The Search Terms Report is a powerful tool within Google Ads that provides advertisers with valuable insights into the actual queries users typed into Google before clicking on their ads. This report bridges the gap between the keywords you bid on and the real searches that triggered your advertise…The Search Terms Report is a powerful tool within Google Ads that provides advertisers with valuable insights into the actual queries users typed into Google before clicking on their ads. This report bridges the gap between the keywords you bid on and the real searches that triggered your advertisements to appear.
When you set up a Google Ads campaign, you select keywords with various match types including broad match, phrase match, and exact match. However, the actual search queries that trigger your ads can vary significantly from your chosen keywords, especially when using broader match types. The Search Terms Report reveals these actual user queries, allowing you to understand precisely what potential customers are searching for.
This report serves several critical functions for campaign optimization. First, it helps identify new keyword opportunities by showing relevant searches you may not have considered adding to your campaigns. Second, it reveals irrelevant or low-performing search terms that waste your budget, enabling you to add these as negative keywords to prevent future spending on unqualified traffic.
The report displays important metrics alongside each search term, including impressions, clicks, click-through rate, cost, conversions, and conversion rate. These metrics help you evaluate the performance and value of each query that triggered your ads.
Accessing the Search Terms Report is straightforward through your Google Ads interface under the Keywords section. You can filter the data by date range, campaign, or ad group to analyze specific segments of your advertising efforts.
Regular analysis of the Search Terms Report is considered a best practice for maintaining efficient campaigns. Many successful advertisers review this report weekly or bi-weekly to continuously refine their keyword lists and negative keyword lists. This ongoing optimization process helps improve Quality Scores, reduce wasted spend, increase conversion rates, and ultimately achieve better return on advertising investment across all search campaigns.
Search Terms Report: Complete Guide for Google Ads Certification
What is the Search Terms Report?
The Search Terms Report is a powerful tool in Google Ads that shows you the actual search queries people typed into Google before clicking on your ads. This is different from your keywords – keywords are what you bid on, while search terms are what users actually searched for.
Why is the Search Terms Report Important?
Understanding the Search Terms Report is crucial for several reasons:
• Budget Optimization: It reveals which searches are triggering your ads, helping you identify wasted spend on irrelevant queries.
• Keyword Discovery: You can find new keyword opportunities that you hadn't considered adding to your campaigns.
• Negative Keyword Identification: The report helps you spot irrelevant searches so you can add them as negative keywords to prevent future wasted clicks.
• Match Type Refinement: It shows how your match types are performing and whether adjustments are needed.
• Understanding User Intent: You gain insight into how potential customers are actually searching for products or services like yours.
How the Search Terms Report Works
When someone searches on Google, the search engine matches their query to relevant keywords in advertiser accounts. The Search Terms Report captures this data and presents it in a format that shows:
• The exact search term used • Which keyword triggered the ad • The match type that allowed the match • Performance metrics (clicks, impressions, conversions, cost) • Whether the term is added as a keyword or negative
Key Actions You Can Take from the Report:
1. Add as Keyword: If a search term is performing well, add it to your campaign with an appropriate match type.
2. Add as Negative Keyword: If a search term is irrelevant or performing poorly, add it as a negative keyword.
3. Adjust Bids: Based on performance data, you may want to modify bids for specific keywords.
4. Refine Match Types: If broad match is triggering too many irrelevant searches, consider switching to phrase or exact match.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Search Terms Report
Tip 1: Know the Difference Between Keywords and Search Terms Exam questions often test whether you understand that keywords are what advertisers bid on, while search terms are what users type. Never confuse these two concepts.
Tip 2: Remember the Primary Uses The main purposes of the Search Terms Report are: finding new keywords, identifying negative keywords, and optimizing campaign performance. Questions may ask you to identify the best use case.
Tip 3: Understand Match Type Relationships Know how different match types affect which search terms trigger your ads. Broad match shows the widest variety of search terms, while exact match shows the most restricted.
Tip 4: Focus on Optimization Scenarios Expect scenario-based questions asking what action to take when you see certain data in the report. For example, if a search term has high clicks but zero conversions, adding it as a negative keyword would be appropriate.
Tip 5: Location in Google Ads Interface Know that the Search Terms Report is found under the Keywords section in Google Ads. You may be asked where to find this report.
Tip 6: Data Limitations Be aware that not all search terms are shown in the report due to privacy thresholds. Low-volume searches may be grouped or hidden.
Common Exam Question Formats:
• What should you do if you notice irrelevant search terms triggering your ads? (Answer: Add them as negative keywords)
• How can you discover new keyword opportunities? (Answer: Review the Search Terms Report for high-performing queries not yet added as keywords)
• What is the difference between a keyword and a search term? (Answer: Keywords are what you bid on; search terms are what users search for)