Search Terms Report

A Search Terms Report is a summary of all the actual keywords people typed in before they clicked on your Google Ads ad. The report shows the difference between the keywords you bid on and the searches that actually triggered your ad. For SMBs with a limited ad budget, this is one of the most powerful tools to avoid waste and attract relevant visitors.

How a Search Terms Report works in Google Ads

When you set up a campaign in Google Ads, you choose a keyword match type such as broad, phrase or exact. A broad match keyword like'ecommerce store design' can trigger your ad with dozens of variations:'cheap ecommerce store build', 'compare ecommerce platform' or even 'free ecommerce software'. The Search Terms Report shows exactly which variations actually generate clicks. You can see per search term how many impressions, clicks, costs and conversions you got. In this way, you can discover which terms deliver value and which only burn up budget.

Why the Search Terms Report became a game-changer in 2018

Until 2018, Google showed virtually all search terms in the report. Since then, Google filters terms with low search volume for privacy reasons. In practice, this means you still see 70 to 85 percent of your search terms, but long tail variations are often hidden. For SMBs, this is a reason to monitor even more closely: the terms you do see are often the biggest budget items. The report remains the only way to see if your ad groups are attracting the right intent or if your ads are matching with irrelevant searches.

What a Search Terms Report will do for your ad budget

A well-used Search Terms Report saves an average of 15 to 30 percent of your ad budget by eliminating irrelevant clicks. You add search terms as negative keywords, refine your match types and discover new opportunities that you had not yet added as keywords. In practice, we see with SME clients that a monthly review of the report leads to a higher quality score, lower cost-per-click and more conversions from the same budget. This makes the report an indispensable part of any SEO and advertising strategy that seeks measurable results.

The Search Terms Report is not a passive overview, but an active steering tool. You use it to adjust your campaigns, stop budget waste and discover opportunities that you would otherwise miss. Below are four concrete situations in which SMBs are using the report to increase their advertising efficiency.

Add negative keywords to stop budget waste

The most direct application is identifying irrelevant search terms. Say you run a B2B web design agency and bid on "website design. Your Search Terms Report shows that your ad also appears on "free website design," "website build yourself," and "cheapest website builder. These terms attract hobbyists and students, not paying customers. By adding them as a negative keyword at the campaign or ad group level, you prevent your budget from leaking away to non-qualified clicks. In practice, this results in a 10 to 25 percent lower cost per conversion within a month.

Discovering new keywords you're not yet offering

The report often reveals search terms with high conversion rates that you had not yet added as a keyword. An example: an ecommerce store in organic baby products bids on 'organic baby clothing'. The report shows that 'GOTS certified rompers' and 'organic cotton size 68' generate a lot of conversions. Adding these terms as exact or phrase match keywords gives you more control over your ad copy and landing pages. You increase your Quality Score and lower your cost-per-click. This is especially valuable for niche products or services where customers use specific terms you hadn't thought of yourself.

Refine match types for greater control and lower costs

The Search Terms Report shows if your broad match keywords are triggering too broadly. An installation company bids on "central heating boiler replacement" as a broad match. The report shows that the ad also appears for 'boiler repair', 'boiler maintenance' and 'boiler failure'. If the company only does replacements, not repairs, this is a waste of budget. By changing the keyword to phrase match or exact match, or adding variants as a negative keyword, you get sharper targeting. Combined with a targeted SEO approach for organic findability, you build a more efficient online marketing strategy.

When a Search Terms Report is the right choice and when it is not

A Search Terms Report is valuable once you spend more than $500 per month on Google Ads and your campaigns run longer than two weeks. Without sufficient data, you won't see enough search terms to identify useful patterns. The report is less useful for Display or YouTube campaigns because they don't run on keywords. Even for campaigns with exact match keywords only, the report provides few surprises. Better use your time then on optimizing your landing pages or testing new ad copy. For all other Search campaigns, a monthly review of the report is a must.