Google’s decision to make broad match the default for new Search campaigns in July 2024 changed how advertisers should approach keyword targeting. Broad match now operates as part of a larger optimization system — most effectively when paired with Smart Bidding and strong measurement practices. The shift offers increased reach and incremental demand, but it also moves where control lives: from keyword lists into conversion goals, negative keyword infrastructure, audience signals, and offline measurement.
Why broad match matters — and what changed
Broad match used to mean “more reach, less relevance.” Today, it means more reach combined with a machine learning layer deciding what relevance looks like. Google’s 2024 updates improved language understanding and matching quality — Google reported roughly a 10% performance uplift for broad match campaigns running with Smart Bidding — and made broad match the default for new campaigns. That change forces advertisers to think systemically about how keywords, bids, audiences, and conversion signals interact.
Key points from the Search Engine Land analysis
The Search Engine Land contributor highlights several essentials: broad match is designed to work as part of a larger optimization system; Smart Bidding should be the bidding layer; negative keywords and brand controls become infrastructure rather than cleanup; and conversion definitions must reflect business value, not just convenience. As the article warns, “If your optimization goal is shallow, broad match combined with Smart Bidding will find the fastest way to hit it at scale.” — Search Engine Land contributor
How broad match and Smart Bidding actually operate together
Smart Bidding evaluates auctions in real time using signals like device, location, time of day, query context, and historical user behavior. Broad match increases the pool of eligible queries — Smart Bidding decides which of those queries are worth paying for and how much. When everything is aligned, this pairing can surface incremental customers who were not reachable via phrase or exact match keywords. When metrics or signals are misaligned, it can scale low-value conversions that look good in Google Ads but fail to translate to revenue.
Actionable rollout and management checklist
1) Start small and pick the right campaign
Choose one campaign that already has stable tracking and a reliable stream of conversions. This should be a campaign with clear downstream value so you can evaluate quality outside the UI.
2) Align conversion actions and values
Use conversion actions that reflect real business outcomes (e.g., qualified leads, sales, revenue), and assign conversion values where possible. If you only optimize to form submissions or low-intent micro-conversions, Smart Bidding will scale those behaviors. Import offline conversions (CRM-validated leads, closed deals) to improve signal quality.
3) Build negatives as infrastructure
Create account-level shared negative lists for universally irrelevant terms (jobs, free, careers, how-to, templates). Add campaign-level negatives to define intent boundaries. Conduct daily or every-other-day search-term reviews during the first 2–4 weeks — broad match explores by design, and you’ll need early pruning to prevent waste.
4) Use audiences to filter intent
Audience signals don’t just report — they inform. Use customer match and CRM lists to bias delivery toward known high-value segments. Apply remarketing lists and in-market audiences to control expansion and observe performance before widening exposure.
5) Apply brand controls
Protect brand intent with brand inclusions and exclusions where appropriate. Brand inclusions limit matches to queries that explicitly mention specified brands; brand exclusions keep your ads from showing on competitor-brand searches that would attract low-value traffic.
6) Monitor the right metrics
Don’t rely on CPC or CPA alone. Track downstream KPIs such as pipeline progression, lead-to-opportunity rate, deal size, and revenue per lead. Use imported offline conversions to close the loop between platform metrics and business outcomes.
7) Scale deliberately
If quality checks validate performance (CRM quality, conversion-to-revenue ratio), scale budgets gradually. Keep shared negatives and audience signals in place and continue the cadence of search term audits.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Optimizing to the wrong conversion: Fix by reconfiguring conversion goals and importing offline results.
- No negative keyword system: Implement shared negative lists from day one and review search terms often.
- Judging success by platform metrics alone: Validate lead quality and revenue impact outside Google Ads.
Putting it together
Broad match with Smart Bidding is not a shortcut — it’s a system. Success requires clear definitions of quality, deliberate intent constraints, and measurement that looks beyond the platform. Used properly, broad match can unlock incremental demand and lower cost per conversion while improving reach. Used casually, it will optimize you into a corner.
For more details and the original analysis, see the Search Engine Land article: https://searchengineland.com/broad-match-control-466444
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