15/06/2026
Google says broad match is smarter than ever. We're not convinced. Are you?
Every year Google tells us broad match has "gotten smarter" — better signals, better Smart Bidding, better intent. And every year we audit accounts where broad match quietly torched budget on searches that had nothing to do with the business.
The honest version: it's not "good" or "bad." It's a power tool that amplifies whatever signal you feed it — including garbage.
Broad match can work in 2026 when:
→ You have strong conversion data feeding Smart Bidding (real pipeline, not just form fills)
→ You're on value-based bidding, not maximizing conversions on junk signals
→ You keep tight negatives and actually review search terms every week
→ You can stomach a learning period without panicking at week one
It'll burn you when:
→ Conversion tracking is thin or measuring the wrong thing
→ You "set and forget" it
→ You're a smaller account where one bad week actually hurts
Our take: for most B2B SaaS accounts we still lead with exact + phrase, and test broad match in a controlled, well-fed campaign — not as the default.
But plenty of smart people disagree.
So: are you running broad match in 2026? Worth it, or back to control? Tell us why 👇
— Paid Media Guys
