--- title: Advertisers Peeved with Google's Removal of Function Words in Exact Match description: Google will be expanding its close variant matching capabilities to include additional rewording and reordering for exact match keywords. image: https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/google-logo-icon-Jan-22-2023-11-47-43-8116-PM-Apr-10-2023-12-58-45-5601-PM-3-2.png --- [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) [![Website Magazine Logo](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png?width=586&height=145&name=gradient-regular@3x-1.png "Website Magazine Logo")](http://Website%20Services,%20Inc.) - [About](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about) - [FAQs](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/faq) - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial Staff](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Resources](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com) - [Newsletter](https://www.websitemagazine.com/newsletter-sign-up) - More - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) Search - [Latest](https://www.websitemagazine.com) - [Design](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design) - [Development](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-development) - [SEO](https://www.websitemagazine.com/seo) - [Ecommerce](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce) - [Content](https://www.websitemagazine.com/content) - [Marketing](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing) - [Advertising](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising) - [Email](https://www.websitemagazine.com/email) - [Infographics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/infographics) - [View All Topics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/channels) # Advertisers Peeved with Google's Removal of Function Words in Exact Match ![Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Pete%20Prestipino.jpeg) [by Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/author/pete-prestipino) 16 Jan, 2023 - - - [mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/advertisers-peeved-with-googles-removal-of-function-words-in-exact-match](mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/advertisers-peeved-with-googles-removal-of-function-words-in-exact-match) - Link Copied! ![Advertisers Peeved with Google's Removal of Function Words in Exact Match](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/google-logo-icon-Jan-22-2023-11-47-43-8116-PM-Apr-10-2023-12-58-45-5601-PM-3-2.png) **Google recently [announced](https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/03/close-variants-now-connects-more-people.html) it has changed the behavior of how close variants works in Google AdWords - and advertisers don't appear too happy about it.** Over the next few months Google indicated it will be expanding its [close variant matching capabilities](https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2497836?utm_source=awsocial&utm_medium=Google&2Bl&utm_campaign=EN) to include additional rewording and reordering for exact match keywords. The change is apparently a rather serious problem for advertisers, but I recall a similar response to use of keyword mapping techniques by advertising platforms more than a decade ago, so it's quite likely the anxiety about the change will subside rather quickly. The change really comes down to how Google treats "function words" - prepositions (in, to), conjunctions (for, but), articles (a, the) and others; the words that do not actually impact the "intent" behind the query.  Essentially what is happening is that Google is now ignoring these function words (and shifting the order or words in other instances) in AdWords exact match campaigns in order to better match them with similar queries (which obviously goes against the point of using exact match at all). Google indicated advertisers could see as much as a 3 percent increase in clicks on average, however, as a result of the change. Google did suggest that the change "should" only happen when it will not change the meaning of advertisers' keywords, which should provide some relief. The "in" within the keyword phrase "hotels in new york," for example, can be ignored because it does not affect the actual meaning. It is different in every case, of course; the "to" in "flights to new york" would not be ignored according to Google, because a "flight from new york" is not the same. ![Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Pete%20Prestipino.jpeg) [Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/author/pete-prestipino) Digital marketing executive with proven experience in all aspects of search engine optimization (SEO), performance-based advertising, consumer-generated/social media, email marketing, lead generation, Web design, usability, and analytics. - 20-year Internet marketing veteran, currently serving as the Digital Marketing Campaign Manager at Antenna Group (formerly Chicago Digital). - Former Editor-In-Chief of Website Magazine, and a regular speaker on Web technology digital marketing strategy - Author of several books on digital marketing Including Web 360: The Fundamentals of Web Success; Affiliate 360: The Fundamentals of Performance Marketing; Domains 360: The Fundamentals of Buying & Selling Domain Names, and SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization. - - - [mailto:peter@websitemagazine.com](mailto:peter@websitemagazine.com) #### Popular Post ### [Google's PLAs Get a Boost ![Google's PLAs Get a Boost](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-22-2023-11-41-39-6589-PM-Apr-10-2023-01-09-06-9914-PM-Apr-25-2023-03-04-19-8793-AM-May-01-2023-08-19-35-7865-PM.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/googles-plas-get-a-boost) ### [Tips to Improve PPC Campaigns and Reduce Cost Per Click ![Tips to Improve PPC Campaigns and Reduce Cost Per Click](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-photo-4482896-1.jpg)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/tips-to-improve-ppc-campaigns-and-reduce-cost-per-click) ### [Top 50 Ad Networks To Explore ![Top 50 Ad Networks To Explore](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-22-2023-11-51-23-2143-PM-Apr-10-2023-12-58-31-6108-PM-4-2.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/top-50-ad-networks-to-explore) #### Subscribe to Our Newsletter! 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All Rights Reserved - [Privacy Policy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Pete Prestipino", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/author/pete-prestipino" }, "dateModified" : "2023-05-01T20:16:11.919Z", "datePublished" : "2023-01-16T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Advertisers Peeved with Google's Removal of Function Words in Exact Match", "image" : [ "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/google-logo-icon-Jan-22-2023-11-47-43-8116-PM-Apr-10-2023-12-58-45-5601-PM-3-2.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising/advertisers-peeved-with-googles-removal-of-function-words-in-exact-match", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png" }, "name" : "Website Services, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : [ { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Pete Prestipino" } ], "headline" : "Advertisers Peeved with Google's Removal of Function Words in Exact Match", "publisher" : { "name" : "Website Magazine", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/" } } ```