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Google’s keyword match types ensure that the money you spend on your Google Ad campaigns is well spent, ensuring you don’t waste money drawing in unqualified traffic that is not likely to do business with you.
Read on to learn more about the different keyword match types for PPC ads, the type of traffic they generate, and how to use them.

Keyword Match Types
There are four different keyword match types for Google Ads: broad match, phrase match, exact match, and negative match. The image below shows the syntax for using each type, what queries your ad will appear in for each, and the search terms that would surface your ads.

Below we’ll go in-depth into each type, and provide context for how each one shows up in search results.
1. Broad Match
A broad keyword match is when your ads show in search results for queries related to the meaning of your keywords but don’t necessarily contain the exact terms. It’s the default type for Google Ads and works best with smart bidding. The syntax is to write out your keyword.
If your keyword is iPhone case, your ad could show up in queries for apple phone case and best iPhone case for kids, and phone case.
A broad keyword match helps you reach a wide audience, but your visitors are unrefined as the terms they search for are related to your keyword. However, to ensure traffic is somewhat related, Google will also take into account a user’s search activities, the content on your landing page, and other keywords in your ad group.
2. Phrase Match
A phrase match surfaces your ads in queries that have the same meaning as your keyword or more specific forms of your keyword. Words can be added before or after your keyword, but not between. The syntax is to place quotes around your target word, like “keyword.”
If your phrase match keyword is “iPhone case,” you could show up in queries for buy iPhone case, blue iPhone case, iPhone case sale.
Using phrase match puts your ads in front of a smaller audience, but they are only shown in searches that include what your ad is for, so audiences are more refined. Note that modified broad match was discontinued in 2021 and its parameters were added to phrase match criteria.
Broad Match vs. Phrase Match
The key difference between broad and phrase match is that phrase match reaches fewer audiences but traffic is more qualified for what you’re offering, while broad matches reach a wider audience, but searchers may not necessarily be looking for exactly what you’re selling.
So, if your search term is iPhone and you use broad match type, your ad would show if a user searched iPhone case, apple phone case, or iPhone 11 case, but if you used a phrase match your ad would only show for iPhone case.

3. Exact Match
An exact match is the opposite of broad match, and your ads only show in queries for the same exact meaning or intent of your keyword. This can include singular or plural forms, misspellings, abbreviations, and accents.
With this type, you’ll get more refined visitors to your site, but you’ll have less reach. The syntax is to place your keyword in square brackets, so [keyword].
If your keyword is [iPhone case], your ad would show in queries for iPhone case, case iPhone, and iPhone cases.
4. Negative Keyword Match Types
Negative keywords are used to exclude your ads from specific queries to help you focus on reaching the right users. Your ads will show for relevant terms, but not for the exact term you’ve written.

There are three different types of negative keywords: negative broad match, negative phrase match, and negative exact match. We’ll discuss them below.
1. Negative Broad Match
A negative broad match is the default negative keyword. Your ads won’t appear if the query contains all of the terms you’ve selected, no matter the order. The syntax is to simply write your keyword.
Google uses running shoes keyword as an example and says your ads would show in queries for blue tennis shoes and running shoes, but would not show for blue running shoes, shoes running, or running shoes.
2. Negative Phrase Match
Negative phrase match keywords won’t surface your ads in queries that contain the exact keywords you’ve given in the exact same order. If the query includes additional words, your ads won’t show either if the order is the same as the keyword you’ve set. The syntax is to write your keywords in quotes.
If your keyword is “running shoes”, your ad would show in searches for blue tennis shoes, running shoe, and shoes running, but wouldn’t show for blue running shoes.
3. Negative Exact Match
Negative exact match will exclude your ads in queries that contain your exact keyword in the exact order you set, without any extra words. The syntax is to write your keyword in brackets.
According to Google, your ad would show for blue tennis shoes, running shoe, blue running shoes, shoes running, not for running shoes.
Use keyword match types to maximize the ROI of your PPC ads.
Using the right keyword match type ensures the money you spend on Google Ad campaigns helps you bring in the right type of traffic, which makes you more likely to attract a new customer, drive a sale, and maximize ROI.

If you’re asking “what is a page title in SEO?” and wondering how it can work for you, you’re not alone.
Whether you write your page title first or save the best for last, your business relies on the impact of a great headline.
After all, over 50% of shoppers use Google to discover or find new brands. If they’re researching online, your audience is scanning to find what they’re looking for. So, let’s talk about how page titles impact SEO.

