Account Audits
Part of Search campaign account audits
Finding waste in search term reports
Review visible search terms against your offer and accepted enquiries, identify costly mismatches and choose a proportionate response.
Compare visible Google Ads search terms with what the business can fulfil and the outcomes it accepted to find likely waste. High spend on a query warrants investigation; it does not prove waste. A reported conversion is weak reassurance if the request was unsuitable.
Build a useful view
Pick a period that lets you assess relevant enquiries or sales. Review each visible term with its campaign, ad group, matched keyword, cost and available conversions. Add the Keyword column if needed to see the matched keyword. Separate brand and non-brand activity when their purposes differ.
The visible report may not capture every query. Do not calculate a precise account-wide share of irrelevant queries from visible rows alone.
Classify the concern
Read the whole query and the offer it reached.
| Visible finding | Check before acting |
|---|---|
| Wrong product or service | Could another active offer serve the request? |
| Apparent location mismatch | Where was the requested job or delivery address, if known? |
| Research or support request | Is there a useful answer and a business reason to pay for the visit? |
| Suitable request with no reported conversion | Was the event recorded, and has enough time passed? |
| Conversion of doubtful quality | Did the team accept the enquiry or retain the order? |
Look for repeated themes and material cost, then inspect the individual queries behind any conclusion. One click can reveal an obvious mismatch, but does not establish a persistent pattern. If conversions inform the decision, check what the action counts: a form submission may include requests the business later rejects.
Visible search term findings vs. business outcomes
- Wrong product or serviceCheck if another active offer can serve the request
- Apparent location mismatchVerify job or delivery address if known
- Research or support requestAssess if a useful answer exists and if there’s a business reason to pay for the visit
- Suitable request with no conversionConfirm event recording and sufficient time has passed
- Conversion of doubtful qualityVerify if team accepted the enquiry or retained the order
Choose a proportionate response
An unsuitable query can have several causes. The matched keyword may reach beyond the offer; the ad may imply an unavailable service; or the destination may hide an eligibility condition. A negative keyword may suit a request the business cannot serve, but check whether it would block useful searches elsewhere.
Check the match type of any negative keyword before applying it. Check that a negative keyword will block the variations you intend. Record the proposed term, match type and scope, then check valuable queries containing its words before applying it. Broader-scope exclusions need particular care.
A suitable query with poor results needs a different investigation: check the ad, page, conversion event and the receiving team's assessment. The search terms report cannot decide which failed.
Record what the report supports
For each theme, record the visible queries, spend, matched keyword, known business outcomes, proposed response and remaining uncertainty. Mark a query outside the offer, potentially useful or unresolved. Revisit unresolved terms when more requests have been assessed.
After a change, compare later visible terms and accepted work. The visible report may not capture every query, and other changes may affect the comparison. Record a reasoned decision rather than claiming every wasted search has been found.
Key metrics to track in search term reports
- Spend on visible queries
- Cost per query (AUD)
- Matched keyword
- Keyword used in campaign
- Business outcome
- Accepted, rejected, or unresolved
- Proposed response
- Negative keyword, ad update, or no action
- Remaining uncertainty
- Unresolved terms to revisit
