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How to review your Google Ads search terms report

The search terms report shows you the actual queries people typed before clicking your ad. It's the single highest-leverage hygiene task in any Search account. This guide covers where to find it, what to look for on every review, and how to turn what you find into either negative keywords or exact-match promotions.

Where the report lives

In Google Ads, go to Insights and reports > Search terms. The default view shows the last 30 days. Set the date range to at least 28 days so the data is meaningful.

The columns you'll see by default:

  • Search term. The actual query someone typed.
  • Keyword. The keyword in your account that matched.
  • Match type. Which match type allowed the match (Broad, Phrase, Exact, or AI Max for Search campaigns with AI Max enabled).
  • Impressions, clicks, CTR, cost, conversions, conv. rate, cost / conv.. Standard performance metrics.

For AI Max campaigns, add the Source column to the default view. It tells you whether a search term was matched via broad match expansion or keywordless matching. That column was added in October 2025 and is the single most useful addition for AI Max reviewers.

Three things to look for

On every review, sort by cost descending and look for three patterns.

Irrelevant queries. These are search terms that triggered your ad but have nothing to do with what you sell. A running shoe ad showing on "running shoe reviews" is relevant. The same ad showing on "free running shoes" or "running shoes for dogs" is not. Add the irrelevant ones as negative keywords. Aim to spend the first 10 minutes of every review on this pass alone.

Low-CTR high-impression queries. These are queries where your ad got seen a lot but barely got clicked. A low CTR hurts your Quality Score over time and inflates cost per click. Two common causes: the search term is loosely relevant but your ad copy doesn't match, or the match type is too broad. For the first, write more specific ad copy or tighten the landing page. For the second, narrow the match type or add the term as a phrase-match negative.

High-converting queries you don't have as keywords. These are search terms that converted well but aren't broken out as their own keywords. They're being matched by broad or phrase match on a different keyword. Promoting them to their own exact-match keyword gives you tighter bidding control and cleaner data for Smart Bidding to learn from.

How to action

For each finding, the action depends on the pattern.

Irrelevant query? Check the box next to the search term, click Add as negative keyword, and pick the scope. Per Google's docs, negative keywords added from the search terms report are added as negative exact match by default. To switch match types, use the symbols in the field (for example, prefix with - and add quotes for negative phrase). Format your full negative list with our Negative Keyword Wrapper if you've pulled a batch of candidates.

Low-CTR high-impression query? Either tighten the keyword's match type or add the query as a phrase-match negative. Don't change both at once. Make one change per review cycle so you can attribute the effect.

High-converting query? Promote it to its own exact-match keyword in the same ad group. Or create a new tightly-themed ad group if the conversion pattern differs from your existing ad groups. Clean the list first with our PPC Keyword Cleaner to remove duplicates and trim whitespace before adding the new keywords.

For deeper guidance on building the negative list itself, see our negative keyword lists guide. The review you're doing here is the upstream signal that feeds that list.

AI Max callout

If your campaign uses AI Max for Search, switch the search terms report to the dedicated Search terms and landing pages from AI Max view (top dropdown). It shows the search term plus the headline and landing page that served, which is how you evaluate whether AI Max's matching is landing on the right combination. With the Source column added, you can also filter by match type = "AI Max" to see only the matches AI Max drove. Google's AI Max reporting docs recommend reviewing the search terms view every 1-2 weeks for AI Max campaigns. For standard Search campaigns without AI Max, monthly is usually enough.

FAQ

How often should I review the search terms report?

For standard Search campaigns, regular reviews with at least a monthly cadence are enough. For AI Max campaigns, every 1-2 weeks since the matching is broader and shifts faster. The cadence matters less than the habit. Set a recurring calendar event and stick to it.

Why are some search terms missing from the report?

Google withholds search terms that don't meet a minimum volume threshold or that could identify a specific person. The aggregate clicks and cost for those queries are still counted, but the actual queries don't show.

Can I bulk-add negatives directly from the search terms report?

Yes. Check the boxes next to multiple search terms, click "Add as negative keyword", and choose the scope (ad group, campaign, or a negative keyword list). Defaults to negative exact match.

Should I review search terms for Performance Max campaigns too?

Yes, but the report is structured differently. PMax shows search themes and audience signals rather than keyword-level matches. We cover that in the Performance Max search themes guide.