Broad vs Phrase vs Exact: The Google Ads Fight That Decides Your CAC

If you’re running Google Ads, you’ve probably seen the options for Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match — but what do they actually mean for your results?

At StacktoSale, we’ve tested all three across different industries, from devtools to SaaS products, and the takeaway is simple: your match type controls who sees your ad — and how efficiently you spend your budget.

Let’s break it down.

🚀 1. Broad Match: Maximum Reach, Minimum Control

Example keyword: ai builder
Your ad could show for:

• “build ai agents”
• “learn ai automation”
• “ai website creator”

How it works:
Google uses signals like user intent, search history, and similar meanings — not just your keywords — to decide when to show your ad.

Pros:
✅ Biggest reach
✅ Finds new, unexpected audiences
✅ Great for testing early campaigns or feeding Performance Max data

Cons:
❌ Can waste budget on irrelevant searches
❌ Harder to control message alignment
❌ Needs tight negative keyword lists and smart conversion tracking

When to use it:
Use Broad Match with automated bidding (like Max Conversions or tCPA) once your pixel data is solid. It’s a discovery engine — not a sniper rifle.

🎯 2. Phrase Match: Balanced Reach + Relevance

Example keyword: "ai builder"
Your ad could show for:

• “best ai builder for startups”
• “ai builder tools”
• But not “ai automation platform”

How it works:
Your ad triggers when a search includes your phrase in the right order, with words before or after it.

Pros:
✅ Strong balance between reach and control
✅ Keeps intent aligned
✅ Easy to manage at scale

Cons:
❌ Can miss related but phrased-differently queries
❌ Still needs regular search term review

When to use it:
Phrase Match is ideal for campaigns that already have some proven keyword intent. Think branded, competitor, or bottom-funnel SaaS terms.

🎯 3. Exact Match: Precision Targeting

Example keyword: [ai builder]
Your ad could show for:

• “ai builder”
• “ai builders”

How it works:
Your ad only appears when the query has the same meaning or close variant of your keyword.

Pros:
✅ Maximum intent alignment
✅ Cleaner performance data
✅ Predictable CPCs and conversion rates

Cons:
❌ Limited reach
❌ Misses new intent variations
❌ Needs larger keyword sets to scale

When to use it:
Use Exact Match for high-intent, proven keywords — when you want control and clear ROI tracking.

🧠 StacktoSale Takeaway

- Broad Match 🔥
• Reach: High
• Control: Low
• Best For: Discovery, feeding PMax

- Phrase Match ⚖️
• Reach: Medium
• Control: Medium
• Best For: Scaled campaigns

- Exact Match 🎯
• Reach: Low
• Control: High
• Best For: Conversion-ready keywords

The best-performing campaigns often mix all three:

• Start Broad to find what converts
• Shift winners into Phrase
• Protect your top performers with Exact

That’s how modern PPC teams train the algorithm while keeping spend efficient.

Ready to scale smarter?
👉 Get a free website audit — and start seeing which match type actually drives revenue, not just clicks.