How to Read and Act on the Google Ads Search Terms Report
We show you exactly how to extract actionable insights from your Google Ads search terms report to eliminate wasted spend and improve campaign performance.
- What the Google Ads Search Terms Report Shows You
- Where to Find the Search Terms Report in Google Ads
- Key Metrics to Analyse in Your Search Terms Report
- How to Find Wasted Spend in the Google Ads Search Terms Report
- Adding Negative Keywords to Optimise Search Terms
- Finding New Keyword Opportunities
- Understanding How Match Types Affect Your Report
- Troubleshooting Common Search Terms Report Issues
- Creating a Regular Review Schedule
What the Google Ads Search Terms Report Shows You
The Google Ads search terms report displays the actual search queries that triggered your ads. This differs from your keyword list. Your keywords tell Google when you want to show ads. The search terms report tells you when Google actually showed them.
This distinction matters because Google uses match types to determine relevance. Even with exact match keywords, your ads may appear for variations you never intended. The search terms report reveals these variations.
Each entry in the report includes the search term, which keyword triggered it, how many clicks and impressions occurred, your cost, and conversion data. This information helps you understand whether Google is spending your budget wisely.
We review search terms reports for every account we manage because this data directly impacts profitability. You cannot optimise what you do not measure, and the search terms report measures actual user behaviour rather than your intentions.
Where to Find the Search Terms Report in Google Ads
Access the search terms report through the left navigation menu in Google Ads. Click on Keywords, then select Search Terms from the page menu that appears at the top.
Log into your Google Ads account and select the campaign you want to analyse
Click Keywords in the left navigation panel
Select Search Terms from the horizontal menu near the top of the page
Adjust the date range in the top right to view the period you want to analyse
Date Range Selection: We recommend reviewing at least 30 days of data for established campaigns. Shorter periods may not show statistically significant patterns. New campaigns may need 60-90 days before you see enough data to make confident decisions.
You can filter the report by campaign, ad group, or individual keyword. This helps when you manage multiple campaigns or want to focus on specific areas of concern.
Key Metrics to Analyse in Your Google Ads Search Terms Report
The search terms report contains multiple columns. Not all metrics deserve equal attention. We focus on specific indicators that reveal performance problems and opportunities.
| Metric | What It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions | How often your ad appeared | High impressions without clicks suggest poor relevance |
| Clicks | How many users clicked your ad | Shows initial interest level |
| Cost | Total spend on that search term | Identifies where budget goes |
| Conversions | Completed goals from those clicks | Determines actual value |
| Conv. Rate | Percentage of clicks that convert | Shows quality of traffic |
| Cost per Conversion | How much each conversion costs | Reveals profitability |
Sort by cost to see which search terms consume the most budget. This immediately reveals where to focus your attention. A search term spending £500 with zero conversions needs action before a £5 non-converter.
Next, sort by conversions to identify your best performers. These terms deserve more budget allocation. Consider adding them as exact match keywords with higher bids.
Look at conversion rate to find terms with high costs but low conversion rates. These represent wasted spend even if they generate some conversions. Compare their conversion rate to your account average to determine if they meet your standards.
Pro Tip: Add the Added/Excluded column to your view. This shows whether you have already taken action on a search term. It prevents duplicate work and helps you spot terms that need revisiting.
How to Find Wasted Spend in the Google Ads Search Terms Report
Finding wasted spend means identifying search terms that cost money but deliver no value. This process requires systematic analysis rather than random clicking through pages of data.
Start by filtering for search terms with at least 10 clicks and zero conversions. This threshold ensures you look at terms with enough data to judge performance. A single click tells you nothing. Ten clicks with no conversion suggests a problem.
Calculate what we call the waste ratio. Divide the cost by your average cost per conversion. If a non-converting term costs £100 and your average conversion costs £20, it wasted five potential conversions worth of budget.
- Sort by cost descending to identify the most expensive non-performers first
- Look for irrelevant terms that clearly mismatch your offering
- Identify informational queries when you sell products
- Find location-based searches outside your service area
- Spot competitor name searches if you do not want that traffic
- Notice job seekers searching for employment rather than services
The search terms report in Google Ads often reveals that 20% of terms consume 80% of wasted budget. Focus on the heavy spenders first. Adding ten negative keywords that each wasted £100 saves more than adding fifty that wasted £5 each.
Important Context: Do not judge a search term solely on direct conversions if you track multiple conversion types. Check if these terms contribute to assisted conversions in your attribution reports. Some terms start the customer journey even if they do not close it.
We regularly find clients spending 15-30% of their search budget on irrelevant terms. This money disappears because nobody reviews the search terms report systematically. The report exists to prevent this waste, but only if you act on what it shows.
