Search Terms Report
Paid MediaAlso: Search Query Report · Search Terms List
Quick definition
A search terms report is a list inside your ad platform showing the exact words and phrases people typed before your ad appeared and was clicked. It differs from your keyword list, which is what you bid on, not what was actually searched.
How it varies across Australia
Australian search accounts that skip regular search terms review tend to carry a larger share of wasted spend on irrelevant queries, particularly on broad match. The businesses with tighter cost per acquisition (CPA) are almost always the ones treating this report as a weekly habit, not a quarterly audit.
See acquisition benchmarks across Australian industries →What it actually means
Bidding on a keyword and matching a search query are two different things, and the gap between them is where budget quietly disappears. You choose 'plumber Melbourne'. Google's matching logic, especially on broad match, decides that 'how to become a plumber Melbourne' or 'plumber Melbourne salary' are close enough to show your ad. The search terms report is the only place that gap becomes visible.
Think of it as the difference between what you ordered and what actually got delivered. Your keyword list is the order. The search terms report is the delivery docket, and it sometimes includes items you never asked for.
Reviewing it regularly is how you build your negative keyword list, the terms you actively exclude so your ads stop showing for them. It's also where you find new keyword opportunities you hadn't thought to bid on directly. Without this report, click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate numbers hide a mix of genuinely relevant traffic and noise you're paying for by accident.
Your keyword list is what you asked for. The search terms report is what you actually got.
How it shows up
The search terms report lives inside Google Ads under Insights and Reports, and inside Microsoft Advertising under a similar path. It shows each actual search query alongside the keyword that triggered it, along with clicks, cost, conversions and match type. Irrelevant queries with spend but no conversions are the first thing to scan for. Recurring irrelevant patterns become negative keywords. Recurring relevant patterns you're not directly bidding on become new keyword additions.
The Australian context
Australian English spelling variants and local slang create matching quirks that don't show up the same way in US or UK accounts. 'Organise' versus 'organize', regional suburb names, and colloquial phrasing all widen what broad match decides is relevant. Reviewing the search terms report with an Australian ear catches irrelevant matches that a generic account audit checklist misses.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
How often should I check my search terms report?
Weekly at minimum, more often for high-spend accounts on broad match. New irrelevant queries can accumulate spend fast on higher-volume campaigns, so waiting a month before reviewing usually means real budget has already been wasted.
What's the difference between a search term and a keyword?
A keyword is the term you bid on. A search term is the actual phrase a person typed into the search engine before your ad appeared. Match type determines how loosely Google connects the two, which is why they often differ significantly.
How do I turn a search term into a negative keyword?
In the search terms report, select the irrelevant query and add it as a negative keyword at the ad group or campaign level. Consider whether it should be an exact, phrase or broad match negative, since that determines how much related traffic it also blocks.
Can the search terms report help me find new keywords?
Yes. Recurring relevant queries that aren't on your current keyword list are free research. If people are searching for a phrase and converting on it already, adding it directly as a keyword usually improves control over bidding and ad copy relevance.
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About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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