Which of the following represents an exact match keyword?

By Justin Jones Last updated Nov 11, 2022

Which of the following represents an exact match keyword? In search engine optimization (SEO), the term “exact-match keywords” can also refer to search results and content that precisely match all of the keywords in a search query and do so in the same order in which they were input.

From a historical perspective, exact-match keywords are significant for both organic and sponsored search, and they are an issue that is frequently debated in the context of SEO.

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Which of the following represents an exact match keyword?

It was the Google AdWords keyword match type that gave rise to the concept of exact-match keywords. This match type enables users to advertise on specified exact-match searches.

What are partial-match keywords?

It is common practice to discuss exact-match keywords or phrases in the same breath as partial-match keywords or phrases. Simply said, these are search results that match a portion of the keywords in the search query but do not match all of the terms (or in a different order).

What’s the difference between exact match and partial match keywords?

When a search query, domain name, or anchor text in a link has a keyword that is an exact match for your target keyword, this is referred to as an exact match keyword. If your keyword is found in those elements together with a number of other terms, this is referred to as a partial match. Exact and partial match keywords are frequently used in search engine optimization (SEO), link building, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Although one type of match is not inherently superior to the other, generally speaking, you will want to make sure you use the appropriate match type to avoid being penalized by Google and incurring exorbitant costs through AdWords.

Exact match keywords in Google AdWords

When tailoring your ad to specific kinds of queries using Google AdWords, the term “precise match” is one of the more typical phrases to employ. When you select “exact match” in AdWords, it indicates that you only want your advertisement to appear in search results for a particular term or phrase.

(It is important to note that AdWords has recently altered the way they handle keywords, and the change makes it so that the order of words inside a sentence, as well as “functional words” such as “and,” “our,” “but,” “then,” etc., are irrelevant.) It is possible for the same keywords to still indicate an “exact match,” even if they are arranged in a different sequence, with or without functional words.

Other types of matches that can be used with Google AdWords include broad match, which indicates that your ad has a chance of appearing for related terms that Google considers relevant, and phrase match, which indicates that it has a chance of appearing for searches that include your target keyword embedded within a longer phrase.

One of the most typical errors made by beginners is failing to target the appropriate match type. Your advertisement can be shown to the wrong people if you’ve selected the incorrect sort of match to use. When this occurs, you run the risk of having to pay exorbitant prices for traffic that does not result in a conversion.

Exact or partial match for organic results

When optimizing a website for organic search results, search engine optimization specialists do not have access to the same level of granular control that AdWords users have over the presentation of their material. Google’s algorithm and its always-expanding comprehension of language and intent are the only factors that go into determining organic rankings.

By utilizing the quotation marks search operator, you can coerce Google to give you exact match organic results, which is useful if you want to have a better understanding of how exact and partial matches operate in the real world.

You may get a sense of how smart Google’s algorithm is and just how well it understands user intent and synonyms to produce results that suit the needs of the searcher by running some of these searches yourself and seeing what kinds of results you receive.

Your content may still perform well in search rankings even if it only partially corresponds to the query that was entered because of the myriad of ways in which people search the internet and Google’s ability to interpret the user’s intent.

The best thing you can do to help your content rank for your keywords is to use your target keyword in your title tag and other relevant places, and then create content that delves into the topic using synonyms, examples, and whatever else you need until you are satisfied that you have the best content on the block. Using your target keyword in your title tag is the best thing you can do to help your content rank for your keywords.

Exact match domain names

There are times when “exact match” refers to domain names. This would be considered an exact match domain if the searcher typed in “tiny dancing horse” and you owned the domain tinydancinghorse.com.

Your brand is represented by your domain name; it tells people who you are when they visit your website. Consider whether or not this is the appropriate brand for you and your company before asking yourself “should I have an exact match domain name?” Think about whether or not this is a suitable brand for you and your company. If the phrase “little dancing horse” occurs to capture everything you want your brand to be about, then you should absolutely go for it. In that case, it could be worthwhile to look into the availability of other domain name options.

There is some debate as to whether or not having an exact match domain can help you move higher in the rankings for that particular search query; nonetheless, it is undeniable that this type of domain is no longer as potent of a ranking indicator as it once was. In point of fact, Google may even penalize a website that has an identical match domain!

In 2012, they released an upgrade to their algorithm with the intention of reducing the number of search results that included exact match domains from spammy websites. The use of an exact match domain might be a bit of a dangerous gamble if it is done with the purpose of stuffing in as many keywords as possible.

Even though there are still solid examples of exact match domains that rank highly, utilizing an exact match domain can be a good way to rank well. For instance, a business is known as “Bob’s Furniture” would undoubtedly wish to acquire the domain name “bobsfurniture.com,” but such a business surely shouldn’t invest in “buycheapfurnituregoodfurniture.com.” Even though both domains are, in all intents and purposes, a perfect match, only one of them will be given favorable treatment by search engine algorithms.

Partial or exact match anchor text?

An example of a website utilizing exact match anchor text would be a page on a website whose goal keyword is “tiny dancing horse,” and an external domain that connects to that page uses “tiny dancing horse” as the text that users can click on to visit the page. It is deemed partial match anchor text if the text linking to the same page includes phrases such as “see this dancing horse,” “lovely little horse boogies,” or anything else in addition to “small dancing horse.”

While you are working diligently to inform Google of how important your content is to your issue, it may be tempting to request that other websites link to you using your target keyword in the anchor text. This will help increase the likelihood that Google will rank your site higher. And in point of fact, back in the day, one of the ways to make a page appear more relevant to search engines was to use exact match keywords in the anchor text of the link.

However, the adoption of this strategy was one of the factors that contributed to the development of the Google Penguin update. In today’s world, having an exact match anchor text profile that reads like it was generated by a computer can result in penalties being applied to your website. Although partial match anchor text may not be as targeted as exact match anchor text, it can actually contribute more to whether a page performs highly. This is because it is more natural and a better depiction of how humans actually communicate than exact match anchor text (and search).

It is not uncommon for search engine optimizers (SEOs) to look at a website’s backlink profile to determine whether or not there are a large number of links with exact match anchor text. This is done in the hopes of determining whether or not the results on Google and other search engines have been manipulated. Link Explorer allows you to inspect the wording of your anchor links. If you have always concentrated on exact match keywords and anchor text, there is no better moment than the present to start thinking about partial matches rather than precise matches. They might work out in your favor after all!

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