your campaign, your ads will start to show on additional relevant search queries.

The system will continually monitor your performance on these queries and adjust its matches accordingly. Automatic matching aims to show your ads only on queries that yield a high clickthrough rate (CTR) and a cost-per-click (CPC) comparable to or better than your ad group’s current average CPC. This way, your ads receive additional targeted traffic at a similar cost to your current traffic.

Automatic matching won’t allow your spend to exceed your budget, and it also won’t affect the traffic you’re currently receiving. For example, say your campaign’s daily budget is $10, and on average you accrue $8 in traffic in a day. The automatic matching system may add $1 of relevant traffic per day, meaning it will not prevent your ads from accruing the traffic it normally does. Note also that automatic matching will not affect your campaigns if they already capture the majority of relevant traffic.

Here are a few more details about the feature:

* Opting in and out: Automatic matching is applied at the campaign level. You can opt your campaign in and out of automatic matching on your Campaign Settings page.

* Google Network: Automatic matching does not affect your ad delivery on the content network. It does affect your ad delivery on Google and the search network.

* Quality Score: The traffic accrued by automatic matching won’t affect your keywords’ Quality Scores or minimum bids.

* Ad position: When ranking your ads on search queries acquired through automatic matching, the cost-per-click (CPC) bid will approximate the current average CPC of your ad group. Learn more about ad rank for automatic matching.

* Performance statistics: Aggregated performance statistics for automatic matching will appear in each ad group’s Keywords tab, in a line item labeled Automatic Matching Total.

* Search Query Performance report: You can see the search queries that triggered your ads due to automatic matching by running a Search Query Performance report. The queries will be labeled Automatic in the Search Query Match Type column.”

What does Automatic Matching Mean to Me?

In essence, this is a way for Google to extend even further what was referred to as “extended match” type. It makes sense for them because the account holder will get more traffic and spend more money. At the same time they are motivated to only show your ads where is a likelihood of a good CTR. With the broad match type Google will show your ad if the user’s search query has the keywords in the query string even if surrounded by many other irrelevant words. With phrase, the two or three words must be in that order, but can be surrounded by others. With exact match, it is supposed to be the exact words bid upon.

This takes it a step further and your keywords do not even have to be in the query, but Google will experiment in order to find similar or cross-correlated words on the same subject that a user maybe likely to click your ad. For the experienced user this isn’t a bad thing, but for the novice he/she may be lead astray by thinking some of their keywords get searched more often than due by looking at the number of impressions. This reinforces a tip I have been recommending for a long time — bid on all three match types ( I can’t take credit though. I learned it from Perry Marshall). With this new information, stay opted into to Google’s Automatic Matching, BUT make sure you mind your raw query strings.

Some people ask, why not just bid on exact and phrase match? The reason is you might be missing great opportunities for Google to show you keyword research that you can use to base decisions for new adgroups as well as new pages on your site. I have personally added dozens of new adgroups to accounts that ended up performing very well based on studying the raw query strings of broad and phrase match type keywords.

Google AdWords Tip: Bid on all three match types & stay opted in to Automatic Matching
-Study the Search Query Report (which only tells part of the story).
-Mind your raw query strings

How Can you See Keyword Ad Triggering Query Strings “In the Raw”?

If you want to see the actual query string in Google Analytics that triggered your ads for broad, extended, or automatic match type, follow these instructions.