“Exact match (close variant)” in the “Match type” column means the search term did not match your keyword word for word, but Google counts it as a close variant of that keyword. The report is here: Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then Search terms.
“Phrase match (close variant)” reads the same way. How the match types themselves work is covered in keyword match types; this page is only about that row.
What it means
Close variants allow a keyword to match searches that are similar, but not identical, to it. By default every match type is eligible for them, and there is no way to opt out. The full definition is in the Google Ads help.
For exact match, the help lists these kinds: closely related syntax (misspellings, singular or plural forms, stemmings such as floor and flooring, abbreviations, accents); reordered words with the same meaning; function words added or removed; implied words; synonyms and paraphrases; searches with the same intent. Phrase match gets the same list. For example, the phrase keyword “hats for winter” can match a search for “winter hats on sale”.
How to read it
The “Match type” column tells you how closely the search terms that triggered your ads relate to the keywords in your account. When a search term is a close variant, that is written in the same column. Here are examples from the search terms report help.
| Your keyword | Search term | Match type in the report |
|---|---|---|
| [purple flowers] (exact) | purple flowers | Exact match |
| [purple flowers] (exact) | purple flowrs | Exact match (close variant) |
| “purple flowers” (phrase) | free purple flowers | Phrase match |
| “purple flowers” (phrase) | free purple flowrs | Phrase match (close variant) |
| purple flowers (broad) | pink flowers | Broad match |
The type in the report can differ from the type of your keyword. The help gives this case: someone searched for purple flowers, your broad match keyword purple flowers triggered the ad, and the report shows “Exact match”. So a row that says “Exact match” does not prove your keyword was exact.
The “Keyword” column is hidden by default. To turn it on, select the columns icon, choose “Attributes”, check “Keyword”, and select “Apply”. Then you can see which of your keywords actually matched.
The report lists search terms that a significant number of people used. Terms with too little activity are left out for data privacy, so a missing search does not prove it never happened.
What to do
- Open Campaigns, Insights and reports, Search terms, pick a date range, and add the “Keyword” and “Match type” columns.
- Go through the rows marked “(close variant)”. I open this report early in an audit and ask about every search: would my customer really search like this? In the service-business accounts I look at, the problem is rarely a typo. It is usually a search with a different intent that Google counted as close.
- Add an irrelevant search as a negative keyword. The help’s example: you sell eyeglasses, “wine glasses” triggers your ads, so you add “wine” as a negative keyword. Negative keywords account for casing and misspellings automatically.
- Before you exclude anything, check whether the search produced a result. The Segment button splits the table by time, conversions, device, or network. I add negatives in the forms in which I see the search in the report.
- If one keyword brings in a lot of waste, change its match type (broad, phrase, exact) using the “Match type” column as your guide. The close variants will stay.
What not to do
- Do not hunt through the settings for a switch that turns close variants off. There is none.
- Do not treat “Exact match” in the report as a word-for-word match.
- Do not add negatives by eye without checking whether the searches had conversions.
- Do not judge keywords by the list alone. Without the report and the “Keyword” column you cannot see what really triggered your ads.
When this does not apply
Dynamic Search Ads and Shopping targeting do not use keywords. For those terms the report shows no keyword and writes “Exact” in the match type, and that is not a close variant. For Performance Max campaigns the help has a separate article about the search terms report. Store visits and store sales conversions are not compatible with the report.
I put the way I read the search terms report, together with the rest of my weekly account checks, into a short e-book.
My e-book “19 Google Ads Secrets”: how to get the most out of Google Ads without draining your budget, drawn from real campaigns and tests.
See the book →Questions and answers
Can I turn close variants off?
No. They apply by default to keywords of every match type, and there is no switch. What remains is negative keywords and the choice of match type.
Why does the report say “Exact match” when my keyword is broad?
Keywords with broader match types can match searches more narrowly. If the search matched the keyword exactly, the report says “Exact match”.
Do I need a separate negative keyword for a misspelling?
No. According to the help, negative keywords account for casing and misspellings automatically. Add other forms of the word when you see them in the report.