Search Terms Report
Also known as: Search Query Report, Search Terms
The search terms report shows the actual queries people typed before clicking your ads, as opposed to the keywords you bid on. It reveals what searches your match types are matching to, which drove clicks and conversions, and which irrelevant terms are quietly spending budget.
Key Takeaways
- The search terms report shows the actual queries people typed before clicking your ads, not the keywords you bid on.
- It reveals which searches your match types matched to and which drove clicks and conversions.
- The report surfaces irrelevant terms quietly spending budget so you can add them as negative keywords.
- It also uncovers profitable new queries worth adding as keywords to a campaign.
- Search terms drift constantly with broader match, so the report needs review on a regular cadence.
How It Works
The search terms report bridges the gap between the keywords you bid on and the real queries that triggered your ads. Because match settings expand your reach, the words you target and the words people actually type are rarely identical, and this report shows the difference along with the clicks, cost, and conversions each real query produced.
It is the practical control panel for a search campaign. Reviewing it against your Keyword Match Types tells you whether broad or phrase settings are pulling in the right traffic or drifting into waste, and watching Cost Per Click by query shows where budget is going. Since Responsive Search Ads serve against these queries, the report also hints at which themes deserve their own tightly matched assets.
The workflow is simple and recurring: mine the report on a cadence, add high-intent queries as new keywords, and block irrelevant ones as negatives. Pairing this with Geotargeting checks that spend stays inside the regions you serve, so budget goes to searches that can actually convert.
Why It Matters
This report is the ground truth of a search campaign. It surfaces profitable new keywords to add, wasteful queries to block as negatives, and mismatches between what you sell and what searchers actually want, all in one place.
Example
A local HVAC company bids on the phrase ac repair. Opening the search terms report, they find clicks from ac repair jobs and ac repair training, searches from people wanting employment, not service. They add those as negative keywords, and they also spot emergency ac repair converting well, so they add it as a new keyword and write a matching ad.
Common Mistake
Never opening it, or opening it only when spend spikes. Search terms drift constantly, especially with broader match types, so mine the report on a regular cadence to add negatives and capture high-intent queries you missed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between keywords and search terms?
Keywords are the words you bid on. Search terms are the actual queries people typed that triggered your ad. Because match types expand reach, the two rarely match exactly, and the report shows every real query.
How often should I check the search terms report?
On a regular cadence, weekly or biweekly for active campaigns, because search terms drift constantly, especially with broader match types. Frequent review lets you add negatives before waste accumulates and capture new high-intent queries early.
How do I use the report to cut wasted spend?
Scan for queries that got clicks but no conversions or clearly do not match what you sell, then add them as negative keywords. This blocks future spend on those searches and tightens which queries can trigger your ads.