What is Lexical Search?

Lexical analysis in paid search means looking at the exact words people type into a search engine. Advertisers use those words to decide which ads to show, how much to bid, and how to target users. Because it depends on exact matches, even a small change in wording—like “car insurance” vs. “auto insurance”—can change whether an ad appears, how much it costs, and who sees it.

Some people say that semantic search lies, but that’s not true. They don’t actually "understand" language, so they can’t knowingly construct a lie. Instead, semantic search works by making connections and seeing patterns. Instead of outright lying, semantic search engines might:

• Misinterpret what a user is asking.
• Return results that loosely relate to the keyword, but not exactly.
• Get confused when search terms are vague or complex.

No. Each works in different situations. Lexical search is best for exact word matches, though it can also include fuzzy matching for typos. Semantic search excels at finding related concepts or broader meaning. Most search engines use both, depending on the query.

Semantic search focuses on understanding the meaning behind words. Lexical search matches exact keywords. Google search interprets semantic meaning, suggests related concepts, and helps rank results using contextual understanding.