BERT improved keyword matching accuracy
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 5:33 am
The first point Google makes is that its BERT algorithm – used to interpret language, queries and intent in searches – is now applied to keyword matching behavior, making it more predictable and accurate, especially in broad match.
Exact match logic now applies to broad and phrase match
To understand this change, let’s make sure we’re clear on the current logic behind exact match: Back in February’s announcement when Google retired modified broad match, Google shared that it ghana phone number data would now always prefer exact match keywords that are identical to the search query. So, if you were targeting multiple exact match keywords in an ad group, before this update, Google might have chosen an exact match keyword that was slightly different from the search query if it was deemed more relevant to the meaning of that query. It will now prefer the identical exact match keyword.
Now, the same logic applies to broad and phrase match keywords . So, if you don't have an exact match keyword that's identical to the query, but you have broad or phrase match keywords relevant to the query, Google will prioritize broad or phrase match keywords that more closely match the query.
Google Ads
If you have multiple keywords and match types that are relevant [but not identical] to the query, Ad Rank will not be the sole deciding factor.
The last point of the announcement tells us that if your keywords are relevant to the search query, but none of them are identical to it, Google will not use Ad Rank alone when choosing a suitable keyword , but Ad Rank along with other relevance signals . "Other relevance signals" include the meaning and intent of the search term, and the relevance of your target keywords based on their associated landing pages (thanks to BERT).
Exact match logic now applies to broad and phrase match
To understand this change, let’s make sure we’re clear on the current logic behind exact match: Back in February’s announcement when Google retired modified broad match, Google shared that it ghana phone number data would now always prefer exact match keywords that are identical to the search query. So, if you were targeting multiple exact match keywords in an ad group, before this update, Google might have chosen an exact match keyword that was slightly different from the search query if it was deemed more relevant to the meaning of that query. It will now prefer the identical exact match keyword.
Now, the same logic applies to broad and phrase match keywords . So, if you don't have an exact match keyword that's identical to the query, but you have broad or phrase match keywords relevant to the query, Google will prioritize broad or phrase match keywords that more closely match the query.
Google Ads
If you have multiple keywords and match types that are relevant [but not identical] to the query, Ad Rank will not be the sole deciding factor.
The last point of the announcement tells us that if your keywords are relevant to the search query, but none of them are identical to it, Google will not use Ad Rank alone when choosing a suitable keyword , but Ad Rank along with other relevance signals . "Other relevance signals" include the meaning and intent of the search term, and the relevance of your target keywords based on their associated landing pages (thanks to BERT).