The Search Terms Report shows the actual searches that triggered your ads, helping you find valuable queries, irrelevant traffic, and new keyword opportunities.
The Search Terms Report in Google Ads shows the actual queries users typed into Google before clicking your ad. It sits inside the Insights and Reports section of the platform. It is the single most important report for identifying wasted spend, junk traffic, and opportunities to expand into new keywords.
These two terms sound identical. They are not.
Keyword is what you bid on. You add it to your ad group. It's your target. Search Term is what the user actually typed. It's what triggered your ad based on your keyword.
Here is an example:
You bid on the keyword "compliance software" (phrase match).
A user searches "compliance software pricing for startups."
Your ad shows.
The keyword is "compliance software." The search term is "compliance software pricing for startups."
The Search Terms Report shows you every search term that triggered your ads, grouped under the keyword that matched them. This is where you find out whether your keywords are attracting the right queries or the wrong ones.
Google does not show every search term. A portion is withheld for privacy reasons, mostly when the query volume is low enough that showing it could identify individual users.
The withheld data appears in reports as "other search terms" or similar aggregation labels. This has been a source of friction since Google increased withholding around 2020 to 2022. Depending on the account, 10 to 30% of search term data can be hidden.
The withheld data still contributes to your total spend and conversions in the report headers, but you cannot see the individual queries. Plan for it as a normal part of the reporting picture.
This is the process every managed B2B SaaS Google Ads account should follow every week.
Step 1: Filter by date range. Set the report to the last 7 days. Include search terms from all campaigns.
Step 2: Sort by cost descending. The most expensive junk terms rise to the top. Focus your attention where the budget is actually going.
Step 3: Identify wasted spend. Look for search terms with high cost and zero conversions. Anything with $50+ in spend and no conversion within your typical cycle is a candidate for a negative keyword.
Step 4: Add negatives immediately. Move junk terms to the negative keyword list at the appropriate level (account, campaign, or ad group). Do this before closing the report.
Step 5: Promote winning terms. Look for search terms that converted well but were triggered by broad or phrase match. Promote them to exact match in a dedicated ad group, so Google prioritizes them.
That's it. Five steps. It literally takes 20 minutes per week. Skipping it is the single most common failure I see in B2B SaaS Google Ads accounts.
The Search Terms Report is the single report that proves whether a Google Ads account is being managed or babysat. An actively managed account has a search terms review every week with visible negative additions and promoted terms. A babysat account runs untouched for months while the algorithm drifts toward whatever traffic is easiest to find.
At ScalixAI, this review is part of our weekly reporting cycle. We know that skipping it lets junk traffic accumulate and quietly kills account performance.
For the full weekly cadence, our Google Ads optimization checklist covers what should happen at daily, weekly, and monthly intervals.
And for deeper diagnostic work, our Google Ads account audit guide walks through what a full audit uncovers.
Do this from day one of the account and continue for the life of the engagement.
The report shows what the algorithm is actually doing with your budget, and treating it seriously is the difference between an account that compounds and one that leaks.
ScalixAI is a performance-driven Google Ads agency specializing in helping high-growth, AI-first companies scale with predictable, profitable customer acquisition. Founded by an ex-Googler with 9 years of insider advertising experience, we manage the entire Google Ads lifecycle—from campaign strategy and account setup to conversion tracking, analytics, and ongoing optimization. Our data-centric, AI-powered approach ensures you know exactly which campaigns are working, why they’re working, and what to do next to outpace your competitors.ScalixAI is a performance-driven Google Ads agency specializing in helping high-growth, AI-first companies scale with predictable, profitable customer acquisition. Founded by an ex-Googler with 9 years of insider advertising experience, we manage the entire Google Ads lifecycle—from campaign strategy and account setup to conversion tracking, analytics, and ongoing optimization.
Most clients see performance stabilize by month three. Google Ads isn’t a slot machine—it takes time to compound.
No. We work month-to-month. All we ask is that you give us three months to prove the results.
While Google Ads is our entry point, we also support LinkedIn Ads, Reddit, and X campaigns when needed.
The CRO audit covers your landing pages, CTAs, forms, and overall user flow. We’ll flag what’s holding back conversions and recommend fixes. If changes require design or dev resources, we’ll hand over clear action steps for your team, so you know exactly what to adjust.
As an ex-Googler, I know which recommendations are useful, and which are just there to hit Google’s internal targets. We’ll filter their advice for you, implementing only what actually helps us hit revenue goals.
Weekly reports show spend, conversions, CPL/CPA, and how we’re tracking against projections. “Good” means campaigns are meeting efficiency targets. “Scalable” means we can push budget and expect the same or better efficiency without breaking ROI.