Start with searches, not assumptions
A keyword is part of your campaign targeting. A search term is what someone actually typed. Reviewing the searches associated with your ads helps you understand whether you are reaching people whose needs match your offer.
Google Ads’ search terms report shows eligible query-level data and performance. It does not expose every search: some low-activity queries are omitted for privacy. Treat it as a useful view into demand, rather than a complete record of every visitor.
A useful review question: If this person landed on our website right now, would our offer make sense to them?
Group the intent before making changes
Start with searches that account for meaningful spend. Read them in context: the offer, the destination page, the reporting period, and whether conversions have had time to appear. Then separate them into three working groups.
- Relevant: The person appears to want what you provide. Check whether the ad and landing page answer that need clearly.
- Uncertain: The query could fit, but the wording or available data does not tell the whole story. Keep a note and investigate.
- Mismatch: The person wants something you do not offer, such as a job, a different product, or a service outside your operating area.
For example, a business selling office chairs may see a search for chair repairs. If it does not offer repairs, that is a potential mismatch. A search for ergonomic office seating could be relevant even when it does not use the wording in the ad.
Make a change you can explain
A negative keyword may help prevent an irrelevant search from triggering an ad. Choose its scope and match type carefully: a broad exclusion can also remove searches you wanted. Review the wording against your actual offer before applying it across multiple campaigns.
Not every search with no recorded conversion should be excluded. A small sample, delayed purchase, or weak landing page can produce the same surface-level result. Ask whether the problem is the audience, the message, the destination, or the measurement.
Keep a short change log: the search pattern, your interpretation, what you changed, and what you expect to learn. In the next review, compare the relevant signals rather than just looking for a higher overall conversion rate. Sometimes the most useful finding is a better landing-page headline or a question your website needs to answer.
Platform reference: Google Ads Help — About the search terms report. Examples and the three-group review method are editorial guidance from Ads Xperts.