Content Match is a term being used more by pay- per-click search engines to offer options on types of searches you'll be listed under.

Content Match as defined means, when a user types a phrase or keywords, your listing will show up even if it's not relevant. For instance if an Internet shopper types in the term sports car, because they are looking for a small sporty car, they might type the term "Sports Car" into a search engine.

If I were selling sports cars and was paying for the term "Sports Car" I wouldn't mind paying as long as someone actually typed in the term "Sports Car." But content match makes it so that even if someone types in "Car Sports", your listing will come up. That's not good because now you're paying for the click of that person that just typed in the term "Car Sports." This guy is obviously looking for something different than a sports car so you just paid for something you didn't want.

Another example content match is if I'm bidding on the keyword "Internet Business" and people start typing in the term "Business Internet." Well, the people who are typing in the term "Business Internet" are looking for internet services for their business. I'm only interested in the people who are looking to start an Internet business.

One last example, if I'm selling an item called a "Star Rock" that is a kids toy, which is a plastic replica of a rock, with lights inside it that make it glow. I want people to be able to find me when they do a search for "Star Rock." But what about all those thousands of people that type in "Rock Star" each day? If I was paying for content match, I'd have to pay for all those people looking for information on rock stars. What a waste. I only want to pay when shoppers type in the term "Star Rock." And the words must be in that order. The only way to be sure that happens is to turn off the content match feature.

To be sure you don't waste your marketing dollars as described in the above examples, just be sure to turn off the "Content Match" feature. It will be some where in your control panel in what ever pay per click search engine you happen to use.