Using Broad Match Modifiers in Bing Ads – Tips from a Bing Ads Pro

Nancy McCord is the founder and President of McCord Web Services LLC which provides Bing Ads account set up and management. Since 2001, Nancy McCord has developed a reputation as an expert on how businesses can promote their services on the Web using pay per click services. You can visit Nancy and her firm at www.McCordWeb.com. Connect with her @mccordweb on Twitter and on Facebook - Simone

Bing Ads has recently added a new keyword match type and I routinely use this new match type called “broad match modifier” in nearly all of my client campaigns. Here’s why and how you can use it too to help your client programs be more fruitful in regards to lead conversion.

Broad Match Modifyer  - The benefits of broad match with more control

What Does a Broad Match Modifier Look Like?

First, a broad match modifier looks different than other keywords and keyword phrases you would routinely use in your account. Any word that must appear in a user’s search query phrase, to have your client’s ads shown, is preceded by a +. Here’s one example. Let’s say I am promoting chimney cleaning services for a client who only services Gaithersburg, Maryland residents, one of my search phrases using a broad match modifier might look like this: +chimney +cleaning +Gaithersburg.

Why Consider Using a Broad Match Modifier versus Regular Broad Match

1. You get greater control on when your ad shows when you are using a broad match modifier than with regular broad match keywords.
   
   
2. You can choose which words in your query should be exact matches with a query. Consider this example cleaning +chimney +Gaithersburg. Note how cleaning does not have a + in front. Bing Ads could potentially show cleaning synonyms like sweeping or clean with my other broad match modifier specifications.
   
   
3. Where broad match keywords may generate too many impressions or ring up an ad spend bill, broad match modifiers focus activity on keywords you consider important to generating lead conversions.
   
   
4. Using broad match modifiers on location specific programs for local businesses help to refine searches. This is especially true if you are testing a location specific campaign but with statewide targeting; if you suspect an Internet Service provider of returning a different user location that would be outside of your targeted area.

Top Tips and Troubleshooting

Here are some of my top tips when it comes to using broad match modifiers.

1. If your client is selling in a specific state, city, or county area try using your top one or two keywords with a location name as a broad match modifier keyword. This is particularly helpful if you are targeting a Nielsen metro area but your client does not service the full area. By using a broad match modifier keyword phrase that includes a location you will filter impressions to show ads to potential customers that have a greater possibility of becoming buyers.
   
   
2. Remember when you are using radius targeting for your campaign, you will typically not need to add location specific keywords. Broad match modifiers may be best used in larger areas such as metro regions and state campaigns.
   
   
3. Broad match modifiers will limit your impression traffic. Usually I will run multiple campaigns in one region with a variety of match types. For example, I may use a state or region level campaign with only broad match modifiers as a break out program with location specific keywords at the same time I am running a campaign with broad and phrase match keywords using with a 20 mile radius setting.
   
   
4. For ecommerce stores, on the top categories and products, I like to use broad match modifier keywords that include +price, +purchase, +quote, +bid, +purchase, and/or +find.
   
   
5. It is not unusual for me to create multiple ad groups for a client with one ad group being only broad match modifier keywords as a test to identify where the traffic is so I can build on the successes of a program.
   
   
6. If your impression numbers are high and your click through rate is low, look carefully at your modifiers, you may need to remove one like +reviews or +price and focus mainly on +buy or +purchase.
   
   
7. Make sure as you review your reports on keyword activity and that you still work to create an exhaustive list of negative keywords. The Search Query Performance report is a great one to run and review as you identify which keywords are generating the most impressions but not conversions in your account. In this report look for areas you don’t service and informational how to type queries that you want to try to filter out using negative keywords. This report may actually also give you some additional ideas for new broad match modifier keywords.

Try It You Might Just Like It

It is not hard to try out broad match modifiers in your client’s campaign. If you are just getting started and you don’t have any broad match keywords in your client account and are only using phrase and exact match types, try adding broad match modifiers for your top keywords in your account for the last 30 days. For your top keywords, add variations such as +buy, +price, +shop, +purchase to qualify your targeted market even further.

Although broad match modifiers won’t always replace broad match keywords or negative keywords that you will want to put in your account, I consider them a wonderful bridge between full broad match and phrase match; giving me an opportunity for more impressions and click activity as I refine what works to generate leads for a client’s account.