Tag: amazon match types explained

Amazon ads are powerful. They can take a brand-new product from invisible to best-seller—or eat up your budget with minimal return if used incorrectly.

One of the most overlooked aspects of a successful Amazon Sponsored Products strategy is understanding match types.

Match types determine how your ads are triggered when a customer searches for something on Amazon. If you’re not using them strategically, you might be paying for clicks from shoppers who were never going to buy your product.

In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Amazon PPC match types:

• What match types are and how they work
• The differences between Broad, Phrase, and Exact match
• Pros and cons of each
• When to use each match type in your campaigns
• How to structure and optimize for better performance
• Real-world examples and tips for sellers in 2025

Let’s get into it.

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🎯 What Are Match Types in Amazon PPC?

When you run Sponsored Product campaigns on Amazon, you can target specific keywords you want your ads to show up for.

Match types control how closely a customer’s search must match your keyword in order for your ad to appear.

There are three core match types:

1. Broad Match
2. Phrase Match
3. Exact Match

Each match type gives Amazon a different level of flexibility in triggering your ad.

Think of them as a spectrum:

Match Type	Targeting Control	Traffic Volume	Conversion Accuracy
Broad	Loose	High	Low
Phrase	Medium	Medium	Medium
Exact	Tight	Low	High

Understanding how each one works—and when to use them—is key to building effective, profitable campaigns.

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🔍 1. Broad Match: Cast the Wide Net

How it works:
With Broad Match, Amazon shows your ad when a customer’s search contains any variation of your keyword.

This includes:

• Synonyms
• Plural forms
• Misspellings
• Related words
• Words in any order

Example:

If your Broad Match keyword is running shoes, your ad could appear for:

• “best shoes for jogging”
• “blue men’s running sneakers”
• “women running footwear”

✅ Pros:

• High reach — great for discovery and top-of-funnel targeting
• Helps you find new keyword opportunities
• Good for new campaigns and product launches

❌ Cons:

• Lower conversion rates
• May waste spend on irrelevant traffic
• Requires constant optimization and negative keyword use

When to Use Broad Match:

• Testing phase of a new product
• Trying to uncover new search terms
• You have a strong budget and want wide exposure
• You’re running auto campaigns (which function like Broad Match)

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💬 2. Phrase Match: Balanced & Targeted

How it works:
Phrase Match shows your ad when a customer’s search includes your keyword in the exact order, but can have words before or after.

Example:

If your Phrase Match keyword is running shoes, your ad could appear for:

• “best running shoes for women”
• “cheap running shoes”
• “running shoes size 10”

But not for:

• “shoes for running”
• “running and walking shoes”

✅ Pros:

• More relevant traffic than Broad
• Still offers decent volume
• Good balance between discovery and control

❌ Cons:

• Less reach than Broad
• Still requires monitoring search terms
• May miss valuable searches with different phrasing

When to Use Phrase Match:

• You’ve already identified a good set of converting search phrases
• You want moderate control without going full Exact
• You want to test keywords that are too competitive for Exact
• You’re scaling campaigns and optimizing for ACoS

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🔐 3. Exact Match: Precision Targeting

How it works:
Exact Match shows your ad only when the customer’s search is exactly your keyword—with no other words added (minor variations like plural/singular or punctuation may still trigger).

Example:

If your Exact Match keyword is running shoes, your ad will show for:

• “running shoes”
• “Running Shoes”
• Maybe “running shoe” (plural variation)

But not for:

• “best running shoes”
• “running shoes for women”
• “cheap running shoes”

✅ Pros:

• Highly relevant traffic
• Better conversion rates
• More control over spend
• Lower ACoS (if keyword performs well)

❌ Cons:

• Limited reach
• May miss traffic from long-tail variations
• Can be expensive if targeting competitive terms

When to Use Exact Match:

• You know exactly what keywords convert
• You want to protect branded keywords
• You’re optimizing for profitability
• You’re running a remarketing strategy or retargeting best sellers

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🧠 How to Use Match Types Together

The best Amazon advertisers don’t choose just one match type—they build structured campaigns that use all three strategically.

Here’s a basic structure that works well:

🔄 3-Campaign Funnel Approach

1. Broad Match Campaign (Discovery):
   • Use broad match keywords to collect data
   • Add new converting terms to your Phrase/Exact campaigns
   • Monitor carefully and use negative keywords to eliminate waste
2. Phrase Match Campaign (Refinement):
   • Take your top-performing broad keywords
   • Run them in phrase match to get more targeted traffic
   • Continue testing search term variations
3. Exact Match Campaign (Scaling):
   • Use your best-converting keywords only
   • Set higher bids to maintain visibility
   • Lower ACoS and drive consistent performance

This structure gives you data, control, and scalability all at once.

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🚫 Don’t Forget Negative Keywords!

As you expand your campaigns, you’ll want to exclude irrelevant search terms—especially in Broad and Phrase campaigns.

Examples:

• If you sell premium running shoes, add “cheap” or “discount” as a negative
• If your product is for men, add “women” or “kids” as negatives
• Exclude competitor brand names if you don’t want to compete on price

Use Amazon’s Search Term Report to see what shoppers are typing—and add negative keywords weekly.

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🧪 Real-World Example: Match Types in Action

Let’s say you sell a product called “Organic Protein Powder.”

Broad Match:

• Ads show for: “best vegan powder,” “organic muscle shake,” “post workout nutrition”

✅ Good for discovering new search terms
❌ Risky if you don’t monitor closely

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Phrase Match:

• Ads show for: “organic protein powder,” “organic protein powder for men,” “cheap organic protein powder”

✅ Good balance of control and reach
❌ May miss traffic like “plant-based organic powder”

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Exact Match:

• Ads show only for: “organic protein powder”

✅ High intent and high conversion
❌ Limited volume unless keyword is a top performer

Strategy:
Start with broad match to find converting terms. Then move them into phrase and exact match campaigns with tailored bids and more control.

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🔄 Ongoing Optimization Tips

Match types are not “set it and forget it.” You need to review performance regularly.

• Monitor ACoS and ROAS for each match type
• Use the Search Term Report weekly
• Adjust bids based on keyword performance
• Add new high-performing search terms into Exact campaigns
• Pause or lower bids on poor performers
• Use negative keyword lists across multiple campaigns

A/B testing with placement adjustments (Top of Search vs. Rest of Search) can also reveal where your match types perform best.

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✍️ Final Thoughts: Mastering Match Types = Mastering Amazon Ads

Understanding how Broad, Phrase, and Exact match types work—and how to use them strategically—is one of the most important skills for Amazon advertisers in 2025.

Used correctly, match types help you:

• Lower ACoS
• Improve conversions
• Scale campaigns profitably
• Target the right shoppers at the right time
• Take control of your keyword strategy

Remember, it’s not about choosing one match type over the others—it’s about using each one at the right stage of your ad funnel.

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✅ Quick Recap: When to Use Each Match Type

Match Type	Best For	Strategy
Broad	Discovery, keyword mining	Use with low bids + negatives
Phrase	Mid-funnel optimization	Refine top keywords
Exact	High-converting keyword scaling	Boost top terms with confidence

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Need help setting up or optimizing your Amazon PPC campaigns?
At Marketplace Valet, we help brands run smarter, leaner, and more profitable advertising on Amazon—with full-funnel keyword strategy and conversion-focused listing support.

📩 Let’s talk about building the right match-type strategy for your brand.

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