Google Ads wasted spend audit: search terms to negatives
Every account leaks spend on searches that never convert. Drop in a search terms report and get the leak, sized, with the negatives to plug it.
A flagship tool with Gran: free to use, and a free account saves your report as a PDF.
1. Load your search terms report Google Ads → Insights and reports → Search terms → Download CSV
Your file never leaves this browser. Only the summary is saved, and only if you create a report.
2. Check the columns
Your rules
Below this, a term has not had a fair test.
Comma separated. Terms containing these are never suggested as negatives.
Where the money leaks words and phrases that spend without converting
Negative keywords
Wasteful phrases in detail
Keep proven converters to protect
By campaign zero-conversion spend
By match type
What to do next
How it is calculated
Every search term is split into one, two and three-word phrases (n-grams), and spend, clicks and conversions are added up for every phrase across all the terms that contain it. That reveals patterns a row-by-row review misses: "free", "jobs" or "how to" may each be small per term but large in total.
Wasteful phrase = total spend ≥ minimum spend and (no conversions, or cost per conversion > 2 × target) Negative chosen = the most precise wasteful phrase that covers the spend Monthly savings = wasted spend × 30 ÷ days in the report
Brand terms you list are never suggested as negatives. Phrase negatives are shown in quotes and exact negatives in brackets, ready to paste into a shared negative keyword list.
How do I download the report?
In Google Ads open Insights and reports, then Search terms. Pick a date range of 30 to 90 days, add the Campaign and Match type columns if they are hidden, and download as CSV.
Questions
Is my Google Ads data uploaded?
No. The file is read in your browser. If you create a report, only the aggregated results are saved: the phrases flagged, totals and the negative list.
What is n-gram analysis?
Breaking each search term into its words and word pairs, then adding up performance for each. It shows which modifiers waste money across hundreds of terms, so one negative can replace dozens.
Should I add phrase or exact negatives?
Phrase negatives for modifiers that are never relevant, such as "free" or "jobs". Exact negatives for specific queries that waste money but share words with good traffic. The audit suggests both.
How often should I review search terms?
Every two to four weeks, and weekly while broad match campaigns are learning. Search terms drift with seasonality and match type expansion.
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