Many experts say that the page title is an important on-page factor for SEO. But which page title are they talking about?
In this post, we’ll cover:

What Is a Page Title in SEO?
Why Are Page Titles Important for SEO?
Page Title SEO Examples
How to Create SEO Page Titles That Stand Out

Before we dig into the details, let’s talk about the terms we’re using.
A title tag is what’s going to show up in the browser tab and (most likely) the search engine results pages (SERPs).

If your main goal is improving your click-through rate (CTR), this is a great resource to learn more about optimizing your title tags.
H1 is an HTML heading, and it’s usually the largest and most important heading on a web page. The page title appears on the page itself and is often denoted using H1 style coding.

So, a page title could refer to either the title tag or the H1, depending on where you publish your website content. Other phrases that you may see instead of “page title” include:

Browser title
SEO title
Blog title

This can be confusing. If you’re new to search engine optimization, it’s probably part of the reason why you’re asking about page titles in SEO.
For clarity, in this article we’ll use “page title” to talk about H1s, and “title tag” when talking about the title in the SERPs.
As you keep reading, keep in mind that what you call the page title is less important than what it can do.

Why Are Page Titles Important for SEO?
If page titles don’t show up on SERPs directly, why are they important for SEO? Because a strong page title can improve SEO on your site and improve the user experience because of its prominence on the page.
The page title sits at the top of the post. It can tell your reader what your post is about and draw them into reading the full article.
The page title has the power to lure and entice readers without having to compete with ads, snippets, and featured images the way that the title tag does.
There are a few other reasons that your page title is important for search engine optimization.
1. Page titles help users and search engines understand what your page is about.
According to Search Engine Journal, Google uses the page title to find out the content and structure of the page. This information relates directly to page rank.
Your page title helps search engines decide if your web page satisfies search intent. It can more completely answer a user’s question.
2. They reassure users that they’ve found what they’re searching for.
While title tags tell users what a page contains, this tag doesn’t appear on the page. So, the page title confirms that they are in the right place. This creates a better experience for the people visiting your site. Google’s guidelines also say that user experience is a ranking factor.
3. A page title can confirm page content if Google revises your title tag.

Google doesn’t always use the title tag to generate the title that you see in the SERPs, and your page title is another way that you can tell readers and search engines what your page is about.
4. They keep readers engaged and on your page.
A great page title can help cut down bounce rates and increase time on the page. This is because a visitor who quickly finds what they are looking for on your site is more likely to engage with your post by clicking to other pages on your site and to spend more time reading your content.
While this data isn’t a direct ranking factor, both low bounce rates and dwell time are important for SEO because they show Google that your page contains high-quality content.

Page Title SEO Examples
In these examples, you can see major differences between the page title and title tag.
1.Copyblogger
This page title from Copyblogger leads you into their article by pinpointing an important what and when.

The title tag is missing the when, but its inclusion in the page title will ensure that this page shows up in the right SERPs.

2. Ahrefs
This title tag from Ahrefs uses the term “beginner’s guide” to stand out in the SERPs.

They simplify the offer once you click on the article.

3. Essence
This page title stands out on the SERPs with fun adjectives that show what makes this listicle unique.

Once readers click into the page, Essence expands the title to emphasize the fun, summery vibe.

4. Fast Company
This title tag stands out because it targets a problem and how to solve it.

Fast Company adds 2022 to the page title to show freshness. They also use a story in the subheading to draw readers into their content.

Now, you might be wondering, “How can I get started?” Below, let’s review the best practices to keep in mind when writing SEO page titles.

How to Create SEO Page Titles That Stand Out
1. Include relevant keywords.
While you don’t want to stuff your page titles with keywords, it’s still a good idea to include your primary keyword.
If you can, putting it near the front can help search engines and users figure out what your page is about quickly.
If you can’t include your primary keyword, you should try to include a variant of your keyword that satisfies search intent.
2. Write for the user.
Your content should be written for the reader, not for the search engine.
This means that your page title should offer something useful to your reader. Usually this will be information that helps them better understand a problem or brings them closer to a solution. You might also want to spark their emotions.
3. Try long sentences, but pay attention to length.
If you’re using competitive keywords, a long headline is often more effective. In fact, according to a Backlinko content study from 2020, 14-17 word headlines bring 76.7% more social shares than short headlines.
Page titles don’t have the strict character limits that keep a title tag from getting cut off in the SERPs. While you don’t need to worry about Google cutting your title off, for a page title to be useful for SEO it should still stick to around 60-70 characters.
Your page title should be long enough to entice the reader, but short enough to make the meaning and purpose of the page clear to both users and search engines.
4. Don’t be repetitive or stuff keywords.
Your page titles shouldn’t include multiple versions of the same keyword phrases.
A great example of a bad page title is “Toaster, toaster oven, kitchen toaster, college toaster, 8 slice toaster, bagel toaster | Chris’ Toaster Emporium”.
Titles like this promote worst practices and often lead to having the same page titles used across most (if not all) of the pages on your site.
Plus, it doesn’t help users understand what’s on the page.
5. Don’t put your company name at the front.
In most cases, your website will already rank high for your company name.
Leverage the fact that search engines give more weight to the words that appear at the beginning of a page title. Form your titles using your keyword phrases first, and then your company name if it makes sense.
6. Be specific.
Every page on your site should have a specific purpose. It’s easy to create a unique page title for a blog. But ecommerce and business sites often run into repetition.

