Intro — Broad Match Isn’t the “Wild West” Anymore
If you ran Google Ads five years ago, you probably avoided Broad Match as if it were poison. And honestly? Back then, it kinda was. You’d bid on “plumber near me,” and somehow your ad would show up for “how to become a plumber” or “best plumber Halloween costumes” (yes, that one’s real).
But Google has changed a lot since then. Broad Match today isn’t the wild, unhinged version from 2017. It’s more… thoughtful. Smarter. Still imperfect, but not the “burn your wallet in 24 hours” type of thing anymore.
The trick is understanding how Google decides which search terms to match your ads to. And it all comes down to three major signals. These signals are basically Google’s way of saying, “Look, I’m not guessing randomly — I’m making choices based on what I know.”
Let’s talk about those signals like real humans, not like a Google Help Center article.
Why Google Even Uses Signals in the First Place
Here’s the blunt truth: Google wants your ads to match the RIGHT searches because that’s how Google keeps making money. If advertisers keep wasting money on garbage clicks, they leave. So Google uses signals to reduce stupid matches.
Think of these signals like filters. Instead of matching your keyword directly to whatever search looks similar, Google looks at:
- What the user means,
- What your website is offering, and
- What your account has historically cared about.
It’s Google saying, “Okay, let me try to make an educated guess here.”
Now let’s break down the three signals — in real English.
Signal #1: User Intent (the real reason broad match works)
This is the big one. Google has gotten insanely good at understanding WHAT someone wants, not just what they type.
For example:
A user searches for “fix leaking shower cheap”.
Google knows this person wants a plumber — not tutorials, not DIY guides, not a new shower head.
So even though the search isn’t anywhere close to the keyword “plumber,” Google may show a plumber ad if the intent aligns.
Another example — someone types:
“best local painter for outside house”
Even though your keyword is “exterior painting company,” Google considers the intent close enough.
It’s kind of like Google saying, “Alright, I know what they really meant.”
But here’s the part most guides never mention:
Broad Match is ONLY as smart as your campaign structure.
If you target the wrong audience, Google won’t magically fix it.
Intent helps — but only when the advertiser sets the correct boundaries.
Signal #2: Your Landing Page (Google peers at your website more than you think)
Most business owners don’t realize how much Google reads their websites. Not just the homepage — EVERYTHING.
Google looks at:
- The words on your landing page,
- the headings,
- The images you name,
- The services you mention,
- Even synonyms.
If your landing page says things like:
- “interior painting”
- “drywall repair”
- “kitchen cabinet repainting,”
Google will naturally try to match searches related to these topics.
If you don’t even SAY “painting” on your page?
Google hesitates.
This is one reason why some ads get weird matches — the landing page sends mixed signals.
Example:
A painter once asked me why he kept showing up for “handyman near me.”
We checked his landing page. He had a section titled “handyman services” because he “did odd jobs sometimes.”
Google wasn’t being dumb.
It was being too logical.
Signal #3: Your Account History & Assets (Google uses your past to make future guesses)
Imagine teaching a dog tricks. The more time you spend, the better the dog learns how you behave. Google Ads works the same way.
Your account history tells Google things like:
- What types of users convert for you
- Which locations give you quality traffic
- Which search terms bring real leads
- Which devices bring better results
- How people interact with your ads
If you’ve been running campaigns for months or years, Google has a TON of data to help Broad Match behave.
But if your account is brand new?
Google is basically like,
“Uh… okay… I’ll try my best, but I’m kinda guessing here.”
This is also why big agencies often rave about Broad Match, while small businesses sometimes dislike it — their accounts have deeper data pools.
Putting the Three Signals Together (how they behave in the real world)
These three signals don’t work in isolation; they overlap constantly.
Imagine someone searches:
“Fix peeling home paint fast.”
Google considers:
User Intent:
This person wants a painter ASAP.
Landing Page:
Your site mentions “peeling paint repair,” “exterior painting,” and “fast turnaround.”
Account History:
Your past conversions came from people searching for urgent painting-related issues.
Google goes:
“Yep. This advertiser is a good match. Show the ad.”
Now imagine your landing page didn’t mention peeling paint at all.
Or your past leads came from “interior painting only.”
Google might hold back.
It’s not magic.
It’s data piled on top of more data, trying to make the safest call.
A Real Example — Broad Match Done Wrong vs Done Right
Broad Match Done WRONG:
A home renovation company used the keyword:
renovation contractor
Google (quite logically) matched them to:
- “bathroom DIY ideas”
- “cheap contractor classes”
- “home improvement TV shows”
- “construction jobs hiring.”
The business owner freaked out.
Rightfully so.
Why did this happen?
The landing page mentioned “DIY help.”
Account history had job applicants clicking ads.
The intent wasn’t clear.
Google wasn’t wrong — it was confused.
Broad Match Done RIGHT:
A painting contractor used:
house painters
Landing page included precise terms:
- interior painting
- exterior painting
- siding painting
- deck staining
- free estimate
- licensed & insured
Account history had several months of clean conversions.
Google matched them to:
- “exterior painting near me”
- “cost to paint a house.”
- “house painter quote.”
- “local home painter”
See the difference?
The advertiser trained Google.
How to Use Broad Match Without Burning Money
Here’s the human truth:
Broad Match is incredible when everything else is set up right…
And a disaster when it’s not.
Here’s what you need to make it work:
- Smart Bidding (Target CPA or Max Conversions)
- A strong landing page
- A solid negative keyword list
- Clear geographic targeting
- Conversion tracking is actually working.
If you skip any of these?
Google guesses — and not always well.
When You Should NOT Use Broad Match
Broad Match is not for you if you have zero conversion data.
- Your landing page is unclear.
You’re in a niche with expensive clicks.s - You have a tiny budget.t
- You’re terrified of Google experimenting (it will)
Start with phrase match.
Move to broad when you’re comfortable.
Final Thoughts — Broad Match Is a Tool, Not Magic
Broad Match gets a bad reputation mostly because people misunderstand how it decides things.
When you know the three signals —
- User Intent
- Landing Page Content
- Account History
— The whole thing suddenly makes sense.
Google isn’t guessing.
It’s connecting dots.
Your job is to give it the right dots to connect. Set up your campaign right, tighten your website message, build clean conversion data…
And Broad Match stops being scary and starts becoming your best lead generator. Not sure where to start or how to improve your online presence? Reach out to Codevelop and get expert guidance to grow your brand with confidence.
