Search Terms Report (Google Ads)

The Search Terms Report shows the actual queries people typed into Google that triggered your ads, as opposed to the keywords you’re bidding on. This report is essential for optimization because it reveals whether your ads are showing for relevant searches and helps you identify new keyword opportunities and negative keywords to add.

Broad match and phrase match keywords can trigger your ads for searches you never anticipated. Reviewing the Search Terms Report weekly helps prevent budget waste on irrelevant clicks. Google has limited visibility into some search terms for privacy reasons (grouping low-volume queries), but the report still provides critical insights for refining your targeting.

Example: A medical practice reviews its Search Terms Report and discovers its ‘dermatologist’ keywords are triggering ads for ‘dermatologist salary’ and ‘dermatologist school’ searches. They add these as negative keywords, immediately reducing wasted spend.