The Keyword Match Types for Amazon Advertising

Just like traditional pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, Amazon uses keyword match types to control which customer search terms your ads will appear for. These match types give you flexibility in how broad or narrow your targeting is, depending on your campaign goals.

Different match types help you to create different results and objectives.

The 3 Keyword Match Types on Amazon

Amazon offers three keyword match types:

Each match type serves a different purpose and can help you achieve different advertising objectives.

Exact Match

With exact match, your ad will only appear if a customer’s search term matches your keyword exactly, or is a very close variation. If your keyword contains multiple words, they must appear in the exact order.

For example, if your keyword is “blue jumper”:

→ Appears for: “blue jumper”, “blue jumpers”

→ Doesn’t appear for: “jumper blue”, “mens blue jumper”

This match type is ideal when you want to target highly relevant, specific searches.

Phrase Match

Phrase match allows your ad to appear when the customer’s search term includes your exact keyword (or close variations) in the same order, but can also include extra words before or after the phrase.

Using the same keyword “blue jumper”:

→ Appears for: “blue jumper”, “womens blue jumper”

→ Doesn’t appear for: “blue sports jumper” (extra word in the middle), “red jumper” (keyword not fully matched)

Phrase match is great for expanding reach while keeping the core phrase intact.

Broad Match

Broad match is the most flexible. Your ad can show when a customer’s search includes all the words in your keyword, or close variations, in any order, and can also include additional words.

If your keyword is “blue jumper”:

→ Appears for: “blue jumper for men”, “mens blue comfy jumper”, “blue and red jumper”

→ Doesn’t appear for: “red jumper for women” (missing “blue”)

Broad match helps you cast a wider net and discover new keyword opportunities while maintaining relevance.

Negative Keywords

Negative keywords help you exclude irrelevant traffic. Amazon allows two types of negative match types:

Negative Exact Match: Your ad won't appear if the search term matches the keyword exactly or is a close variation.
Negative Phrase Match: Your ad won't appear if the search term contains your keyword phrase or a close variation.

Note: Amazon does not support negative broad match.

Broad Match vs. Automatic Campaigns

Many new advertisers often get broad match and automatic campaigns confused due to the large number of keywords that these can target.

It’s important to note that, when it comes to keyword targeting, automatic campaigns identify potentially relevant keywords by using your listing content and related customer searches.

Broad match types help you to identify more keywords whilst retaining control over the type of keywords that you are focusing on.

Final Thoughts

Each keyword match type on Amazon has its strengths. Use them strategically to structure your campaigns, explore new search terms, and control ad relevance. Pairing the right match type with the right objective is key to PPC success.

Need support managing your Amazon ads from leading experts? Get in touch today!