In paid search, clicks can look healthy in a Google Ads account. A large share of the budget may still go towards wasted ad spend on searches that will never become customers. This audit shows where that happens, which queries deserve more investment, and which ones need to be blocked.
The important part is not adding negative keywords as quickly as possible. You need to review the search intent first and understand which keyword triggered each query. Feed your findings into bids, ads, landing pages and conversion data, as well as the wider Google Ads audit. This includes targeting decisions such as exact match and phrase match.
Key Takeaways
- Validate conversion tracking and business outcomes before deciding that search term spend is wasteful.
- Review the actual query alongside the keyword, match type, campaign and conversion data before adding negative keywords.
- Use the narrowest suitable negative match type, and keep negative keyword lists organised at campaign, ad-group or shared-list level.
- Turn valuable recurring queries into better keyword coverage, ad copy, landing pages and bidding decisions.
- Set a review cadence that suits account volume and buying cycles, while recording changes and checking the wider account regularly.
What the search terms report can and cannot tell you
A keyword is the word or phrase you add to a campaign. A search term is what someone actually typed into Google before your ad appeared. They might be similar, but they aren’t always the same.
For example, you might target the keyword commercial cleaning London, while a user searches for cheap office cleaning jobs London. The first phrase may be commercially relevant. The second suggests someone looking for employment, not a cleaning contract.
The Google Ads search terms report connects the two. It shows the search query, the keyword that triggered the ad, the campaign and targeting context. It also shows the targeting setting and performance data, including clicks, cost and conversions.
That keyword column matters. Without it, you may block a useful query without understanding which targeting decision caused the impression.
The report isn’t a complete record of every query. Google withholds searches that don’t meet its privacy and reporting thresholds. The exact numeric threshold isn’t published, and hidden wording may still have matched your targeting and contributed to spend. A complete Google Ads audit should document these limits rather than treat missing queries as proof that no activity occurred.
Google may group lower-volume searches under “other search terms” or broader subthemes in Search Terms Insights. This is an aggregated reporting category, not a recommendation to exclude anything. Where enabled, segment reporting by traffic source, including search partners.
Search reporting can expose queries reached through exact match, phrase match or broad match settings. Visibility and controls differ, particularly for automated campaign types such as Performance Max. Even phrase match reporting may be incomplete, so account decisions should use wider patterns as well as individual queries.
A missing search term doesn’t mean Google didn’t bid on it. It means you may not be allowed to see the exact wording.
Fix measurement before calling spend waste
A dependable Google Ads audit starts by validating conversion tracking before you judge incoming queries. Otherwise, you may pause traffic that produces enquiries, or protect traffic that only produces cheap clicks.
Start with the conversion actions that matter to the business. A purchase, completed quote request or qualified phone enquiry should not carry the same weight as a page view or time on site. Check whether the correct actions are marked as primary, whether duplicate conversions are being recorded, and whether imported offline conversions are arriving with the right values.
Lead-generation accounts need another layer of checking. Conversion tracking may record a form submission, but the sales team may later reject it as spam, an unsuitable location or a poor-fit enquiry. Where possible, compare Google Ads conversions with CRM outcomes and closed revenue.
Set your review period around the account’s buying cycle and bidding strategies. A short date range may make a slow-moving B2B campaign look unprofitable. A recent smart bidding change may also need enough time and conversion volume before you assess it.
Your baseline should match the account goal:
- Lead generation usually needs cost per qualified lead, lead-to-sale rate and sales value.
- Ecommerce needs conversion value, gross margin and return on ad spend.
- Local services may need calls, booked appointments and location quality.
- Brand campaigns should be judged differently from non-brand acquisition campaigns.
There is no universal spend or conversion cut-off for changing targeting. A £60 cost might be unacceptable for one account and reasonable for another. Use your target CPA, margin, conversion volume and sales process to set review points.
How to run a Google Ads search terms audit
This workflow is the operational core of a wider Google Ads audit. It turns query evidence into focused account changes.
1. Pull a useful search terms report, not a rushed snapshot
Check conversion tracking before choosing the date range. No set of report columns can compensate for unreliable conversion data.
Choose a date range that contains enough activity for the account’s normal decision cycle. Compare it with a previous period where possible, but remember that seasonality, promotions and budget changes can distort the comparison.
