Posts Tagged ‘Match Type’

It still seems like most people are unfamiliar with Google’s Search Query Report. It is a useful report used to see what your users are actually typing into the search box. Often times with so many match types from Broad to Phrase to Advance (yahoo) you will find that there are numerous keywords people are using to find your ad or site that you may not have on your keyword list. This tool is useful discovering new keywords, creating a negative keyword list, and gauging the performance of specific search queries.

Though it has been around for a while, this report is still novel to most people. However there has been a lot more talk about the fact that a search query report is available for Yahoo. This is huge news because Yahoo’s “advanced” match has been quite a mystery for some time. How does it advanced match work in Yahoo? How specific do they target other keywords? What algorithm do they use to match your keyword to other similar keyword types? By obtaining a Yahoo Search Query report, you can find out pretty quickly.

Where is the Report? I don’t see it.

Where is the Yahoo Search Query report? The thing is, you won’t be able find it in your UI. You have to go through your account rep. Not only that your account has to have enough spend so that it will be qualified for the higher service.

Here is one account of their experience in obtaining the Search Query Report.

“I was bidding on a very long tail term – a four phrase term (Note: which included the term “online” in the query) and according to my Yahoo Search Query report I was being Advanced Matched to the term: “Online”.

Yes, you read that correctly, my ads were actually showing for the term online – a long tail term nonetheless was triggering my ad to appear when someone searched for the term “online”. Just writing this brings back the heart palpitations.To pour salt on this wound, the client the report was pulled for was in a very competitive PPC landscape where each click had the potential to spend up to $10. ” - “thinkseer.com”

This is quite alarming but not surprising by all means. Search Engines have always been very “generous” in their matching. It makes sense as a little tweak could mean millions in profits.

What should I do then?

I highly suggest that those who have a large amount of spend in their accounts (over 20K/mon) and have premium reps start asking your reps about these reports and take a look. Find those keyterms that do not do well and add negative keywords as you see fit. This will help dramatically help your conversion rates as well as your click thru rate which will also directly help with your quality score.

Paul LeeSr. Manager of Web MarketingLeadQual