Definition
Search term insights (search terms) are the report of the actual search queries users typed when your ads showed, as opposed to the keywords you chose to bid on.
Also called: Search Term Insights, Search Terms, Search Terms ReportFrom search to a relevant landing page.
An ad aligned with the intent.
Eligibility is not a guarantee of exposure. Bid, relevance, context and other auction factors affect delivery.
01What does the person want to achieve? Group searches by need.
The gap between what you bid on and what you show on
You bid on keywords, but Google matches you on actual searches, and the two are rarely identical, especially with broad match and in Performance Max. Search terms reveal the truth: which searches actually drove the budget, which wasted it, and which unexpected winners are worth cultivating.
The report is the basis for ongoing optimisation: irrelevant searches get cut with negative keywords, while strong searches can get more room. In PMax the visibility is more limited, but insights still give you enough to feed the campaign negative signals where it's wasting.
Frequently asked questions
What do I use search terms for?
To see which actual searches your ads appeared on, cut irrelevant waste with negative keywords, and find unexpected winners to cultivate. It's one of the most important ongoing optimisation tasks in search advertising.
Can I see search terms in Performance Max?
Partly. PMax gives more limited visibility than search campaigns, but search term insights show enough to identify waste and feed the campaign negative signals where it's running on irrelevant searches.
From insight to action
See how it applies in practice.
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About the author
Malthe Ærbo Weibeck
Pull specialist with 8+ years' experience. Comes from the agency world and has since worked as an independent consultant for several of the country's largest brands.
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