Your Google Ads campaign can generate clicks while attracting people who want something you do not sell. A bookkeeping service might pay for searches about bookkeeping jobs. An online store selling new office chairs might attract shoppers looking for chair repairs.
The search terms report helps you investigate those mismatches. It also reveals relevant searches that deserve a better landing page or closer performance review.
This guide explains how to read the Google Ads search terms report and spot wasted spend, using a practical example and a repeatable review process. The steps focus on keyword-based Search campaigns.
What the Google Ads Search Terms Report Shows
A keyword is a targeting input you add to an ad group. A search term is what someone actually searched for. The report connects reported searches to ad performance, and its Keyword column identifies the matching keyword where applicable. Google Ads Help
For example, you might target “bookkeeping services” and receive traffic from these searches.
- “Monthly bookkeeping for small business”
- “Bookkeeping jobs near me”
Read the full query before judging it. Both mention bookkeeping, but they suggest different needs.
How to Open the Search Terms Report
- Sign in to Google Ads.
- Select Campaigns.
- Open Insights and reports.
- Select Search terms.
- Filter to the campaign or ad group you want to review and choose a date range.
Google’s current documentation lists this navigation. Check its official help page if your interface differs. Google Ads Help
Start with one campaign so the terms share a clear objective. An illustrative starting window is the past 30 days, but slower sales cycles and lower-volume campaigns may need a longer view.
Add Columns That Help You Make Decisions
Use the column selector to include the following metrics where available.
| Column | What to examine |
|---|---|
| Search term | What the person wanted |
| Campaign and ad group | Which offer or audience the search reached |
| Keyword | Which targeting keyword matched the search |
| Match type | How the query related to the matching keyword |
| Clicks and impressions | How much activity the term generated |
| Cost and average CPC | Total spend and cost per click |
| Conversions | Recorded actions relevant to your campaign |
| Cost per conversion | Spend relative to recorded conversions |
| Conversion value and value/cost | Value-based results when tracking is configured |
The report’s Match type can differ from the keyword’s configured match type. A broad-match keyword can generate a search described as an exact match in the report. Check the matching keyword before drawing conclusions about your targeting settings. Google Ads Help
Check What Counts as a Conversion
Before evaluating search terms, confirm that your conversion setup reflects the outcome you want.
For a service business, a recorded enquiry may need qualification before you know its commercial value. For an online store, distinguish purchases from intermediate actions such as adding an item to the cart.
Use the report alongside your sales or lead records. A low cost per conversion is less useful when those conversions rarely produce suitable customers.
How to Spot Wasted Spend Step by Step
1. Sort by Cost
Start with the searches consuming the most budget. Then read each query and ask whether your business can satisfy that need.
This prioritizes the review. A costly but relevant term may need investigation, while a clearly unrelated query may justify an exclusion even after little spend.
2. Check Search Intent Against Your Offer
Compare the query with your products, services, pricing model, and service area.
| Search intent | Example for a paid bookkeeping service | Initial assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a service | monthly bookkeeping service | Relevant |
| Seeking employment | bookkeeping jobs | Irrelevant to a client-acquisition campaign |
| Learning independently | how to do bookkeeping yourself | Depends on the campaign’s objective |
| Seeking software | bookkeeping software download | Mismatched if you only sell a managed service |
| Comparing providers | bookkeeping service reviews | Potentially relevant |
Words such as “free,” “reviews,” and “cheap” need context. Someone searching for a service with a free consultation may still be a suitable customer.
3. Check Results Without Overreacting to Small Samples
Zero conversions can mean different things.
The term may be irrelevant. It may have too little data. The landing page may fail to answer the query, or conversion tracking may need attention.
Recent clicks may also convert later. Google explains that conversion delay can temporarily make cost per acquisition look higher and return on ad spend look lower. Consider your usual conversion cycle before judging recent results. Google Ads Help
Avoid applying a universal rule such as “block every term after ten clicks.” The significance depends on relevance, click costs, expected conversion rate, and your acceptable acquisition cost.
4. Review Related Searches Together
Individual terms may have little activity. Group similar searches in an exported spreadsheet to see recurring patterns.
You might find that several employment-related searches each cost a small amount but collectively consume a noticeable portion of the reviewed budget.
Keep useful distinctions. “Bookkeeping course” and “bookkeeping for training companies” contain similar words but describe different needs.
5. Choose a Specific Action
Use one of these outcomes for each reviewed term.
- Exclude a search that clearly conflicts with the offer.
- Investigate relevant traffic with weak results.
- Improve alignment when the ad or landing page does not meet the searcher’s needs.
