To add keywords safely, start with the ad group – not the keyword list. Confirm the campaign and ad group, decide how much query expansion you can tolerate, assign a match type to every keyword, review the plan, and only then apply it.
In HireOtto, positive keywords are added at the ad-group level and can use broad, phrase, or exact match in one approved batch.
The match type controls how Google may connect a keyword to searches. It does not decide whether the keyword is commercially useful, belongs in that ad group, or deserves budget. Those are operator decisions.
Broad vs phrase vs exact match
Exact match: the tightest control, not literal-only matching
Exact match is useful when you know the intent you want to isolate – for example, a brand term, a high-value product category, or a proven bottom-of-funnel query. It can still match close variants and searches with the same meaning or intent, so it should not be treated as a character-for-character rule.
Example: [payroll software for startups]
Phrase match: controlled expansion around the meaning
Phrase match can reach searches that include the meaning of your keyword, even when users add words before or after it. It is useful when you want more coverage than exact match but still need a recognizable intent boundary.
Example: "payroll software for startups"
Broad match: the widest reach and the highest need for guardrails
Broad match can use the meaning of the keyword plus other signals to find related searches. Google recommends pairing broad match with Smart Bidding because each auction can be evaluated using contextual signals. Broad match is most defensible when conversion tracking is trustworthy, the bidding strategy fits the goal, negatives are maintained, and the budget can absorb discovery.
Example: payroll software for startups
There is no universally best match type. Use the narrowest setup that gives you enough qualified coverage, then expand because the account data supports it – not because an AI generated a longer list.
A practical match-type decision rule
Use exact match when the query intent is known, valuable, and worth isolating.
Use phrase match when related variations are welcome but the central meaning should remain stable.
Use broad match when conversion tracking and Smart Bidding are reliable, negatives are maintained, and you are intentionally buying discovery.
Use mixed match types when different keywords carry different levels of ambiguity or commercial intent.
Do not duplicate every keyword across all three match types by default. That creates clutter without guaranteeing cleaner traffic. Start from the job each keyword should do.
The review-first workflow in HireOtto
1. Confirm the destination
Positive keywords live inside an ad group. Before writing anything, identify the exact account, campaign, and ad group. If the ad group is wrong, match-type precision will not rescue the structure.
Show me the campaigns and ad groups in account [CUSTOMER_ID]. Do not make changes.
List the current positive keywords in ad group [ADGROUP_ID], including each keyword’s match type.Check for the right campaign and ad group names, existing duplicates, overlapping themes, and any keyword that belongs in a different ad group.
2. Prepare a keyword-to-match-type map
Give the AI the approved keyword candidates and the business context. Ask for a proposed map first, not a write action.
For ad group [ADGROUP_ID], classify the following approved keyword candidates as BROAD, PHRASE, or EXACT. Explain each choice in one sentence. Flag duplicates, ambiguous intent, and keywords that belong in another ad group. Do not add anything yet: [KEYWORD LIST].A useful proposal should make disagreements visible. If every keyword receives the same match type without explanation, the review is not finished.
3. Review the plan like a media buyer
Intent: would the searcher reasonably want the offer on the landing page?
Theme: can one ad and one landing page answer every keyword in this ad group?
Economics: can the likely CPC and conversion rate support your target CPA or ROAS?
Coverage: are you adding a new intent, or merely duplicating existing reach?
Guardrails: what irrelevant meanings, audiences, or jobs-to-be-done should become negatives?
Measurement: if you use broad match, are the conversion signals and bidding strategy ready?
AI is useful for clustering, consistency checks, and translating the plan into an executable batch. It cannot decide the acceptable risk, economics, or strategic separation for you.
4. Apply only the approved keywords
HireOtto accepts one match type for a list or a mixed mapping where each keyword has its own type. Use the mixed form when the review produces different decisions.
Add these positive keywords to ad group [ADGROUP_ID] in campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID]: "payroll software for startups" as PHRASE, [startup payroll software] as EXACT, and payroll automation as BROAD. Do not add any other keywords.Treat this as a live account change. Newly added keywords are created enabled. If the campaign and ad group are active, the keywords may become eligible immediately. For a live account, pause the ad group first or make the change during a controlled review window if you are not ready for traffic.
