Quick Answer: Broad match modifier (BMM), the plus-sign match type such as +running +shoes, was retired by Google in 2021. Google began folding its behavior into phrase match in February 2021, and from July 2021 you could no longer create new BMM keywords. Existing BMM keywords keep running but behave as phrase match. Some guides give different dates or say the change came later, so check the timeline below. Today the practical questions are which of your keywords are still tagged as BMM, whether to convert them, and whether looser matching is sending you low-quality clicks. Google Ads changes often, so confirm details in the current Google Ads Help. Disclosure: we make JuicyTraffic, a click quality tool. Try 200 free JuicyTraffic clicks →
What Was Broad Match Modifier?
Plain broad match could trigger your ad on a wide range of related searches, which many advertisers found hard to control. BMM added control: putting a plus sign before a word told Google that the word, or a close variant, had to appear in the search. It sat between broad and phrase match, with more reach than the old phrase match and more control than broad.
The Timeline, and Why Guides Disagree
| What you'll read | What the sources show |
|---|---|
| BMM began merging into phrase match in February 2021 | Several guides and Google's own help say so |
| New BMM keywords were blocked from July 2021 | Matches Google's help page and Search Engine Land's report on the late July cut-off |
| "Google announced it on February 4, 2022" | One agency guide gives 2022, which conflicts with the other sources. Treat it as an error |
| "Removed at the end of 2021" | One guide describes it this way, which loosely matches the mid-2021 timing but is less precise |
| "Existing BMM keywords stopped working" | No. Google's help says existing BMM keywords continue to serve, behaving exactly like phrase match |
If a guide uses the plus-sign syntax as a recommendation, it was likely written before mid-2021.
Match Types Before and After
| Match type | Before 2021 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Broad | Wide reach, hard to control | Still available. Google promotes it with Smart Bidding |
| Broad match modifier | +word keywords | Can't be created. Legacy keywords act as phrase match |
| Phrase | "keyword" with word order control and close variants | Updated phrase match covers BMM-style reach |
| Exact | [keyword] | Still available, with close variants |
Phrase match now has more reach than it used to, and exact match also includes close variants. A guide on current match types also notes that Google calls Smart Bidding critical for broad match, and that the broad match campaign setting is available only for campaigns using conversion-based Smart Bidding. That guide also describes how AI Max for Search campaigns interacts with match types. Check Google’s current keyword match type documentation.
How to Audit Legacy BMM Keywords (Step by Step)
- Find them. In Google Ads, filter keywords for the plus-sign syntax or the match type "Broad match modifier".
- Export the data first. Save performance history, because converting creates new keywords and old statistics don't carry over to them.
- Read them as phrase match. That's how they behave now.
- Check for duplicates. If the same words exist as phrase match in the same ad group, you'll have overlap.
- Use the Change match types option. In Keywords, choose Edit, then Change match types, then Change broad match modifier keywords. One agency guide describes how this converts BMM keywords to phrase and notes it accounts for existing phrase versions, including paused ones, so review the result.
- Review the search terms report for the following weeks, and add negative keywords.
- Compare performance before and after by cost per conversion, conversion rate and lead quality.
Which Replacement: Phrase, Broad or Exact?
| If you want | Consider | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior closest to what you had | Phrase match | Extra queries from updated matching |
| More reach and you use conversion-based Smart Bidding | Broad match | Irrelevant queries, so review search terms closely |
| Tight control on high-value terms | Exact match | Missing variations, so add them if search terms show demand |
Google's help suggests considering broad match if you use Smart Bidding, but that isn't automatically right for every account. Test one campaign at a time.
Check the Traffic Quality After Match Type Changes
Looser matching can mean more clicks from searches that don't fit your offer. Compare each match type's conversion rate, then look at the clicks themselves. JuicyTraffic investigates click quality on your landing pages by campaign, source and placement, with per-click evidence on behavior, network, device, rules and confidence. It needs a tracking link and an on-site probe, and it doesn't manage keywords or match types. Start with 200 free clicks, no credit card →
Common Mistakes
- Following a guide that still tells you to build +keyword lists.
- Converting keywords without exporting performance history.
- Moving everything to broad match without conversion-based Smart Bidding.
- Leaving duplicate keywords across match types in the same ad group.
- Not reviewing the search terms report after a change.
- Judging a match type by clicks instead of conversions.
Checklist
- Legacy BMM keywords found and exported
- Duplicates checked
- Change match types run, and result reviewed
- Search terms reviewed weekly for the next month
- Negative keywords updated
- Conversion rate and cost per conversion compared by match type
- Click quality reviewed on the highest-spend keywords
FAQ
What happened to broad match modifier? Google merged its behavior into phrase match, starting in February 2021 and blocking new BMM keywords from July 2021.
Is broad match modifier still available? No. You can't create new BMM keywords, and existing ones behave as phrase match.
What replaced broad match modifier? An updated phrase match, which covers the BMM-style reach.
Should I convert my BMM keywords? It isn't required, but converting tidies the account. Export your data first.
Is it true Google changed this in 2022? One guide says so, but the other sources and Google's help place it in 2021.
Do I need Smart Bidding for broad match? Google's help says Smart Bidding is critical for broad match, so check your campaign settings.
Bottom Line
BMM is gone as a separate match type, and legacy keywords now behave as phrase match. Audit what's left, export your history, convert carefully and watch search terms and click quality afterward. If you want evidence for each click, try JuicyTraffic's 200 free clicks →
Source: Google Ads Help: changes to phrase match and broad match modifier.
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About the Author
Dylan Dan is the founder of JuicyTraffic. He has spent 15 years specializing in adult advertising and ad-fraud prevention, helping advertisers assess traffic quality, identify invalid clicks and protect media budgets across dedicated ad networks.