The search terms report is where theory meets reality. It shows you exactly what people searched for when they clicked your ads—and it's often surprising, frustrating, and occasionally hilarious. More importantly, it's your primary tool for reactive negative keyword management.
If you're still building your foundation, start with our guide on building a negative keyword list first.
Accessing Your Search Terms Report
In Google Ads:
- Navigate to Keywords → Search terms
- Select your date range (start with last 30 days)
- Filter by campaign or ad group if needed
Pro tip: Download as CSV for easier analysis in Excel or Google Sheets. The in-platform interface is limited for large datasets.
The Hidden Search Terms Problem
Before we dive in, a reality check: Google doesn't show you everything.
Since September 2020, Google hides search terms that don't meet certain privacy thresholds. This means:
- Low-volume searches are hidden
- You might only see 50-70% of your actual search queries
- Some wasted spend is invisible to you
This makes proactive negative keyword building even more critical. You can't fix what you can't see.
What to Look For
High Spend, Zero Conversions
Sort by cost descending. Any search term with significant spend and no conversions deserves scrutiny:
- Is it relevant to your business?
- Does it have the right intent?
- Should it be negated, or does it need more time?
Rule of thumb: If a search term has spent 2-3x your target CPA with no conversions, consider adding it as a negative.
Pattern Recognition
Don't just look at individual terms. Look for patterns:
Question words: "how to," "what is," "can you" often indicate research intent, not buying intent.
Location modifiers: If you're seeing cities you don't serve, add geographic negatives.
Job-related additions: Your keyword + "jobs," "salary," "careers" means job seekers are clicking.
Brand confusion: Searches for competitor products or similar-sounding brands.
Low-Quality Modifiers
Watch for these common wasted-spend indicators:
- "free" + your product
- "cheap" / "budget" (if you're premium)
- "DIY" / "how to make"
- "reddit" / "forum" / "review" (often research, not buying)
- "download" / "pdf" / "template"
Misspellings and Typos
Google's broad match catches misspellings, which can be good or bad:
- Misspellings of your product? Usually fine.
- Misspellings that mean something else entirely? Negate them.
Building an Analysis Workflow
Here's a systematic approach for weekly search term reviews:
Step 1: Export and Sort
- Export last 7 days of search terms
- Sort by impressions (to see volume) or cost (to see spend)
- Add columns for "Action" and "Notes"
Step 2: Quick Scan for Obvious Negatives
First pass: Mark obvious irrelevant terms for immediate negation. Don't overthink—if it's clearly wrong, add it.
Step 3: Analyze the Gray Area
Second pass: Review terms that aren't obviously good or bad. Consider:
- Conversion rate compared to account average
- Cost per conversion vs. target
- Intent alignment with your offering
Step 4: Look for Patterns
Group similar terms together:
- Multiple job-related searches → add to jobs negative list
- Multiple location-based mismatches → add geographic negatives
- Multiple brand confusions → add competitor negatives
Step 5: Implement and Document
Add negatives at the appropriate level:
- Broad patterns → account or campaign level
- Specific terms → ad group level
Document what you added and why. Future you will thank present you.
N-Gram Analysis for Power Users
For large accounts, manual review isn't enough. N-gram analysis helps find patterns at scale.
An n-gram is a sequence of words:
- Unigram: single word ("free")
- Bigram: two words ("free trial")
- Trigram: three words ("free trial software")
Process:
- Export a large search terms dataset (90+ days)
- Use Excel or Python to count word frequency
- Identify high-frequency low-value words
- Add as negatives
Example finding: The word "cheap" appears in 47 search terms that spent $2,340 with zero conversions. Add "cheap" as a broad match negative.
For automation approaches, see our guide on scripts and automation for negative keywords.
Setting Up Alerts
Don't rely on memory for regular reviews. Set up systems:
Calendar reminders: Weekly 30-minute block for search term review
Spend thresholds: Review any new search term that exceeds $50 in spend
Automated reports: Schedule search terms exports to your email
What NOT to Negate
Sometimes the data misleads. Before negating, consider:
New Terms Need Time
A term with 10 clicks and no conversions might just need more data. Don't be too trigger-happy with low-volume terms.
Consider the Full Journey
A search term might not convert directly but could introduce customers who convert later. Check assisted conversions if you have attribution data.
Seasonal Factors
"Christmas [product]" searches in July might look wasteful, but they'll be valuable in November. Context matters.
Negative Keyword Conflicts
Before adding a negative, check it won't block keywords you actually want. "Software free trial" as a negative could block your "free trial" keyword.
Read more about these pitfalls in common negative keyword mistakes.
The Search Partner Problem
Search terms from Google's Search Partner network are often lower quality but show in the same report. Consider:
- Filtering by network to analyze separately
- Being more aggressive with negatives if partner traffic underperforms
- Potentially opting out of search partners entirely
More on this in our deep dive on search partners and negative keywords.
Measuring Your Progress
Track these metrics over time to measure negative keyword effectiveness:
- Irrelevant search term percentage: Should decrease
- Cost per conversion: Should improve
- Click-through rate: May increase as you filter out poor matches
- Conversion rate: Should improve as traffic quality increases
Conclusion
Your search terms report tells the real story of how Google is spending your money. The advertisers who review it regularly and act on what they find consistently outperform those who set and forget.
Make search term review a habit. The wasted spend you eliminate compounds over time, freeing up budget for searches that actually drive your business forward.