5. Verify what changed
List the positive keywords in ad group [ADGROUP_ID]. Confirm that the three new keywords exist with the requested match types. Flag duplicates or unexpected additions. Do not make further changes.The verification step should confirm the destination, keyword text, and match type. Then inspect Google Ads for eligibility, policy issues, low-search-volume status, and serving behavior.
Worked example: B2B payroll software
Suppose an ad group is dedicated to startup payroll software. A sensible first-pass map might be:
EXACT – startup payroll software: isolates a clear commercial category.
PHRASE – payroll software for startups: allows useful modifiers while preserving the central meaning.
BROAD – payroll automation: tests a wider problem space only if conversion signals and bidding are ready.
REJECT OR SEPARATE – free payroll template: likely resource-seeking intent, not software-buying intent.
The point is not that these match types are permanently correct. The point is that each keyword enters the account with a hypothesis you can test.
What to monitor after adding keywords
Search terms: which real queries are triggering the keywords?
Conversions and value: is the added reach producing meaningful business outcomes?
Cost and CPA or ROAS: does the traffic fit the account’s economics?
Match-type contribution: is broad or phrase finding useful demand that exact was missing?
Negatives: what irrelevant queries should be blocked at the ad-group, campaign, or shared-list level?
Ad and landing-page fit: do the new searches still receive a relevant message and destination?
Evaluate the search terms, not just the keyword label. A broad keyword can be profitable and an exact keyword can be wasteful. The result matters more than the theory.
Important: check the campaign-level broad match setting
Google also offers a campaign-level broad match setting. When enabled, it converts existing phrase and exact keywords to broad match and makes newly added keywords broad. Google says campaigns using this setting will begin moving to AI Max starting in September 2026.
That setting changes more than one keyword batch. Check it before assuming the match type you requested will remain isolated. If you need a deliberate mix of broad, phrase, and exact, the campaign-level setting should not be silently overriding the plan.
Common mistakes
Adding a large AI-generated list before checking search volume, intent, or landing-page fit.
Sending positive keywords to the wrong ad group or trying to manage them at campaign level.
Using broad match without reliable conversion tracking, appropriate bidding, negatives, or monitoring.
Assuming exact match means Google can only match the literal string.
Duplicating every keyword in broad, phrase, and exact without a testing reason.
Skipping verification after a write action.
Copy-paste prompt sequence
1) Show me the campaigns and ad groups in account [CUSTOMER_ID]. Do not make changes.
2) List the current positive keywords in ad group [ADGROUP_ID], including match types.
3) Classify these approved candidates as BROAD, PHRASE, or EXACT. Explain each choice, flag duplicates and off-theme terms, and do not add anything yet: [KEYWORDS].
4) Add only this approved keyword-to-match-type map to ad group [ADGROUP_ID] in campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID]: [APPROVED MAP].
5) List the positive keywords in ad group [ADGROUP_ID] and verify the additions and match types. Do not make further changes.Where HireOtto helps
HireOtto connects your AI assistant to Google Ads so you can inspect the current ad group, prepare a match-type plan, add only the approved positive keywords, and verify the result in the same conversation.
The value is not automatic keyword selection. It is a shorter, reviewable path from research to an accountable account change.
Get started here: https://docs.hireotto.com/setup/connect-ai-tool
FAQs
Can I add positive keywords at campaign level?
No. Positive Search keywords are ad-group criteria. Campaign-level keywords are used for specific negative-keyword workflows, not positive targeting.
Can one prompt add different match types?
Yes. With HireOtto, you can provide a mixed mapping so each keyword is assigned broad, phrase, or exact match.
Does HireOtto add new keywords paused?
No. Newly created keywords are enabled. If the surrounding campaign and ad group are active, treat the write as immediately consequential.
Should I start every keyword as exact match?
No. Exact offers the tightest control, but match type should follow the account’s objective, signals, bidding, budget, and appetite for discovery. Broad match can be appropriate when the supporting system is ready.
Can I change a keyword’s match type later?
Google Ads supports match-type changes, but this HireOtto workflow is designed around adding approved keywords and verifying them. For a change to an existing keyword, review the current account workflow and confirm the intended replacement or update before acting.
About Me
I’m Suyash – badminton junkie, ex‑GroupM ad‑ops grunt, first marketer at a B2B SaaS startup, and creator of Hiretto: Google Ads MCP Server.
My mission: less clicking, more thinking.
Let’s build leverage together.