Short answer
A search term analyzer reads your Google Ads search terms report and shows which searches cost money without converting. It splits every search into 1, 2 and 3-word phrases, called n-grams, and totals clicks, cost and conversions for each, so wasteful words stand out. Google leaves some low-volume searches out of the report for privacy, so it may not cover all your spend.
How to use the Search Term Analyzer
- In Google Ads, open Campaigns > Insights and reports > Search terms, set your date range and download the report as CSV or TSV.
- Upload the file or paste the rows. Title rows and total rows are skipped for you.
- Start with the summary and the most expensive terms with zero conversions.
- Sort the n-gram table by cost to find words that waste money across many searches.
- Check the suggested negatives and export them as a list or in Editor paste format.
What does the search terms report show?
It lists the searches that actually triggered your ads. Google defines a search term as "a word or set of words a person enters when searching on Google or one of our Search Network sites".
Your keyword is what you bid on; the search term is what the person typed. With broad match and close variants, the two can be far apart.
Find it under Campaigns > Insights and reports > Search terms. Google omits some terms that lack enough query activity, to protect privacy, so the rows you see may not account for every dollar.
What is n-gram analysis in Google Ads?
An n-gram is a word or short phrase taken from inside a search, such as "free", "how to" or "open on weekends". N-gram analysis adds up the results of every search that contains it.
One search for "used water heater for sale" costs little on its own. Every search containing "used" can add up to real money, and that pattern only shows when you total it.
The analyzer builds 1, 2 and 3-word phrases and reports these figures for each one:
| Column | How it is worked out |
|---|---|
| Clicks, cost, conversions | Totals across every search term that contains the phrase |
| Cost per conversion | Cost divided by conversions, like Google's Cost / conv. column |
| Conversion value per cost | Conversion value divided by cost, like Google's Conv. value / cost column |
Both ratios follow Google's conversion column definitions. Include the Conversions and Conv. value columns when you download the report, so they can be calculated.
How do you find wasted spend in search terms?
Work through the results in this order:
- The summary. Total terms, cost, conversions, and the cost on terms with no conversions, which tells you how much spend deserves a closer look.
- The most expensive terms with zero conversions. Decide on each one: block it, give it a keyword and ad of its own, or wait for more data.
- The n-gram table. Sort by cost and look for words with spend and no conversions, such as "manual" or "parts" for an appliance repair company.
- The waste flags. Searches that match common patterns such as jobs, free, DIY and how to are flagged for review.
Zero conversions is not always waste. A term with a handful of clicks may just need time, and if conversion tracking is broken, every term shows zero. To see what a customer is worth paying for, work out your break-even cost with the Budget, CPA and ROAS Calculator.
From findings to negatives
The analyzer suggests negatives with a match type for each. Because negative keywords don't match close variants, "manual" and "manuals" both need adding if both appear.
A single-word negative broad blocks every search containing that word. Before you add one, check the n-gram table for converting searches that share it.
Tips for reading search terms
- Add the Keyword column. It doesn't show by default; add it under Columns > Attributes to see which of your keywords matched each search.
- Read the Match type column. Values such as "Exact match (close variant)" and "Phrase match (close variant)" show where Google stretched your keywords.
- Download as CSV or TSV. Google's download formats include Excel CSV, TSV, PDF, XLSX, XML and Google Sheets. The analyzer reads CSV and TSV in UTF-8 or UTF-16, skips title and total rows, and never sends the file to Paid Pilot or anyone else.
- Look for new keywords too. A search that converts and is not yet a keyword is worth adding in phrase or exact match. Format it with the Keyword Match Type Tool.
- Keep a standing list. Words you block in every review belong in a shared negative list. The Negative Keyword Generator gives you a starting set by category.
Sources
- About the search terms report (Google Ads Help)
- Understand your conversion tracking data (Google Ads Help)
- About negative keywords (Google Ads Help)
- Keyword close variants: Definition (Google Ads Help)
- Create, save, and schedule reports from your statistics tables (Google Ads Help)
Updated 2 October 2026 by the Paid Pilot team. Google Ads is a trademark of Google LLC; Paid Pilot is an independent agency.