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Search terms report

The search terms report is a Google Ads report that lists the actual searches your ads appeared for and how each of them performed.

How it works

A keyword is what you add to a campaign; a search term is what the person typed. For each search, the report shows clicks, cost, conversions, the match type and the keyword. Shopping campaigns have no keywords, so their searches show “Exact” and no keyword.

The report lists only searches enough people used; the rest stay hidden for privacy. Since a rollout that began in April 2025, it also covers Performance Max, with ad format and landing page per search.

A search that cost money and sold nothing is a negative keyword candidate, in the Performance Max search terms report too. Searches that sold start a list for SEO pages: see keyword research from your ads.

Where you see it

  • Google Ads: Campaigns → Insights and reports → Search terms. For Performance Max, choose “Search terms and landing pages for Performance Max”.
  • Google Ads API: campaign_search_term_view includes Performance Max; search_term_view, by ad group, does not.

Example

Example store, not client data.

The tableware shop’s cost per conversion is 40,000 ÷ 300 orders = 133. “Paper plates” got 84 clicks, a cost of 420 and no conversions: 420 ÷ 133 = 3.2 times the cost per conversion.

How GetProfit reads it

GetProfit’s methodology treats a search term with no conversions as an exact match negative candidate past twice the cost per conversion. Past three times, it becomes a phrase match negative candidate. At 3.2 times, “paper plates” fits the phrase negative.

Not to be confused with

  • Search terms insights — groups searches into categories, hidden ones included, without cost.
  • Search themes — searches you suggest to Performance Max; the report shows what it appeared for.

Right and wrong readings

  • Wrong: “Our search_term_view export has no Performance Max rows, so Performance Max buys no searches.” Right: they are in campaign_search_term_view, unless the query adds keyword segments.
  • Wrong: “The Match type column says Exact, so the keyword is exact match.” Right: it shows how the search matched; in Google’s example, a broad match keyword identical to the search shows “Exact match”.

Sources