How to Run Google Ads Search Term Analysis: Tips for Cutting Waste and Finding Winners

Google ads search term analysis comes down to one habit: looking at what people actually typed before they clicked your ad, then deciding what to block, what to watch, and what to promote. By the end of this guide you'll have a repeatable routine for reviewing the Search Terms Report, blocking irrelevant queries, and turning converting ones into keywords you control.

Before you start, you need a Google Ads account with at least a few weeks of Search campaign data. You also need a clear idea of what a conversion is worth to you, because every decision below depends on it.

Step 1: Set Up the Search Terms Report With the Right Date Range and Columns

First, get the vocabulary straight. A search term is the exact query a person typed. A keyword is what you bid on. For example, imagine you bid on the phrase match keyword "emergency plumber." Someone types "emergency plumber open now near me" and clicks. The keyword is "emergency plumber"; the search term is the longer query. Mix these up and you'll apply the wrong fix, like pausing a perfectly good keyword when one stray search term was the problem. Our breakdown of search terms vs keywords goes deeper on this distinction.

In Google Ads, the report lives under Insights and reports, then Search terms. Google changes its navigation fairly often, so if you don't see that path, use the search bar in the left menu or check Google Ads Help for the current location.

Next, choose a date range. Thirty to ninety days is a common window, but it's a judgment call. A high-volume account may give you plenty of data in two weeks, while a low-volume one may need a quarter before patterns show up.

Then add the columns that let you make decisions without guessing:

• Cost
• Conversions
• Conversion value
• Cost per conversion
• CTR
• Match type (shows how the search term was matched to your keyword)

Filter out terms with zero clicks. Impressions without clicks cost you nothing and just add noise.

One common mistake: only looking at terms that are already handled. Filter the report to show search terms that are neither added nor excluded, so you're reviewing what's still unreviewed rather than re-reading the same terms every time. If you need a refresher on narrowing the view, see this guide on how to filter search terms in Google Ads.

Step 2: Sort by Cost and Spot the Obvious Waste First

Sort by cost, highest first. The biggest spenders deserve your attention before anything else, and you can stop scrolling once the remaining terms are too small to matter. Reviewing a term that cost you a few cents is rarely worth the time.

Now flag terms that have spend and zero conversions. Be careful here. One click with no conversion proves nothing, and a term that has cost you a fraction of your average cost per conversion hasn't had a fair shot yet. Wait for enough data before you call it waste.

Here's an illustration. Imagine a plumbing campaign where the top spenders include "plumber jobs," "plumbing course near me," and "how to fix a leaking tap." None of those people want to hire a plumber. They're job seekers, students, and DIYers, and each click is money spent on someone who was never going to book. If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with irrelevant search terms eating your budget.

Look for patterns, not just single terms. If "free," "jobs," "diy," and "salary" keep showing up across different queries, that's a negative keyword theme. One negative keyword covering that word can clear out dozens of variations you haven't even seen yet.

Mistake to avoid: blocking something just because it looks irrelevant. Odd-looking queries sometimes convert, especially in niche markets. Check the conversion columns before you add any negative. If a strange term has produced leads or sales at a fine cost, keep it.

Step 3: Judge Each Search Term by Intent, Not Just Conversions

Conversions are a strong signal, but they're only part of the story. Sort every term you review into one of three buckets:

1. Relevant and converting: candidates for promotion (Step 5).
2. Relevant but not yet proven: leave alone and keep watching.
3. Irrelevant: candidates for negatives (Step 4).

To sort them, read the intent behind the words:

• Research modifiers like "how to" and "what is" usually signal someone learning, not buying.
• Job-seeker terms like "jobs," "hiring," or "salary" are almost never customers.
• Competitor names may be fine or may be wasteful, depending on your strategy.
• Location mismatches matter if you only serve certain areas.
• Buyer modifiers like "near me," "pricing," and "quote" point toward purchase intent.

The decision rule: a relevant, low-volume term with no conversions yet usually deserves more data, not an instant block. A term can look quiet simply because it hasn't had enough clicks.

Also think about your business model. If you run lead generation with a long sales cycle, the conversion column may only tell you who filled out a form. Check lead quality in your CRM before deciding a term is good or bad. A term with plenty of form fills and no closed deals isn't a winner. When relevant terms still underperform, search terms not converting covers the common causes.

Finally, know that the report doesn't show everything. As of 2026, Google Ads Help notes that search terms are shown only when they meet certain thresholds, so some low-volume queries are grouped out of view. Your report is a strong sample, not a complete record, so don't assume that an empty-looking corner of it means nothing is happening there. You can read more about hidden search terms in Google Ads.

Step 4: Add Negative Keywords at the Right Level and Match Type

A negative keyword tells Google not to show your ad for searches containing that term. A positive keyword is what you want to match. The match types sound alike but don't behave alike. As of 2026, Google Ads Help states that negative keywords don't expand to close variants, synonyms, or related searches the way positive broad match does. If you want to block "jobs" and also "job," you generally need to add both. Check Google Ads Help for the latest wording on this.

Choose the level

You can add negatives at the ad group level, the campaign level, or in a shared negative keyword list that applies across campaigns. Use a shared list for universal junk like "free," "jobs," or "salary." Use campaign or ad group negatives when a term is only irrelevant in a specific context, such as blocking "repair" in a sales-focused ad group while keeping it for a repair-focused one.