Add columns that show keyword performance and support prioritisation:
- Search term and keyword
- Campaign, ad groups and match type
- Impressions, clicks, click-through rate and cost
- Conversions, conversion rate and conversion value
- Cost per conversion and value per cost
- Device, location and date, where these help explain performance
After exporting the search terms report, split brand and non-brand traffic. Review Search, Dynamic Search Ads, Performance Max, AI Max and search partners separately. Compare broad match traffic with other segments because query visibility and targeting controls differ.
Use the report to compare recurring themes with other search terms, rather than relying only on aggregated totals.
For larger accounts, automated extraction can save time. The Google Ads API reporting documentation explains how performance data can be retrieved across campaigns, keywords and other resources.
Use auction insights as a supplement when CPCs rise or competitive pressure changes, not as a replacement for query data.
Don’t sort only by cost or review queries in isolation from other search terms. A high-cost query that generates valuable sales may deserve more budget, while dozens of low-cost irrelevant clicks can quietly waste more money together.
2. Categorise search intent before adding negatives
Use intent classification to place the actual search query, rather than the keyword alone, into a practical group:
- Relevant and ready to convert
- Relevant, but still researching
- Relevant to a different product, service or audience
- Irrelevant to the business
- Existing customer, jobseeker, student or free-information intent
Look for the language that separates a buyer from a researcher. Searches containing “price”, “quote”, “service”, “near me” or a specific product can show commercial intent. Terms such as “jobs”, “salary”, “course”, “DIY”, “free” or “definition” may point elsewhere, depending on the offer.
Don’t add a negative keyword while scanning the first bad-looking query. Review nearby variants first. A query such as PPC training London could be irrelevant for a company selling managed advertising, but useful for a business that provides Google Ads training.
Check the keyword column at this stage. A valuable query may deserve an exact match keyword or tighter intent-based ad groups. This avoids leaving the whole decision to broad matching.
3. Apply a decision rule based on evidence
Each category should lead to a clear action, including whether to add negative keywords. Use the table below as a starting point, then adapt it to your economics and conversion volume.
| Search term pattern | Sensible action |
|---|---|
| An individual query that is clearly irrelevant and receiving spend | Add a negative keyword using the narrowest suitable match type |
| Relevant and producing conversions | Add or retain targeted coverage, then review bids and ad relevance |
| Relevant but expensive with no useful outcome | Check landing page, sales quality, competition and bidding before pausing |
| Research intent that assists later conversions | Keep it if the account can afford the role, or separate it into a lower-priority campaign |
| A recurring theme hidden among other search terms | Review Search Terms Insights and wider conversion patterns before changing targeting |
Use negative exact when one particular query is unsuitable. Use negative phrase match when a recurring phrase makes every variation irrelevant. A broader negative keyword is appropriate only when all matching variations should be excluded.
Keep negative keyword architecture tidy. Campaign-level negatives are useful for terms that should never trigger anywhere in the campaign. Ad-group negatives can prevent overlap between tightly separated themes. Shared negative lists save time, but review them before applying them across campaigns with different products or audiences.
4. Compare match types and variant behaviour
The match type in your account is the targeting setting you selected. The Match type column in the report shows how the user’s search matched that keyword. These are connected, but they aren’t interchangeable.
An exact match keyword can still match close variants, such as a change in word order, spelling, grammar or closely related wording. Phrase match and broad match can also reach searches that aren’t identical to the keyword.
If a broad keyword or phrase match produces a mix of valuable and irrelevant traffic, don’t assume the keyword itself is the only problem. Check the query themes, conversion quality and landing page relevance. You may need tighter ad-group structure, additional exact coverage, better negatives or a different bidding approach.
5. Turn query findings into account changes
The wider Google Ads audit should turn query findings into changes beyond the negative keyword list.
Move strong, recurring queries into relevant ad groups when they need dedicated ad copy or landing pages. If several profitable searches share a theme, consider building that theme into the campaign structure rather than relying on one broad keyword to cover everything.
Review the advert after identifying the search intent. A high click-through rate can show that the message attracts attention, but it doesn’t prove that the traffic is valuable. Flow20’s own PPC guidance makes the same practical point: clicks and impressions matter less than enquiries, sales and return on investment.
