Table of Contents
Which Keyword Match Type Shows for Misspellings and Close Variations?
Learn which keyword match type allows your ad to show for close variations, including misspellings. Discover how Exact Match protects your budget while capturing user intent.
Question
Which keyword match type allows your ad to show for close variations of your target keyword, including misspellings and related searches?
A. Phrase Match
B. Exact Match
C. Broad Match
D. Negative Match
Answer
B. Exact Match
Explanation
While the wording in Google’s documentation has evolved, the exact match type in Google Ads allows your ad to show only when a user’s search query has the same exact meaning or intent as your target keyword. Crucially, Google’s modern exact match is no longer strictly verbatim; it automatically includes “close variants” such as misspellings, singular/plural forms, abbreviations, reordered words (if the meaning doesn’t change), and very close synonyms. While broad match and phrase match also trigger for misspellings, exact match is the specific match type defined by showing only for the exact keyword and its immediate close variations/misspellings without allowing broader topical drift.