By Corey Frankosky · Last Updated

What Is the Search Terms Report?

The search terms report shows the actual searches people typed before your ad showed and got clicked. Your keywords are what you bid on, and search terms are what people really searched. The report is where you find new keywords to add and wasted searches to block with negative keywords.

Google's Definition

"Use the search terms report to know how your ads performed when triggered by actual searches within the Search Network."

Source: Google Ads Help.

Where to Find It

In your Google Ads account, open a Search campaign, go to Insights and reports, then Search terms. Set the date range to at least 30 days so you have enough data to make decisions.

Google hides some low-volume searches for privacy, so the report will not show every search you paid for. It still shows enough to find most of your waste.

Search Terms Report Example

Example

You bid on the phrase match keyword "plumber" for your plumbing company. The search terms report shows "plumber salary" and "plumber jobs near me" spent $180 last month with zero calls. You add "salary" and "jobs" as negative keywords, and that $180 goes back into searches from people who need a plumber.

Why It Matters

  • It shows where your money goes: Match types let Google show your ad for searches you never typed into your account.
  • It finds new keywords: Searches that convert well deserve their own keyword and their own ad.
  • It protects Smart Bidding: Bad clicks teach the bidding system to find the wrong people.

How to Improve It

  1. Review it on a schedule. Check it weekly for new campaigns and at least monthly after that.
  2. Sort by cost. Start with the searches that spent the most and converted the least.
  3. Add negatives at the right level. Use account-level negative keyword lists for searches you never want, like jobs and free.
  4. Promote your winners. Add converting search terms as exact match keywords.

Watch: Search Terms Report Explained

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Question to AnswerWhich three search terms spent the most money in your account last month without a single conversion?
  • Cost Per Click (CPC): The amount you pay each time someone clicks your ad. The 2026 all-industry median is $5.42.
  • Smart Bidding: Google's automated bid strategies that use AI to bid for conversions or conversion value in every auction.
  • Conversion Rate: The percentage of ad clicks that turn into a lead, call or sale. The 2026 median is 8.18%.

Go Deeper

For the step by step process, read How to Use the Search Terms Report for Negative Keywords. You may also find How To Use AI To Analyze Your Search Terms Report useful.

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