This guide will provide helpful information and best practices to assist you in the Search Ads Close Variants tasks.
For this type of task, there are three rating options:
When a query contains, or is, the name of a specific app, product, or brand and the variant adds or removes words, research both of them to see if they share the same meaning or intent. Rate Acceptable when the intent is same and they both share the same meaning
Examples:
Eventim Norge → Eventim Norge App
Adding the word “app” does not change the meaning or intent of the original query.
Excel → Microsoft Excel
The brand name “Microsoft” has been added to the variant, but the intent is still extremely recognizable and maintains the same intent as the original.
Mypostnord Mobile → Mypostnord
The word “Mobile” has been removed from the original query, but the intent of the variant is still extremely recognizable
Spelling mistakes that do not make the variant difficult or impossible to understand are rated Acceptable. When a variant contains a spelling mistake, but still resembles the original query in appearance and has the same meaning and intent to the original query, Rate Acceptable.
Examples:
Recharge EV Charging → Recharge EV Chargin
The variant contains a spelling mistake (g missing letter) but it is still easy to understand its intent.
Facebook Messenger → Fcaebook Messenger
The variant contains a spelling mistake (misplaced letters) but it is still easy to understand its intent.
Temu: Shop Like a Billionaire → Temu: Shop Like a Bilionaire
The variant contains a spelling mistake (single letter L), but it is still easy to understand its intent.
When the variant is a version of the original query, be it an upgrade or an explicitly referenced version, Rate Acceptable.
Examples:
Bloons TD 5 → Bloons TD 6
The variant is an upgrade to the original query
daily horoscope 2019 → daily horoscope 2021
The variant is an explicit reference to the version
When the variant is a former name of the query, the query and app mean the same but look completely different and hence are not considered close variants, Rate Bad.
Examples:
X → Twitter
The variant is the former app name and hence look completely different
Zepp Life → Mi Fit
The variant is the former app name and hence look completely different
When the variant improves the original query’s spelling while keeping exactly the same meaning, Rate Acceptable.
Examples:
Google 1 → Google One
The variant improves the original query’s spelling while keeping exactly the same meaning.
Airb&b → Airbnb
The variant improves the original query’s spelling while keeping exactly the same meaning.
utube → youtube
The variant improves the original query’s spelling while keeping exactly the same meaning.
When all or part of a query is in one language or script and all or part of the variant is in another language or script, research both of them to see if they share the same meaning or intent.
The variant is in a different language but it means the same as the original query and also phonetically sounds the same. Rate Good
Example:
news → 新 闻
The variant means “news” in Chinese. (If you used an online translation tool to make this rating, you must leave a note in the Comments box.)
The variant is a misspelled translation, spelling mistake does not make the variant difficult or impossible to understand. Rate Acceptable
Example:
相 片 編 輯 → editor photo
Original query means “photo editing” while variant is “editor photo”. The intent is recognizably the same.
The variant does not share same meaning or intent as the original query. Rate Bad
Example:
カメラ → photos
The variant does not share the same intent as the original query. The original query stands for “camera,” while the variant shows intent for photos. These two words are not synonyms and carry different intents.
A Good variant closely resembles the original query in appearance (includes after translation, short forms, localized version of the app name), meaning and intent, indicating a high degree of similarity.
Below are instances where the variant can be rated as Good:
The variant is a well-known short form of the original query
Example:
Telegram → TG
The variant adds or deletes a space from the original query (and there are no other issues), but the intent is still very recognizable
Example:
Snapchat → snap chat
The variant is the original query in a different grammatical form
Example:
video edit → video editor
Reordered words while keeping the same intent
Example:
radio NRK → NRK radio
Transliterations: The query and variant are two different languages but have same meaning, intent and sound the same phonetically
Example:
music → 音乐
An Acceptable variant contains a spelling mistake or other issue, but still resembles the original query in appearance and has the same meaning and intent to the original query.
Below are instances where the variant can be rated as Acceptable:
Spelling mistakes that do not make the variant difficult or impossible to understand
Example:
Norsk Tipping → Norsk Tiping
Example:
TV two play → TV 2 Play
Amazom → Amazon
The query or variant have one additional implied word added
Example:
Skype → Skype for iPhone
The words “app,” “inc,” or “gmbh” (or similar designations) have been added to the original query or variant
Example:
Entur Journey Planner → Entur Journey Planner app
A country name has been added to the brand name, narrowing the intent of the original query to a single country. If the country/locale of variant or rating is Austria, this is acceptable
Example:
mcdonalds → mcdonalds Austria
The variant is a new/explicit version of the original query
Example:
Angry birds → angry birds 2
A Bad variant is no longer resembles (includes after translation), share the same meaning and intent as the original query.
Below are instances where the variant can be rated as Bad:
Example:
running timer → running tracker (Both include the term “running,” but they convey different intents. The original query is likely seeking a timer for tracking running duration, while the variant seems to be looking for a tool to track various aspects of running, such as distance or route.)
Example:
Map norway → Norgeskart (In this case, the variant is more specific than the original query and does not cover the entire scope of the original query.)
Example:
toys → games
adult dating → 18+ dating
photo editor → image editor
Example:
Microsoft Word → Microsoft