Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, was recently approached by an advertiser regarding an issue concerning a significant part of their ad spend and conversions being categorized under “Other” search terms. The advertiser, who used exclusively exact match keywords for their campaign, noted that 80% of their ad spend and 90% of conversions were attributed to these “Other” search terms. Their client expressed concerns about the quality of these conversions, deeming them subpar.
In response to the inquiry, Marvin clarified that Google Ads aggregates search queries that do not meet its privacy thresholds into the “Other” search terms category. She advised the advertiser to use Search Terms Insights on the Insights page, a tool designed to analyze query categories driving activity and provide deeper insights into performance.
“Queries that do not meet our privacy thresholds are aggregated in within the “other” search terms line. Search Terms Insights (on the Insights page) can be helpful to better understand the query themes/categories driving activity though. The category groupings take all search terms into account, including those not included in the search terms report for privacy reasons.”
As Marvin pointed out, Search Terms Insights takes into account all search terms, even those excluded from the standard search terms report due to privacy considerations. This tool categorizes terms based on intent and attributes, offering metrics for each category and subcategory.
What is Google Ads Search Terms
Google Ads search terms are the specific words or phrases that users enter into Google’s search engine that trigger the display of an advertiser’s ad. When someone enters a search query, Google matches it with relevant keywords that advertisers have bid on, and if there’s a match, the ad may be displayed.
The search terms report in Google Ads provides insights into the actual search queries that triggered your ads. It shows the exact terms that users typed into Google before clicking on your ad. This report is essential for understanding how users are finding your ads and which keywords are driving traffic and conversions. Advertisers can use this information to refine their keyword targeting, optimize ad copy, and improve campaign performance.
Enhanced Campaign Optimization through Insights
As detailed in a Google support page Marvin referenced, Search Terms Insights assists advertisers in comprehending how customers search for and interact with their business on Google. The automated groupings furnish crucial metrics without needing advertisers to sift through individual terms, some of which are kept confidential.
Advertisers can access and download search terms insights at any time post-March 2023 by adjusting to custom date ranges. These downloads contain aggregated metrics for categories and more detailed data on subcategories.
Accessing and Leveraging Search Terms Insights
Search Terms Insights can be accessed in both account and campaign views. This recently introduced feature in the Google Ads API is compatible with various campaign types including Search, Performance Max, Shopping, and others.
These new insights furnish advertisers with comprehensive data consisting of all search terms, including those kept private. It delivers detailed breakdowns of search topics, subtopics, and essential metrics.
With regularly new data, advertisers can refine campaign targeting and creative strategies to better align with evolving interests.
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Final Thought
Marvin’s guidance aims to assist advertisers in using Search Terms Insights effectively to gain deeper insights into the enigmatic “Other” search terms they may encounter in their campaign data.
Advertisers grappling with conversions attributed to “Other” terms can use the tool’s category groupings to gain a better understanding of campaign performance.
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