which ad will show

[ssbond]

If I have three keywords in one category

red widgets
"red widgets"
"red widgets something"

and the user types: red widgets something

To which keyword will the impression be counted?

[Duncan Pollock]

Based on what I've come to understand about the way Adwords work, I think I'm correct in answering your question as follows.
1. If the search phrase was red widgets something (i.e. without the quotes) it would count as an impression under Google's default Broad Match option, which covers a wide variety of searches that contain the words red widgets.
2. Because, though, you've put quotes around the phrase (which means you're involved in Google's Phrase Match option), the impression will be counted only when someone uses the ...something phrase or puts a word or two before and/or after it (i.e. without changing the order of the words red widgets something).
3. In my view, you're doing yourself no good by putting the ...something phrase in quotes. It will automatically get picked up with the Broad Match impression.
4. The benefit of the Phrase Match ("...") and Exact Match ([...]) options lies in what can be (but, in many cases, seems only likely to be) a lower CPC. Otherwise the Broad Match will pick up almost every search that contains the red widgets words (and not necessarily in that order, either).
5. Regardless of this last point, however, it is useful to use Phrase and Exact match keywords because some searchers do use the "..." and [...] when typing in Google's search box.

In summary, then, I suppose I'm suggesting that for optimum results you should drop the "red widgets something" keyword and change your threesome to red widgets "red widgets" and [red widgets].

Duncan

[ssbond]

Thank you very much for your advice