Reviewed by Muze AI · 21 October 2026
Search terms are what people searched; keywords are what you targeted
A search terms report shows reported queries that triggered your ads. A keyword is a targeting input you choose; a search term is the query someone entered. Reviewing the difference helps identify irrelevant demand and relevant queries worth investigating.
For example, a retailer bidding on “running shoes” might see a query about repairing shoes. Whether it belongs in the campaign depends on what the retailer sells, not simply whether the query received a click.
Where to find the report in Google Ads
- Open the intended Google Ads account and choose a date range.
- Go to Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then Search terms.
- Include the matched keyword, campaign or ad group, cost and the conversion metrics relevant to your goal.
- Download the report if you need to record and review proposed changes with a colleague.
Read intent before adding a negative keyword
The following rows are illustrative, not Muze customer results. Imagine a shop that sells new running shoes but does not provide repairs.
| Reported query | Observation | Possible next step |
|---|---|---|
| running shoe repair near me | The service is not offered. | Review a narrowly scoped negative. |
| lightweight running shoes size 8 | Relevant product intent. | Check stock, page match and purchase data. |
| best shoes for marathon training | Could be relevant research. | Assess the goal and conversion window first. |
Why spend and conversions may not tell the whole story
Some low-activity queries are omitted for privacy. The visible rows are not a complete list of everyone who searched, and third-party tools cannot recover private queries merely by connecting to the account. Google’s search-term insights group some activity into themes rather than exposing every query.
Recent query performance can change as delayed conversions arrive. Check the selected conversion action, attribution window and time to conversion before labeling a relevant term as waste. Google Ads search queries also do not explain Meta audience delivery or website checkout failures.
A useful weekly review
- Sort by cost to find the largest questions first.
- Mark clear intent mismatches separately from relevant but inconclusive queries.
- Review negative keyword match type and campaign scope before applying a change.
- Check potentially valuable queries against your stock, landing pages and existing keywords.
- Keep a dated decision log and revisit after sufficient conversion time.
What this report cannot establish
A search terms report does not prove that an ad caused a sale, confirm that every purchase is tracked or tell you why someone abandoned checkout. Use it alongside conversion diagnostics, business records and website investigation. If you use an AI assistant, ask it to show the observed rows and separate facts from hypotheses.
Turn account questions into a review
Explore Muze’s ad analysis workflow before connecting an account.
See the analysis workflow