You target "CRM development" and end up paying for "free CRM download", "what is a CRM essay" and "CRM developer jobs". Sound familiar? Broad match and Google's automation widen delivery, and without regular cleaning part of the budget goes to waste. Working with search terms is basic hygiene and the start of every Google Ads audit we run.
In short: review the search terms report weekly, add irrelevant terms as negatives at account or campaign level, and add relevant ones as keywords. Keep shared exclusion lists and control which queries actually spend your budget.
How match types work today
| Type | How it serves | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Broad | On related queries, taking user signals into account | High without negatives and good conversions |
| Phrase | On queries that include the meaning of the phrase | Medium |
| Exact | On queries with the same meaning | Low, but less reach |
Queries that eat budget most often
- Free and DIY: "free", "download", "DIY", "template".
- Learning and information: "what is", "essay", "course", "example".
- Jobs: "vacancies", "salary", "resume".
- Competitors and brands you did not plan to target.
- Locations and languages that are not yours.
A weekly cleaning routine
- Open the search terms report for the last 7–14 days, sorted by cost.
- Flag irrelevant terms and identify the marker word in each.
- Add markers as negatives: general ones to an account-level list, specific ones to the campaign.
- Add relevant converting terms as keywords with a suitable match type.
- Check that new negatives do not block queries you want.
Common mistakes
- A broad negative accidentally blocks target queries.
- Negatives added only at ad group level, so every new campaign starts from scratch.
- Reviewing once a quarter instead of regularly.
- Looking at clicks instead of conversions and cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much budget can cleaning save?
It depends on the account. In neglected campaigns a noticeable share of spend often goes to irrelevant queries, and cleaning immediately lowers cost per lead.
Do negatives work in Performance Max?
Exclusion options are more limited than in Search, but they exist. See our article on choosing between Performance Max and Search campaigns.
Can search term work be automated?
Partly — with scripts and rules that flag expensive non-converting terms. The final decision is best left to a person. Data is easy to bring into reports as part of marketing analytics.
Suspect your budget is going to junk traffic? Send a request on the Google Ads page and we will audit search terms, build exclusion lists and restructure campaigns. If you need a converting landing page, we add website development.