Keyword Targets
Keyword targeting allows you to target specific keywords that you want your ads to show for. For example if we were selling wireless headphones we could use keywords like "bluetooth headphones" or "iphone headphones".
Availability
Keyword targeting is available for the following ad types:
| Ad Type | Keyword Targeting |
|---|---|
| Sponsored Products | ✔ |
| Sponsored Brands | ✔ |
| Sponsored Display | ❌ |
Match Types
Keyword targets have something called match types. Match types allow you to control how closely a keyword needs to match the search term in order for your ad to show. There are 3 match types: Exact, Phrase and Broad.
Exact Match
Exact match is the most restrictive match type. It will only match if the search term exactly matches your keyword.
That means it must be all of the exact words, in the exact order, with no additional words. Sort of.
The only exception to this is for mispellings, plurals and other close variations.
Here are some examples:
| Keyword | Search Term | Match? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth headphones | ✔ | perfect match |
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth headphone | ✔ | plural |
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth head phones | ✔ | mispelling |
| bluetooth headphones | blutooth headphones | ✔ | mispelling |
| bluetooth headphones | headphones bluetooth | ❌ | wrong order |
| bluetooth headphones | headphones | ❌ | missing word |
| bluetooth headphones | waterproof bluetooth headphones | ❌ | extra word |
At one time mispellings were not matched for exact match keywords. This resulted in it being common practice to include mispellings and plurals in a keyword list. That is no longer necessary. Amazon now has an algorithm to match mispellings and plurals for exact match keywords.
The following prepositions are completely ignored for all match types: the, of, when, and, if.
Phrase Match
Phrase match is less restrictive than exact match. It requires that all of the words in your keyword are present in the search term, in the same order, but it allows additional words to be present.
| Keyword | Search Term | Match? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth headphones | ✔ | perfect match |
| bluetooth headphones | waterproof bluetooth headphones | ✔ | required terms present + in order |
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth wireless headphone | ✔ | required terms present + in order |
| bluetooth headphones | waterproof headphones | ❌ | required term missing |
| bluetooth headphones | headphones bluetooth | ❌ | required terms wrong order |
Broad Match
Broad match is the least restrictive match type. It will allow for your terms to be in any order, will allow synonyms and will allow for additional words to be present. It does however still require that all of the words (or synonyms thereof) in your keyword are present.
| Keyword | Search Term | Match? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth headphones | ✔ | perfect match |
| bluetooth headphones | wireless headphones | ✔ | wireless/bluetooth synonym |
| bluetooth headphones | purple headphones waterproof wireless | ✔ | required terms/synonyms present |
| bluetooth headphones | bluetooth | ❌ | required term missing |
| bluetooth headphones | backpack | ❌ | completely unrelated |
One the one hand board match keywords can be very useful for discovering new keywords, as they will match with a broad range of search terms that you hadn't considered. On the other hand they can also be very dangerous as they can match with completely unrelated search terms.
When using broad match keywords it is important to monitor your search term reports and add negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing for unrelated search terms.
Additionally you should always use at least two words. Take the following scenario where we use just the term bluetooth with broad match:
| Keyword | Search Term | Match? |
|---|---|---|
| bluetooth | bluetooth receiver | ✔ |
| bluetooth | bluetooth remote | ✔ |
| bluetooth | bluetooth tripod | ✔ |
| bluetooth | wireless wifi router | ✔ |
| bluetooth | wireless printer | ✔ |
| bluetooth | wireless keyboard | ✔ |
The range of search terms that this keyword will match with is so broad that it is almost useless. It will match with a lot of search terms that are completely unrelated to bluetooth headphones.
Broad match keywords are not recommended for beginners. They can be very useful for experienced advertisers, but they require a lot of monitoring and maintenance.
Long Tail vs Short Tail
When discussing keywords you will often hear the terms long tail and short tail.
Short tail keywords are keywords that are short and general. For example headphones or wireless headphones.
Long tail keywords are keywords that are longer and more specific. For example bass heavy wireless headphones or waterproof wireless headphones for running.
As a general rule of thumb, short tail keywords will have a higher search volume and a lower conversion rate. Long tail keywords will have a lower search volume and a higher conversion rate.
Additionally long tail keywords will often be cheaper than short tail keywords.
One of the most common mistakes that new advertisers make is to only use short tail keywords. This can result in a low conversion rate, and inability to reach profitability.
A basic campaign optimization strategy is to start with short tail keywords. This will allow you to get some initial data from your short tail keywords and then use that data to find long tail keywords that are more specific and less competitive.