Choose the match type on purpose

• Broad match negative: blocks any search containing all the words, in any order. Good for single words you never want in any form.
• Phrase match negative: blocks searches containing the words in that order.
• Exact match negative: blocks only that exact query.

Be careful with single-word broad negatives. If you sell budget products, a negative like "cheap" could block your best traffic.

After adding negatives, check for conflicts. A negative can block your own keywords, and Google Ads will flag some of these, but don't rely on that alone. Review your keyword list against the new negatives. For a full walkthrough of this process, see removing junk search terms in Google Ads.

This is where Keywordme saves clicking. As a Chrome extension working inside the Search Terms Report, it lets you mark junk terms as negatives and pick the match type right there, without exporting to a spreadsheet. You still decide which terms go; nothing changes on its own.

Step 5: Promote Winning Search Terms to Keywords

Negatives stop waste. Promotion is how you grow. A search term is worth adding as a keyword when it meets three conditions: it converts at a cost per acquisition you can live with, the intent clearly fits your offer, and it has shown up repeatedly rather than once. What counts as "acceptable" or "enough volume" depends on your account, so set those thresholds against your own numbers. This practice is often called search term mining.

Why bother? When a search term is matched through a broader keyword, you have limited control over it. Once it's its own keyword, you can set its bid directly, write ad copy for it, and see its performance in one place.

Then choose the match type and the home for it:

• Exact match gives you tight control over a proven term.
• Phrase match works better when the term represents a theme with several close variations.

Put it in the ad group where the ad copy and landing page fit the query. A term like "emergency plumber open now" belongs with urgent-service messaging, not a general plumbing ad group.

Check for cannibalization before you save. If the same keyword already exists in another ad group or campaign, the two can compete with each other and muddy your data. Search your keyword list for the term first.

In Keywordme, you can add high-intent terms as keywords with your chosen match type directly in the report, and its keyword clustering feature can help you group related terms together. That makes it easier to see which terms belong in the same ad group. Review the groupings yourself before you apply them.

Step 6: Look for Themes, Then Fix the Cause Upstream

If you keep adding negatives forever, you're treating symptoms. Step back and ask where the bad queries are coming from. Also look at the winning themes: do your ads and landing pages actually speak to them? Clusters of similar converting terms often point to a new ad group worth building.

Match type and bidding interact here. Broad match gives Google more flexibility in which queries it shows your ad for, and when it's paired with automated bidding like Smart Bidding, that flexibility grows. Per Google Ads Help as of 2026, that's by design, which is why search term review matters more, not less, on those setups. If you're asking why Google is matching your ads to irrelevant searches, this is often the answer.

Use this quick diagnosis list:

• Symptom: most junk traces back to one broad match keyword. Likely cause: the keyword is too loose. Fix: tighten it to phrase or exact, or pause it.
• Symptom: good terms get clicks but few conversions. Likely cause: the landing page doesn't match the query. Fix: send them to a more relevant page or rewrite the ad.
• Symptom: winning terms are scattered across unrelated ad groups. Likely cause: poor ad group structure. Fix: cluster related terms into tighter ad groups.
• Symptom: new junk appears every week despite negatives. Likely cause: broad match plus automated bidding gives wide query freedom. Fix: review match types and add a solid shared negative list.
• Symptom: the same irrelevant words appear across campaigns. Likely cause: no shared list. Fix: create one.

Step 7: Build a Review Cadence and Keep a Change Log

A routine only works if it repeats. As a suggestion, review weekly for large or new accounts, where spend moves fast and queries are still settling. For smaller, stable accounts, every two to four weeks is usually enough. Adjust based on how much money is at stake. If reviews feel like they eat your whole afternoon, here's how to review the Search Terms Report faster.

Keep a simple change log. A spreadsheet or shared doc is fine, with columns for date, campaign, what you added (negative or keyword), match type, and why. This pays off in two ways: you can reverse a mistake when a blocked term turns out to matter, and you have something concrete to show clients about what you did and why.

If you manage several accounts, standardize. Build a shared negative keyword list for each industry you serve, so a new plumbing client starts with the same proven junk filters as the last one. Keywordme supports multi-account and team use, which helps when several people review different clients. A documented search terms report workflow makes this much easier to hand off.

To measure the result, watch three things over the following weeks:

• Your share of spend going to terms with no conversions
• Conversion rate
• Cost per conversion

Don't expect a specific saving. Results depend on how messy the account was, how much traffic you have, and how disciplined the follow-up is. Compare like for like, and give changes a few weeks before judging them.

Run It on Your Biggest Campaign This Week

Start with your highest-spend campaign. Work through the steps once, then check that your new negatives aren't blocking terms you want. After that, set a review schedule that fits your spend and stick to it.

If you'd rather do the clicking inside the report than in a spreadsheet, Keywordme can help. Optimize Google Ads Campaigns 10X Faster. Without Leaving Your Account. Keywordme lets you remove junk search terms, build high-intent keyword lists, and apply match types instantly, right inside Google Ads. No spreadsheets, no switching tabs, just quick, seamless optimization. Start your free 7-day trial (then just $12/month) and take your Google Ads game to the next level.