# Google Ads Search Terms Report: Find Waste and New Keywords

- URL: https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-ads/search-terms-report
- Published: 2026-11-09
- Updated: 2026-11-09
- Author: David Bressler, Founder (https://betteranalyst.com/authors/david-bressler)

> **Summary:** A Google Ads search terms report lists the queries that triggered your ads, with cost, clicks and conversions for each. Connect your account to Better Analyst and ask which terms spent without converting, or which converting terms aren't keywords yet. Google hides low-volume queries, so the report never covers all of your spend.

Data source: [Google Ads](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-ads)

Build a Google Ads search terms report that shows what people typed, what it cost and what converted, plus negative keyword candidates, with AI.

## Who this report is for

PPC managers and agency account leads who review search queries every week or two, looking for negative keywords to add and converting queries to promote, across one account or several client accounts.

## What the report includes

*Metrics and dimensions in this report*

| Metric | Source field | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Search term | search_term_view.search_term | The query someone actually typed, which is often quite different from the keyword you bid on. |
| Status | search_term_view.status | Shows whether the term is already added as a keyword or excluded, so you only review new ones. |
| Campaign | campaign.name | Keeps a term in context, because the same query can perform differently from one campaign to another. |
| Ad group | ad_group.name | Tells you where a new keyword or negative keyword belongs when you act on the report. |
| Cost | metrics.cost_micros | Spend on the term, returned in micros, so divide by 1,000,000 to get account currency. |
| Clicks | metrics.clicks | Shows whether a term has enough volume to judge before you exclude it. |
| Conversions | metrics.conversions | The split between terms that earn their spend and terms that only cost money. |
| Conversion value | metrics.conversions_value | Ranks converting terms by revenue, not by conversion count alone. |

## How to build it in Better Analyst from Google Ads

1. In Better Analyst, open Connectors and choose Google Ads.
2. Click Connect with Google and sign in with the Google account that can see the ads. Accounts under a manager (MCC) account are discovered for you.
3. Select the customer account to review and click Save. Manager accounts appear for context but can't be selected.
4. Attach that account to a chat and ask for search terms over a fixed window, such as the last 30 days, sorted by cost.
5. Check the query behind the table, then ask for the terms with spend and no conversions as a separate list.

## Questions to ask

- “Show search terms from the last 30 days with cost, clicks, conversions and conversion value, sorted by cost.”
- “Which search terms spent more than 50 in the last 90 days without a conversion?”
- “List converting search terms that aren't already added as keywords.”
- “Which campaigns have the highest share of spend on terms with no conversions?”
- “Group search terms containing "free" or "jobs" and total what they cost this quarter.”

## Sample output

Sample data for illustration, not real account data.

*Sample data: search terms for one account over 30 days (illustrative, not a real account)*

| Search term | Status | Clicks | Cost | Conversions | Suggested action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| crm for small agencies | None | 84 | $412 | 9 | Add as exact keyword |
| free crm software | None | 131 | $388 | 0 | Add negative |
| agency crm pricing | Added | 46 | $297 | 6 | Keep |
| crm jobs remote | None | 38 | $121 | 0 | Add negative |
| best crm for client reporting | None | 27 | $164 | 3 | Add as phrase keyword |

## Charts to use

- **Spend by converting versus non-converting terms** (Stacked bar chart): How much of each campaign's search term spend produced no conversions.
- **Top terms by cost** (Horizontal bar chart): The handful of queries taking the most budget, so review starts where the money is.

## Keep it up to date

Schedule a task to rerun the review every Monday and send the terms with spend and no conversions by email or Slack. Better Analyst only reads the account, so adding the negatives stays with you in Google Ads.

## Further reading

- [Google Ads connector](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-ads)
- [Google Ads connector setup docs](https://betteranalyst.com/docs/connectors/google-ads)
- [How to analyze Google Ads data with AI](https://betteranalyst.com/blog/how-to-analyze-google-ads-data-with-ai)
- [Cost per acquisition formula](https://betteranalyst.com/metrics/cost-per-acquisition)
- [Scheduled tasks](https://betteranalyst.com/product/scheduled-tasks)

[Try Better Analyst free](https://betteranalyst.com/signup)

## Frequently asked questions

### Why doesn't the search terms report add up to my total spend?

Google leaves out queries that too few people searched, for privacy. The report only shows terms that clear that threshold, so its totals usually come in below campaign totals. Compare the two to see how much spend is hidden.

### What is the difference between a search term and a keyword?

A keyword is what you bid on. A search term is what the person typed. Broad and phrase match can show your ad for many different queries, which is why this report is where wasted spend usually turns up.

### Can Better Analyst add negative keywords for me?

No. The connector is read-only and cannot change campaigns. It gives you the list, and you add the negatives in Google Ads or Google Ads Editor.

### Does this cover Performance Max?

Mostly not. Search term detail mainly covers Search campaigns, and Google exposes less for Performance Max, which you can still report on at campaign level.

## Related reports

- [Google Ads Keyword Performance Report: CPA and Quality Score](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-ads/keyword-performance-report)
- [Google Ads Report Template: Metrics, Layout and Example](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-ads/report-template)
- [Ad Spend Pacing Report in Google Sheets: Budget vs Spend](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-sheets/ad-spend-pacing-report)