- Monitor when relevance looks reasonable but evidence is limited.
- Consider targeting changes when repeated matches show a broader pattern.
These are practical review guidelines. The right action depends on your business and campaign objective.
Worked Example of a Search Terms Review
Suppose a business advertises paid monthly bookkeeping. These numbers are hypothetical, and conversions represent recorded enquiries.
| Search term | Clicks | Cost | Enquiries | Review decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| monthly bookkeeping service | 20 | $80 | 4 | Keep and check enquiry quality |
| bookkeeping jobs | 12 | $36 | 0 | Exclude employment intent |
| free bookkeeping template | 10 | $25 | 0 | Exclude if templates are outside the campaign’s purpose |
| bookkeeping for online stores | 15 | $60 | 1 | Check lead quality and landing-page fit |
| bookkeeping service near me | 3 | $12 | 0 | Monitor if the service area fits |
The reviewed rows total $213. The employment and template searches account for $61.
$61 ÷ $213 × 100 = approximately 28.6%
Under the stated assumptions, that is the share of this reviewed sample spent on clearly mismatched intent. It is not a forecast of future savings.
The first term’s cost per recorded enquiry is $80 ÷ 4 = $20. The online-store term’s figure is $60 ÷ 1 = $60.
Check whether the enquiries are suitable before treating either result as commercially successful.
How to Add Negative Keywords Carefully
Google lets you select search terms and choose Add as negative keyword, then select an ad group, campaign, or negative keyword list. Negatives added from the Search report default to negative exact match, so review the match type before saving. Google Ads Help
For Search campaigns, negative match types work as follows.
| Negative match type | Example | What it blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Exact | [bookkeeping jobs] | The specified search without extra words |
| Phrase | "bookkeeping jobs" | Searches containing those words together in that order |
| Broad | bookkeeping jobs | Searches containing all those words, including a different order |
Google says negatives do not expand to synonyms or singular and plural versions. Add those separately when appropriate. Casing and misspellings are handled automatically. Google Ads Help
Check the Scope Before Saving
An ad-group exclusion affects a smaller area than a campaign exclusion. Account-level negatives apply across eligible search and shopping inventory, so reserve them for intent that is unsuitable across the relevant account. Google Ads Help
Before adding a negative, write one sentence explaining why it should be blocked. If the reason is only “no conversions yet,” investigate further.
For example, blocking the word “free” across an account could also exclude a relevant search such as “bookkeeping service with free consultation.” Review the full implication of the exclusion.
Understand the Report’s Visibility Limits
Some low-volume queries are omitted for privacy. Search terms insights can group those queries into themes without exposing the individual searches. The visible rows therefore do not provide a complete query-by-query account of all traffic. Google Ads Help
Use the same date range and campaign filters when comparing reports. Keep calculations based on visible rows clearly labelled as a reviewed sample.
A Repeatable Search Terms Review Checklist
- Confirm the campaign objective and conversion setup.
- Select a date range that accounts for conversion delay.
- Sort terms by cost.
- Identify clear mismatches between searches and the offer.
- Investigate relevant terms with weak results.
- Check negative keyword match type and scope.
- Record changes and review later outcomes.
A weekly review is a practical starting routine for a small active campaign. Review more often during a new launch or rapid spending changes, and allow sufficient time to assess conversion results.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between search terms and keywords?
Keywords are targeting inputs selected by advertisers. Search terms are the queries people actually use. Reviewing both helps you understand whether your targeting is reaching the intended demand.
2. Should I block every search term with zero conversions?
No. Check relevance, the amount of data, conversion delay, tracking, and landing-page fit. Clearly unrelated searches and relevant searches with limited evidence call for different decisions.
3. Why can’t I see every search query?
Google omits some low-volume queries for privacy. You can review broader themes in search terms insights, but those themes do not reveal every individual query. Google Ads Help
4. Should I add every converting search term as a keyword?
Evaluate whether adding it gives you a useful targeting or messaging opportunity. It is already receiving traffic. One conversion alone does not establish a reliable pattern.
5. Can the search terms report prove my campaign is profitable?
The report helps assess traffic and recorded outcomes. To evaluate profitability, also consider product margins, fulfilment costs, refunds, lead quality, and completed sales. Revenue-based return on ad spend alone does not account for all business costs.
Conclusion
Start with your highest-spend searches and compare each one with what your business actually offers. Exclude clear mismatches, investigate relevant traffic with weak results, and record why you make each change.
A consistent review process gives you a clearer basis for deciding where to spend, what to improve, and which searches deserve more time.
