Broad match modifier introduced for UK and Canadian advertisers

A plus sign placed before a word in a broad match keyword required that word, or a close variant such as a misspelling, plural or stemming, to appear in the search. Modified broad match reached more searches than phrase match but fewer than broad match, and synonyms and related terms did not qualify as close variants.

Google recommended adding modified broad keywords alongside existing phrase and exact match terms rather than converting broad keywords, which would reduce volume. The feature launched first in the UK and Canada.