To find wasted spend in Google Ads, you must also consider click-through rate. Terms with many impressions but few clicks waste opportunity rather than money directly. They lower your overall quality score, which increases costs on all keywords.
Adding Negative Keywords to Optimise Search Terms in Google Ads
Once you identify wasted spend, you must add negative keywords to prevent those terms from triggering your ads again. The process involves strategic thinking about match types and placement levels.
Select the checkbox next to each search term you want to exclude
Click the Add as Negative Keyword button that appears at the top
Choose whether to add at campaign or ad group level
Select the appropriate negative match type
Save and verify the negative keyword appears in your list
Deciding between campaign and ad group level placement depends on scope. If a term is irrelevant to your entire campaign, add it at campaign level. If it only mismatches one ad group, keep it at ad group level to maintain flexibility elsewhere.
| Negative Match Type | How It Works | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Broad | Blocks the keyword in any order with other words | General concepts you never want |
| Phrase | Blocks the exact phrase in that order | Specific phrases that indicate wrong intent |
| Exact | Blocks only that specific term | Precise terms to exclude without affecting variations |
Most negative keywords should use broad match. If you sell services and someone searches for jobs, you want to block job, jobs, employment, and career. Broad match negative for job achieves this with one entry.
Use phrase match when word order matters. Marketing consultant services and services for marketing consultants mean different things. Phrase match lets you block one without the other.
Exact match negative keywords suit narrow exclusions. You might want to block iPhone 12 specifically while still showing ads for iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. Exact match achieves this precision.
Negative Keyword Lists: Create shared negative keyword lists for terms that apply across all campaigns. This saves time and ensures consistency. Common examples include free, cheap, DIY, jobs, and career terms that rarely convert for service businesses.
We recommend building negative keyword lists in categories. One list for job seekers, another for DIY enthusiasts, another for competitor names. Apply relevant lists to each campaign. This systematic approach prevents the same waste recurring in new campaigns. Google Ads management service
Finding New Keyword Opportunities in the Search Terms Report
The search terms report does more than reveal problems. It shows you high-performing variations you should target explicitly. These opportunities often outperform your original keyword ideas because they reflect real user language.
Filter for search terms with at least five conversions and a cost per conversion below your target. Sort by conversion volume to see which unexpected terms drive results. These deserve promotion to explicit keywords with dedicated budgets.
- Look for long-tail variations that convert better than short generic terms
- Notice location modifiers that indicate high-intent local searches
- Identify product-specific terms you had not considered
- Spot urgency indicators like same day, emergency, or urgent
- Find qualifier words that signal buying intent versus research
When you find a high-performing search term, add it as an exact match keyword. This gives you direct control over bidding and messaging for that specific query. Create dedicated ad copy that matches the search term exactly.
We often find that 60-70% of conversions come from search terms outside the original keyword list. The search terms report reveals what actually works rather than what you thought would work. This data-driven approach consistently outperforms intuition alone.
Pro Tip: When you promote a search term to a keyword, add the original broad or phrase match keyword as a negative in exact match. This prevents overlap and ensures your new exact match keyword captures all traffic for that term at your chosen bid.
To optimise search terms in Google Ads effectively, you must balance exclusion with expansion. Many advertisers only look for negatives. The most successful campaigns also mine the report for winners to scale.
Understanding How Match Types Affect Your Google Ads Search Terms Report
Match types determine which search terms trigger your keywords. Understanding this relationship explains why certain terms appear in your report and helps you make smarter decisions about keyword structure.
Broad match keywords generate the most diverse search terms. Google interprets broad match liberally, showing your ads for synonyms, related searches, and variations Google deems relevant. This creates the longest list in your search terms report but also the most waste.
Phrase match provides middle ground. Your keyword phrase must appear in the search term in approximately that order, but Google allows additional words before, after, or between. The search terms report will show many variations, though more controlled than broad match.
Exact match, despite its name, still shows variations. Google matches close variants including misspellings, singular and plural forms, and terms with the same search intent. Your exact match keyword for marketing services might trigger searches for marketing service, service marketing, or services for marketing.
| Match Type | Expected Search Term Variety | Review Frequency Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Broad Match | Very high | Weekly for new campaigns, fortnightly for established |
| Phrase Match | Moderate | Fortnightly for new campaigns, monthly for established |
| Exact Match | Low to moderate | Monthly for most campaigns |
We see the matched keyword column in the search terms report showing which keyword triggered each search term. This reveals whether your match type strategy works as intended. If your exact match keywords consistently trigger irrelevant searches, your negative keyword list needs work.