Unique page titles help prevent traffic cannibalization. Cannibalizing happens when two pages from the same domain rank for the same keyword and are stealing traffic from each other. With unique page titles, you’re less likely to create pages that Google believes are serving the same keywords.
To improve your page titles, think about the specifics of the page in front of you, and try to describe it.
For example, if a page is just about “toasters”, the title should include your keywords centered on toasters. Don’t add generic keyword phrases like “kitchen appliances.”
7. Get some help.
Writing a great page title used to take a lot of practice and testing. But you can speed up the process by taking advantage of useful tools and templates to create original and high-performing page titles.
If you enjoy the process of writing, try one of these headline analyzer tools:

CoSchedule
Advanced Marketing Institute

Another option is to use a blog topic research tool that also offers great headlines. If this idea appeals to you, try using the HubSpot Blog Ideas Generator.
SEO isn’t easy.
While writing titles can be hard, it doesn’t have to be. Once you’ve mastered the art of SEO page titles, you can focus on other strategies that can drive traffic to your site.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in May 2010 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Most entrepreneurs and small business owners are familiar with other people not understanding what the heck you do and why. Your friends ask, “You can make money doing that?” Your parents pester, “Why don’t you just get a ‘real’ job?”Well, I’ve experienced this threefold because I run three small businesses: boutique accounting firm Gratiam Consulting, content creation company The Empowered CPA, and blow dry bar GLAMbar. I get questions not only from friends and family, but also from other business owners, especially when they learn my consulting business is successful enough that I’m turning away clients. “Aren’t you leaving money on the table?” they ask. “Wouldn’t it be easier to focus on growing that one business?Maybe it would be easier, but I wouldn’t have my work life any other way. I love getting to expand my impact through my businesses, helping different types of people in different capacities. Working on a variety of project types keeps me excited about my work by ensuring that no two days are the same, and makes it feel more fulfilling because I’m impacting so many people at different stages of their lives. Plus, I love knowing that I’ve taken a very rigid industry and molded it into something that suits me.But this structure obviously doesn’t come without its challenges, especially since I’m not the type of entrepreneur who is willing to hustle for 80 hours a week. When I left corporate life, it was because I wanted to create more time for my family, my health, and my mental well-being. Even while running three businesses, keeping space for all of that is a priority.I know there are others out there like me: multi-passionate entrepreneurs who have a wealth of business ideas and are determined to find a way to make them all work together. For those people, here are a few strategies that have helped me keep my three companies running (and growing!) without sacrificing the other things I value in life.I Thought Carefully About My Business “Portfolio”I’ll start off by saying that I think the mix of different types of businesses I have—and what they each require from me—is part of what helps me succeed. For one, I didn’t launch three businesses from the get-go. Instead, I worked on my consulting business for a few years and got it to the point where it was fairly stable, with new clients coming in 100 percent from referrals and a solid waitlist, before I turned my attention to another company. I think trying to do business development for three new ventures at once would have been challenging. I also thought carefully about how much each business would need from me week to week. As a client services business in a highly regulated (and deadline-driven) industry, my consulting practice requires the most attention from me and is the least flexible on time. If I tried to take on another business with similar needs, I could see myself burning out fast. Instead, my content creation business leaves me with a lot of flexibility to adjust my schedule when urgent needs come up for my other companies. Similarly, I have a partner in the blow dry bar, which means all the responsibility isn’t on me.I Regularly