Read the query as a statement of intent
A search-term report can reveal what users actually asked before seeing or clicking an advertisement. Review the complete phrase, landing page and observed outcome together. Group terms by intent rather than judging isolated words. Some findings call for exclusions; others call for a clearer offer, a different landing page or a separate campaign.
Worked example
Illustrative scenario; not a claim of measured client results.
Queries about CRM pricing may reflect buyers evaluating a product subscription, while CRM integration services suggest a different need. If both reach a custom-software page, inspect whether the advertisement sets the right expectation. Create distinct treatment only when the business can serve the intent meaningfully. Do not manufacture another page merely to repeat the query wording.
Checks, limitations and next decisions
Use available outcomes cautiously when volumes are small. A single unqualified enquiry does not prove an entire intent group is worthless. Review trends and sales feedback, and document the change hypothesis. Search-term analysis is most useful when it improves the connection between user need, advertisement and delivery capability rather than becoming an exercise in endless keyword rearrangement.
A practical starting point
Work through these checks in order. Use the results to decide what needs to change in your own workflow.
- Classify terms as relevant, ambiguous or clearly unrelated.
- Compare their outcomes with the intended service.
- Adjust targeting, ad wording or landing pages based on the pattern.
A mistake to avoid
Do not judge a term solely by one expensive click.
How to check progress
Review sustained patterns and qualified outcomes over an appropriate window.
Your action checklist
Use this checklist while reviewing your own setup. Checkmarks are temporary and stay in this open page.
For the wider decision process, read Aligning search ads with landing-page intent.
Further reading
Official background resources for this topic. The workflow above is general guidance, not a guarantee of a particular result.
AI-assisted editorial content. Examples are illustrative, not client case studies. Read our editorial policy or report a correction.