Google Ads Phrase Match Behaving Like Broad Match

Search Ads

Has anybody noticed this recently where Google Ads is starting to treat phrase match more and more like broad match?

I am aware that Google has the technicality “Ads may show on searches that include the meaning of your keyword. The meaning of the keyword can be implied, and user searches can be a more specific form of the meaning.” etc etc

But this “meaning” seems to getting more liberal.

I am seeing in search terms report that some of my phrase matches are causing issues with which ad and landing page is served.

Take the example of an exterior cleaning company.

I have separate service-based adgroups for “Driveway Cleaning” and “Block Paving Cleaning”

In the “Block Paving Cleaning” adgroup, I have the phrase keyword "block paving cleaning services"

Yet in search terms report for this adgroup, I am see ‘driveway cleaning’ (obviously now added as a negative for this adgroup now)

Driveway Cleaning and Block Paving Cleaning are sufficiently different for google’s “meaning” interpretation to not apply here.

This is a problem as this is triggering the wrong ad and landing page. I want people who google “driveway cleaning” to see the Driveway Cleaning adcopy and go to the Driveway Cleaning landing page.

Anyone else noticed this?

Posted Jul 8, 2025, 4:41 PM UTC

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