For paid search, Exact Match is widely accepted when it comes to match types, and for good reason. By using Exact Matches in paid search ad queries, these will have the highest conversion rate of any query-to-keyword relationship. When used, a brand can take heart in knowing that the searcher is searching for the exact term targeted.
Even though exact match keywords can be great in this respect for brand advertising purposes, the vast majority of advertisers can rely on broader match types to show ads for rare or new query variations.
Broader match types will always be a necessary to stay visible for queries which can’t be found with exact matches.
After exact match, which match type performs best?
Andy Taylor has an analysis of high volume retailers who deploy multiple match types, and they show that there may be little diffference between phrase and broad match options for actively-managed accounts.