Remember That Saying No to Some Things Means Saying Yes to OthersIt’s an unfortunate law of the universe that when you add on another business, you don’t get to add on more hours to your day. Instead, I have to constantly remind myself that everything I take on is going to take time away from something else, and that means making hard choices about what I’m going to cut.For instance, when I started my digital content company, I knew that I was going to need five to six hours per week to create this content. If I wanted to do that without sacrificing family or personal time (or sleep), those hours were going to have to come from somewhere else. So I made the tough decision to stop taking on any new consulting clients. That meant leaving money on the table, but I knew it was worth it to me to be able to help more people through digital content, build a more passive income stream, and do it all without working myself into the ground.When considering running multiple businesses, you have to be really, really honest about your time commitments, not only with yourself, but with anyone else relying on you, like a spouse or business partner. Understand what you can and want to bring to the table, as well as what might need to change to make that possible.I Make a Plan (With Plenty of Padding for When the Plan Goes Wrong)It probably goes without saying, but good time management is the key to making all of this work. Each week, I sit down and look at what needs to get done, prioritizing things from least to most flexible.Because they are so important to me, I always make sure I have time for my personal responsibilities first, planning out time for meals, activities with the kids, and time at the gym. Then, I’ll check if there are any tax deadlines coming up for my consulting clients or accounting deadlines for the blow dry bar and carve out the hours I’ll need to do that work. Finally, I’ll see how much time I have left to work on more flexible things, like developing my digital courses.Of course, as every business owner knows, the best laid plans never work as we want them to. So I always build in a lot of padding with the assumption that things will go wrong. I plan with my consulting clients far in advance and set deadlines far before any federal due dates. I also try to always have a few tasks on my plate that can be shifted if an emergency comes up.I Swear by Systems and DelegationThe other cornerstones of my time management are setting up systems to reduce the amount of work I need to do in the future and delegating anything I don’t really need to do myself. For instance, creating an onboarding kit for my consulting clients drastically reduced the amount of time I need to spend on that process, while still giving them the high-touch experience I aim to provide. Also, bringing on an administrative assistant this year ​​has opened up my time to tackle things more beneficial to the goals I’m trying to achieve. I made sure to find someone who was also excited about being involved in a variety of projects so they could help across all my different businesses.Whenever I find myself spending a lot of hours each week doing something, I ask myself: Is there a system I could build to simplify this? Or training documents I could make to hand this off to someone else? Often, I find just a few hours of work operationalizing something can open up tons of time to focus on more valuable things in the future.I’m Constantly Revisiting My “Why”Finally, I’m constantly revisiting my goals for each business and my motivation for building them. Even though I’m proud of the consulting firm I’ve built and the financial stability it’s given me, I know I don’t want to keep growing it right now because I’m also passionate about helping as many entrepreneurs as I can by creating content and digital courses. At the blowdry bar, I get to work with great collaborators on a brilliant business concept—I’d feel foolish walking away from such an amazing opportunity. Thinking about this helps me figure out the right balance of energy to give each company based on what it’s giving back to me.I also think that having a regular pulse on why I started each business will help me tap into the point at which my desires change. We all go through different seasons, and at some point I may decide one of my businesses isn’t for me. Or, I may decide to start yet another one! Whatever decision I make in the future, I know that these tools will help me juggle everything, including the things outside of work that matter most.

