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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryBrand & Performance MarketingExact Match

Brand & Performance Marketing

Exact Match

The tightest keyword match type, showing ads only for searches with the same meaning or intent as the keyword.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Exact match is the tightest keyword match type in search advertising. It shows ads only for searches that have the same meaning or intent as the keyword, which can include close variants such as plurals or misspellings. It gives advertisers the most control over traffic and spend, at the cost of reach.