Quality Score can help diagnose relevance for eligible Search keywords. Its main components are expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience. These factors contribute to Ad Rank, alongside the bid, auction context and other signals. A low Quality Score doesn’t automatically mean you should pause a keyword, but it does tell you where the experience may be weak.
If relevant queries perform poorly, review smart bidding, other bidding strategies and account structure before blaming query relevance.
If the query is relevant but conversion rate is poor, inspect the landing pages. Check that each matches the advert, loads properly on mobile, makes the next step obvious and reflects the wording people searched. If the query is irrelevant, blocking it may be the right answer. If it is relevant but commercially weak, the issue may sit after the click.
Use the audit to review the wider account
Search terms often expose problems outside the keyword list. The search terms report can reveal changes after a new broad match keyword, a location setting change, a budget shift, a smart bidding change or automated campaign expansion.
Review campaign settings alongside the report. Check locations, language, ad schedule, devices, networks, audiences, conversion tracking and budget allocation. A query may look wasteful at account level but perform well in one location or during one part of the buying day.
Inspect low-performing keywords separately. Use keyword performance and campaign structure to assess their search terms. Compare them with impression share, ad relevance, landing pages, conversion rate and cost per qualified outcome. Pause a keyword when the evidence shows poor fit or poor economics, not because its Quality Score is low in isolation.
Use auction insights to add context when costs rise. If competitors are appearing more often, higher CPCs may reflect the market rather than a sudden targeting error. That doesn’t remove the need to improve efficiency, but it stops you from treating every cost increase as a problem with individual terms.
For Performance Max and AI Max, traditional phrase match controls don’t provide the same level of control. Review visible search terms, other search terms, search themes, asset performance, audience signals, conversion quality and landing page results together. Google has also changed how some AI-related searches are reported. Keep recent search-term reporting changes in mind when comparing periods within a complete Google Ads audit.
Set a review cadence that fits the account
High-volume campaigns may need a weekly search-term review. Smaller accounts often need a fortnightly or monthly check, so decisions are based on enough data. Review sooner after launching broad match, changing locations, opening a new product category or introducing new bidding strategies.
A full Google Ads audit usually makes sense quarterly, or after a significant account change. That wider review should cover conversion tracking, campaign structure, keyword performance, Quality Score as a diagnostic, adverts, landing pages, budgets, bids and auction conditions.
Keep a change log. Record the query, the action taken, the reason and the date. Revisit negative keywords when product ranges, services or customer types change. A negative list that protected spend last year can block useful demand after a business expands.
If the audit exposes problems across tracking, landing pages and campaign structure, working with a Digital marketing agency can help connect paid search changes to qualified leads and sales rather than traffic alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Google Ads search terms audit?
A Google Ads search terms audit reviews the queries that triggered adverts and compares them with targeting, spend and conversion outcomes. It helps identify wasted spend, valuable demand and changes needed across keywords, adverts, landing pages and bids.
Should every irrelevant search term become a negative keyword?
No. Review the query’s intent, nearby variants and the keyword that triggered it before excluding anything. Add a negative keyword when the wider theme is clearly unsuitable, using the narrowest match type that prevents the unwanted traffic.
How often should search terms be reviewed?
High-volume campaigns may benefit from weekly reviews, while smaller accounts often need a fortnightly or monthly check. Review sooner after launching broad match, changing locations, expanding a product category or introducing a new bidding strategy.
Can the search terms report show every query?
No. Google withholds some searches that do not meet its privacy and reporting thresholds, and may group lower-volume activity under other search terms or broader themes. Missing wording does not prove that no related spend occurred, so review wider patterns as well as visible queries.
What should be checked before pausing a keyword or blocking a query?
First confirm that conversion tracking is reliable and compare performance with qualified leads, sales or revenue where possible. Then check search intent, landing page relevance, sales quality, bidding, location and the wider campaign context before making a change.
Conclusion
A Google Ads search terms audit is not a hunt for words to block. It is a focused review within a broader Google Ads audit, covering real demand, the targeting that captured it, and the business result that followed.
Start by validating conversion tracking, then inspect each query before adding negative keywords. Turn valuable patterns into better keywords, ads, landing pages and bids. With a review cadence suited to your account, wasted ad spend becomes easier to identify without cutting off searches that could produce the next customer.