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At some point in your career, you’ll likely quit your job – it’s a normal part of any career. When it does come around, learning how to leave your job on good terms will be key.
However, even though quitting happens all the time. it’s easy to ruffle some feathers during the resignation process and burn bridges.

In this article, you’ll learn how to preserve a healthy relationship with your employer, manager, and colleagues.

Tell your manager first.
Give two weeks’ notice.
Organize your files.
Finish strong.
Offer to train your replacement.
Write a goodbye email to your teammates.
Express gratitude.
Don’t blast your manager, team, or the company.
Give feedback on your experience.

1. Tell your manager first.
With such big news, it’s important that your manager hear this news directly from you first.
Hearing this from someone else can cause unnecessary friction between you and your manager and end your relationship on a sour note. In addition, you don’t want the news to spread until you discussed an exit strategy with your team.
Otherwise, you may get bombarded with questions and concerns regarding the impact of your departure on ongoing projects without a clear path forward.
Instead, inform your colleagues only once you’ve had the conversation with your manager – even those with whom you’re close.
Your company may want to share the news formally through a press release or an email. With this in mind, it’s best to wait for the all-clear.

2. Give at least your two weeks’ notice.
Most people will tell you that it’s standard practice to give your employer notice two weeks ahead of your exit. However, you can actually do so earlier – in some cases, it’s preferred.
If you’re an individual contributor managing one or two projects, two weeks may be appropriate. However, if you’re a manager overseeing multiple high-impact projects, announcing earlier will give your team more time to prepare for your departure and find a replacement.
The earlier you notify your manager, the better impression you will leave, as they will appreciate having a solid window to build a plan for your absence.
A two weeks’ notice letter is a formality, but sending your resignation information to both human resources and your manager clarifies that you’re leaving the company and solidifies the date of your last day.
When you write your two weeks’ notice letter, keep it short and sweet. You don’t need to delve into the reasoning of why you’re leaving or what would’ve made you stay at the company. All you need to do is include three main elements in your resignation letter: the fact that you’re resigning, when you’re last day of work will be, and a brief note of appreciation for the opportunity.
Here’s an example of a resignation letter you can follow:
[Date]
Dear [Manager]
I’m writing to let you know that I’m resigning from my position as [position[ at [company]. My last day will be on [date].
This was a tough decision to make. [Company] has done great things for my career development. I greatly appreciate the amount of time and effort you invested into my professional growth and all the opportunities you gave me.
I will continue to support the team during the next two weeks and am happy to discuss an exit strategy to ensure a smooth transition.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Signature]

3. Organize your files.
In the days before your departure, make sure to review the projects and files you manage. Are there important documents you should share with your team? Are your files easily referenced? Can someone easily pick up where you left off?
If not, this is the time to do it.
Think of this as the last impression you leave. What do you want people to say once you’ve left? Making things easy for people will make people see you as a valuable, organized team member they were lucky to work with.

4. Finish strong.
While it’s tempting to slack off the last few days on the job, maintaining your productivity will show your team and your manager that you are reliable.
Humans have a recency bias, which means they tend to remember and emphasize the most recent observations about people more than the ones in the distant past.
If you slack off during your final weeks, especially when your team is working on a big project or if you have several important tasks to finish, you’ll leave your team with the burden.
You might be thinking, “Who cares? I won’t be working with them anymore.” While you may not ever return to this company, you could work with your colleagues again somewhere else.
You could also leverage them for future opportunities down the line. With this in mind, you want to keep your foot on the gas until that last day.

5. Offer to train your replacement.
Helping your replacement learn the ropes of your position will accelerate their learning curve and help greatly with the transition. Why do it? Well, it’s an opportunity to display your gratitude to your former employer for the opportunity and ensure they’re not left lost.
It’s an extra step you don’t always need to take (and oftentimes won’t have the opportunity to). However, your generosity will leave a mark on your colleagues and pay off in the future.
If you can’t directly train your replacement, you can write a training guide that covers key processes and contacts.

6. Write a goodbye email to your colleagues.
Out of all your colleagues, you’ll usually grow closest with your teammates. They deserve to know about your future plans directly from you. Seeing your Slack get deactivated is a sour way to find out.
There are a few ways you can do this:

Send a heartfelt goodbye message.
Set 1-on-1 coffee chats to share the news.
Have a group in-person or virtual lunch to announce the news.

Whichever method you select, use that time to discuss positive moments you shared with your teammates and express your gratitude for working alongside them.
You can also give them your personal contact information to stay in touch.

7. Express gratitude.
The people who impacted your career the most deserve a personal thank you.
Even if you didn’t have a close relationship with your manager, their job was to oversee your growth. As such, they likely invested time and effort to help you grow in your career.
As such, take the time to give thanks and express your gratitude. This is especially important if you’d like to use them as a reference for future opportunities.

8. Don’t blast your manager, team, or the company.
When you’re leaving a job, it’s tempting to go on a Twitter rant about all the things you hated about your workplace. Before you do that, take a breath.
In fact, wait a few weeks after leaving your company to share anything on social media. Emotions are usually high when you’re leaving your job and you want to avoid saying something you’ll regret later.
That’s why it’s better to wait a few weeks, once the anxiety and stress have hopefully subsided, and you have a clear mind.
While it’s fine to critique your former company, avoid making unsubstantiated claims, name-calling, or anything that you wouldn’t want a future employer to see.

9. Give feedback on your experience.
If you really want to share constructive criticism with your former manager and employer, an exit interview is the best place to do it.
You’re able to share your thoughts with an HR representative and dive into your experience in this workplace. Many people shy away from the exit interview but don’t be afraid to be candid.
You can be honest about your experience – the good, the bad, and the ugly – while still maintaining your professionalism. Plus, your employer will appreciate you disclosing your concerns in a closed setting instead of on social media.
Regardless of the situation you were in when you left your job, quitting is always nerve-racking. You’ve built relationships with your boss and colleagues and you may be stressed about their reactions. What if your manager gets mad or frustrated at you? Will you seem ungrateful for leaving the opportunity they gave you?
Despite all these scary thoughts, you must remember that you’re almost certainly not the first person who has left the company, and you definitely won’t be the last.
Quitting your job is a delicate process. Taking these steps now to leave on good terms is an investment in your future because you never know who you’ll need down the line.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.