How to read the Google Ads search terms report

The search terms report shows the actual words people typed before your ad showed — as opposed to the keyword you bid on. It's one of the fastest ways to see where your budget is really going, but only if you know what to look for.

Where is the search terms report?

In Google Ads, open Insights & reports in the left menu, then Search terms, or go to a campaign and open the Search terms tab under Insights & reports.

Sign in to Google Ads and select the account.
Open Insights & reports in the left-hand menu.
Select Search terms.
Set the date range to at least the last 30–90 days so you have enough data.
Sort the table by Cost, highest first.

What does each column mean?

The report lists the actual search query, which keyword and ad group it matched, and the usual performance columns: clicks, impressions, cost, conversions.

Search term — the words someone actually typed.
Match type — how that search matched your keyword (exact, phrase, or broad, plus close variants).
Added/Excluded — whether that term is already a keyword or a negative keyword in your account.
Cost, clicks, conversions — the usual performance numbers for that specific search.

Want Google Ads done for you?

You approve your plan. Claritad builds your account, ads and tracking, then optimizes within agreed limits. No contract, cancel anytime. You pay Google directly for clicks.

$299$49/month launch offer

Launch offer: $49/month (regularly $299/month). Locked in for as long as you stay. Ends Dec 31, 2026.

58 days :11 hours :15 minutes

Ends Dec 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern

No contract, cancel anytime. You pay Google directly for clicks.

Get my free plan

The plan preview is free, no card needed. Managed has a flat monthly fee; cancel anytime.

How do I find wasted spend in the report?

Sort by cost and read down the list. Anything that isn't something your customer would type is a candidate for a negative keyword.

Google notes that some very low-volume search terms aren't shown individually for privacy reasons, so the report is a large sample rather than a complete list of every search [1](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2472708).

Job and career searches: 'salary', 'jobs', 'how to become'.
DIY and research searches: 'how to fix', 'free', 'guide'.
Searches for services or products you don't offer.
Searches for locations outside where you work.
Competitor names, if they rarely lead to a result for you.

Turning findings into negative keywords

Once you've identified irrelevant terms, add them as negative keywords so your ads stop showing for them.

Add negatives carefully — a negative keyword that's too broad can block searches you actually wanted [2](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453972).

Select the irrelevant search terms in the report.
Choose to add them as negative keywords, at the ad group, campaign or account level depending on how widely they apply.
Recheck the report after a week or two to confirm spend on those terms has stopped.

How often should I review it?

Weekly for active accounts, or at least monthly, is usually enough to catch new waste before it adds up.

Limitations of this guide

The report is a sample, not every search ever made; very rare search terms may not appear individually.
A search term with no conversions isn't automatically wasteful — check volume and cost before excluding it.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a keyword and a search term?

A keyword is what you bid on. A search term is what someone actually typed. Match types decide how closely the two need to line up.

How far back should I look?

At least 30 days, ideally 90, so low-volume terms have a chance to show up and you're not reacting to a single unusual day.

Can I automate this?

You can schedule the report or use a tool that reads your account and flags likely-irrelevant terms, but someone should still confirm before excluding a term that drives real business.