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Exact VS Phrase Match, Need Help!

by payoman
6 replies
Hey guys,

Just a quick question about Google searching.

If I am trying to forecast figures, conversions VS impressions etc, is it more realistic to use phrase match or exact match figures?

I am doing some local SEO forecasting, yet I am not sure which is more realistic for my keywords (*profession localcity*), to use phrase matched figures or exact match.

Anyone care to comment? Much appreciated
#exact #match #phrase
  • Profile picture of the author Bill_Z
    I would use exact matches, but keep in mind that the GKT is not 100% accurate and even less accurate for those small, local searches. Even if you find 0 exact searches for a term, if it makes *sense* in your mind that it is searched for locally, then it probably is.
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  • Profile picture of the author James Gladwell
    Personally, I'd say it's probably more effective to not use Google Keyword Tool! They tend to over-inflate the results (which is weird).

    Try using SEO Book's Keyword Tool or Wordtracker's keyword tool.

    In terms of Broad or Phrase, I'd say Phrase is better for looking at your competition, but Exact is better for what you're looking to do (forecasting). Either way, bear in mind that Google's Keyword Tool isn't accurate.
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  • Profile picture of the author payoman
    I don't know what you mean by 'makes sense'? Doesn't it show recorded data that's approximate to how many searches a keyword receives?

    For example, my keyword shows 320 phrase match searches per month, meaning the number 1 spot in Google should generate 160 clicks per month. From there, with a conversion rate, I should be able to calculate sales figures correct?

    My question is whether the exact match or phrase match is a more realistic figure to quote to a local business interested in these numbers.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill_Z
      Originally Posted by payoman View Post

      I don't know what you mean by 'makes sense'? Doesn't it show recorded data that's approximate to how many searches a keyword receives?

      For example, my keyword shows 320 phrase match searches per month, meaning the number 1 spot in Google should generate 160 clicks per month. From there, with a conversion rate, I should be able to calculate sales figures correct?

      My question is whether the exact match or phrase match is a more realistic figure to quote to a local business interested in these numbers.
      Use exact matches for that. 320 phrase matches will NOT generate 160 clicks per month at #1. If there were 320 EXACT matches, you *could* get up to 160 clicks at #1 but you should set your client expectations at 100 or so clicks at the very most IMO...because like I said, the numbers aren't that accurate.

      By "making sense" I was simply saying if you live in a medium sized city and you search for "plumber cityname" and it shows 0 exact searches per month, it's probably not accurate and does in fact get searches.
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  • Profile picture of the author marketinguk
    Hi there i have to agree with the earlier comments here, google's keyword tool is after all free but it isn't perfect and i have found from experience that it isn't always accurate, but i would use the exact search results if you do use it as this will give you a better indication of the interest in whatever it is!
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  • Profile picture of the author thesnakeman
    Here's some numbers for you all to mull on.
    We own the trademark here for reptile parties and rank number one for the exact match search here in Australia.
    We operate in Melbourne, Australia and this accounts for about 1/5 of Australia's population, so when I get the google search result of 1000 a month for the search I divide by 5 to get my local result = 200 a month.
    I know that this also gives me a booking conversion rate of about 1 a day for this exact word match in search as detected via my own site logs.
    Now there are similar phrases which we compete for and win sometimes and lose others and they also have similar conversion rates.
    So for the rest of you in other countries/markets, you may be able to use the same principles to get an accurate appraisal of what winning a given phrase is worth, or in our case, what the trademark is worth.
    We have a similar situation with the registered trademarks snake man / snakeman, worth slightly over a booking a day to our reptile dispaly business here in Australia.
    All the best
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