What Does the Google Ads Search Terms Report Show You?
Learn why the Search Terms Report is vital in Google Ads. Discover how it lists the actual words people searched before clicking your ad to help you optimize spend.
Question
Which of the following statements best describes the Search Terms Report in Google Ads?
A. It lists the actual words people searched before clicking your ad.
B. It predicts future search trends.
C. It displays competitor keywords in your niche.
D. It shows how often your ad appeared on YouTube.
Answer
A. It lists the actual words people searched before clicking your ad.
Explanation
The Search Terms Report in Google Ads is a performance tool that shows the exact search queries (the actual words and phrases) that real users typed into the Google search bar that resulted in your ad being shown and clicked. Because of keyword match types (like broad or phrase match), the search terms users type are often different from the exact keywords you bid on; reviewing this report allows advertisers to see exactly what they are paying for, add high-performing queries as new keywords, and add irrelevant searches as negative keywords to stop wasted spend.