Broad Match Is Draining Your Budget: How to Take Back Control

Broad match used to mean your ads showed for searches containing your keywords in any order. That was already loose. But since 2021, Google has expanded broad match to include what they call “related searches” — and the definition of “related” gets wider every year.

In 2026, broad match uses Google's AI to interpret the “intent” behind your keyword and match it to searches Google considers related. The problem is that Google's AI is very generous with what it considers related — because more matches means more clicks, and more clicks means more revenue for Google.

Google tells you broad match “uses AI to find the right audiences.” What they don't tell you is that their AI is optimised for Google's goals (more clicks), not yours (more conversions).

These are real examples from accounts we've audited:

• Keyword: “employment lawyer London”
  Matched to: “employment law degree courses UK,” “HR consultant near me,” “free employment advice ACAS”
• Keyword: “commercial cleaning services”
  Matched to: “cleaning jobs near me,” “how to start a cleaning business,” “cleaning products wholesale”
• Keyword: “accountant small business”
  Matched to: “free accounting software,” “bookkeeping courses online,” “HMRC self assessment deadline”
• Keyword: “wedding photographer”
  Matched to: “photography courses for beginners,” “camera equipment sale,” “free stock photos wedding”

In every case, the business paid for clicks from people who would never become customers. In the employment lawyer example, 43% of the monthly budget went to irrelevant searches. That's thousands of pounds per month — gone.

1. Go to Keywords in your Google Ads account. Add the “Match type” column if it's not visible.
2. Sort by cost (highest first). Identify which of your top-spending keywords are broad match.
3. For each broad match keyword, check the Search Terms report. Click on the keyword, then click “Search terms” to see what actual searches triggered your ad.
4. Calculate the waste. What percentage of search terms are irrelevant? Multiply that by the keyword's total spend to estimate wasted budget.

For a quick estimate, use our Wasted Spend Calculator. For a thorough audit, request a free Wasted Spend Analysis.

Phrase match (“your keyword”) shows your ads for searches that include the meaning of your keyword. The core intent must be present. This is the best default for most businesses — it gives you reasonable reach while keeping traffic relevant.

Exact match ([your keyword]) shows your ads only for searches with the same meaning as your keyword, including close variants. This gives you the tightest control but the lowest reach. Best for your highest-value, highest-converting keywords.

The practical approach: Use phrase match as your default. Use exact match for your top 5-10 converting keywords where you want maximum control. Only use broad match if you have 50+ conversions/month, extensive negative keyword lists, and time to review search terms weekly.

Broad match isn't always bad. It can work well when:

• You have 50+ conversions/month and use Target CPA or Target ROAS bidding — Google's algorithm has enough data to optimise effectively
• You have a comprehensive negative keyword list that blocks obvious waste
• You review search terms daily (not weekly) and add negatives aggressively
• You're in a discovery phase deliberately looking for new keyword ideas
• Your products/services are broad enough that related searches are genuinely relevant

If fewer than three of these apply to you, phrase match is the better choice. The risk-reward ratio of broad match only favours businesses with high conversion volume and active management.