Which three signals does broad match use to match Search ads with queries?
Select all correct answers
Correct Answers
Language
Geographic
Interests
Why is this the correct answer?
Broad match uses three signals to match Search ads with queries: Smart Bidding, language, and interests. Broad match is the only keyword match type that leverages these signals together. Smart Bidding provides real-time auction-time signals — such as device, location, and time of day — to determine whether a broad match query is worth bidding on. Language signals ensure ads appear for queries in the target language. Interest signals from the user's recent activity and browsing behaviour help Google determine relevance between the query and the ad's keyword, delivering broad match to high-intent users while filtering out low-value searches.
Why are the other options incorrect?
Device
Device is factored into Smart Bidding bid adjustments but is not one of the three core signals broad match uses to determine query relevance and match eligibility.
Smart Bidding
Smart Bidding is a correct signal — it works in conjunction with broad match to assess real-time contextual signals at auction time and determine whether a broad match query should trigger the ad.
Real-World Example
A running shoe retailer uses broad match on the keyword 'running trainers' with Smart Bidding. Google uses the three signals to match a query like 'best shoes for half marathon' from a user who recently browsed running gear sites (interests), is located in the UK (language: English), and the Smart Bidding model estimates a high conversion probability. The ad appears and delivers a 4.1% conversion rate — well above the manual-match baseline of 1.8%.