Why it happens
Broad on a click-based bid strategy
Broad on a click-based bid strategy
Maximize clicks and manual CPC tell Google to buy traffic, so broad buys the cheapest loosely related searches it can find.
Too few conversions to learn from
Smart Bidding steers broad match with conversion data. A campaign with a handful of conversions a month cannot steer it.
No negative keywords
Broad will find jobs, free, how-to and competitor searches. Without negatives, those keep spending.
Broken conversion tracking
If the conversion tag counts the wrong thing, Smart Bidding chases the wrong searches. See conversion tracking not working.
How to fix it, step by step
Measure the waste
In Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then Search terms, filter to Match type broad, sort by cost and total the spend on terms with zero conversions.
Block the patterns
Add the recurring junk words as campaign-level negatives, using negative phrase for phrases and negative broad for single words.
Check the bid strategy
In campaign Settings, move broad campaigns to Maximize conversions or Target CPA. If the campaign has too few conversions for that, switch the keywords to phrase.
Cut the keywords that never earn
Pause broad keywords with real spend and no conversions over 30 to 60 days, and add their exact or phrase versions if the core term converts.
Steps checked against Google Ads Help: About broad match; Google Ads Help: About the search terms report; Google Ads Help: About negative keywords.
Sprites fixes this
Or let Sprites fix it
Sprites puts one number on your broad match waste and cuts it with negatives and tighter match types.
What Sprites does
- Reads every search term with its keyword, cost and conversions.
- Totals the zero-conversion spend by campaign and keyword, deduplicated across the account.
- Adds campaign negatives for the junk patterns, adds phrase or exact versions of earning terms, and pauses broad keywords that never convert.
- You approve every change before it goes live.
What it doesn't do
- It does not read Performance Max search terms or add negatives to Performance Max.
Questions
Why is broad match spending on irrelevant searches?
Broad match matches anything Google judges related to your keyword. Without conversion-based bidding and negatives to steer it, related often means irrelevant.
Should I stop using broad match?
Not always. Keep it where Smart Bidding has plenty of conversions and negatives are in place. Elsewhere, phrase match is usually cheaper per conversion.
How much broad match waste is normal?
Some waste is the cost of discovery. If more than a fifth of broad spend goes to terms that never convert month after month, tighten it.
Do negatives work with broad match?
Yes. Negatives apply to every match type, and broad match is where they matter most.
Let Sprites fix it
Connect the account. Sprites finds the cause, stages the change and waits for your approval.