Smart Bidding campaigns using broad match require more frequent search terms report reviews. Google optimises towards conversions but may test search terms you consider irrelevant. The report lets you guide the algorithm with negative keywords.
Match Type Strategy: We typically recommend starting with phrase match for control, then expanding successful keywords to broad match with careful monitoring. This approach balances discovery with cost control. Track performance in the search terms report to validate the strategy.
Troubleshooting Common Search Terms Report Issues
We encounter recurring issues when analysing search terms reports. Understanding these problems helps you interpret data correctly and avoid incorrect optimisation decisions.
Google no longer shows all search terms in the report. They hide queries with low volume to protect user privacy. This means your report shows the majority of your spend but not every single query. Factor this limitation into your analysis.
The missing data typically represents a small percentage of cost but a larger percentage of unique queries. Focus your optimisation on the visible data, which represents your biggest opportunities and problems.
If conversion tracking issues prevent proper analysis, address that first. You cannot optimise what you cannot measure. Verify your conversion tags fire correctly using Google Tag Manager preview mode or browser developer tools. GTM setup service
Some advertisers worry about missing search terms affecting their ability to optimise. In practice, the visible terms represent enough data for effective decisions. The hidden terms typically follow similar patterns to those shown.
Creating a Regular Review Schedule for Your Google Ads Search Terms Report
One-time optimisation delivers temporary improvements. Sustained success requires regular search terms report reviews. The frequency depends on spend, campaign age, and match types used.
| Campaign Status | Monthly Spend | Review Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| New campaign (0-30 days) | Any amount | Every 3-5 days |
| Established campaign | Under £1,000 | Monthly |
| Established campaign | £1,000 – £5,000 | Fortnightly |
| Established campaign | Over £5,000 | Weekly |
| Using broad match | Any amount | Increase frequency by one level |
New campaigns require frequent monitoring because Google is still learning. The algorithm tests various search terms to find what converts. Your job is to guide this learning by adding negatives for poor performers and exact match keywords for winners.
Established campaigns stabilise over time. Monthly reviews often suffice for small accounts with tight match types. However, market conditions change. Competitors enter your space. Customer language evolves. Regular reviews ensure you adapt.
Review Process: Create a standard procedure for each review session. Sort by cost to find expensive waste. Sort by conversions to find winners. Export the data to track trends over time. This consistency makes reviews faster and ensures you miss nothing important.
Document your negative keywords with reasons. Six months later you may wonder why you blocked a term. Notes prevent removing negatives you added for good reasons but no longer remember. We maintain a spreadsheet tracking negative keyword additions with dates and justifications.
Set calendar reminders for your review schedule. Without reminders, reviews get postponed during busy periods. The search terms report only helps if you actually review it. Make this a non-negotiable part of your Google Ads management routine.
For accounts with dozens of campaigns, prioritise high-spend campaigns in each review session. Review every campaign monthly but focus weekly attention where you spend the most. This practical approach balances thoroughness with time constraints. contact us
- Set calendar reminders for review sessions based on spend level
- Open the search terms report and set your date range
- Sort by cost and identify expensive non-converters for negative keywords
- Sort by conversions and find high performers to promote to exact match
- Apply your changes and document what you did and why
- Check back after the next review period to measure impact
Making the Google Ads Search Terms Report Your Competitive Advantage
The Google Ads search terms report provides direct insight into whether Google spends your money wisely. Most advertisers set up campaigns and forget about them. They waste budget on irrelevant searches while missing opportunities hidden in high-performing variations. Regular search terms report analysis separates profitable campaigns from expensive disappointments.
We have shown you how to access the report, which metrics matter, how to identify waste, and how to take action. You now understand match types, negative keywords, and review schedules. This knowledge means nothing without implementation. Start your first review today. Find your biggest cost with zero conversions and add it as a negative keyword. That single action will save you money immediately.
Successful Google Ads management requires data-driven decisions. The search terms report provides that data. You cannot control what Google shows your ads for without reviewing this report. You cannot find your best keyword opportunities without mining this data. Make search terms report analysis a habit and your campaigns will outperform competitors who ignore this free optimisation tool sitting in their accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you review your Google Ads search terms report?
Review new campaigns every 3-5 days for the first month to guide algorithm learning. Established campaigns need weekly reviews if you spend over £5,000 monthly, fortnightly for £1,000-£5,000 spend, and monthly for lower budgets. Increase frequency if you use broad match keywords, as these generate more search term variety.
Why do some search terms not appear in the search terms report?
Google withholds search terms with very low search volume to protect user privacy. These hidden terms typically represent a small percentage of total spend but many unique queries. The visible terms in your report show the majority of your budget allocation and provide sufficient data for optimisation decisions.
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