Google Ads Search Terms

Google Ads Search Terms, also referred to as search queries, are the actual phrases users type into Google before clicking your ad. Unlike keywords, which are the terms you bid on and control, search terms reflect real user intent. They reveal not just what you paid for, but what your audience is genuinely looking for, whether that aligns with your goals or not. A single keyword can trigger dozens of different search terms, ranging from highly relevant to completely off-target.

For multifamily marketers, search term data is one of the most actionable levers for campaign efficiency. It exposes irrelevant traffic - such as searches for furnished rooms, out-of-market cities, or ownership opportunities, that drains budget without producing leads. By regularly reviewing this data, teams can add negative keywords, refine match types, and shift spend toward the high-intent renters most likely to convert. However, Google has increasingly withheld low-volume and 'sensitive' search terms from reporting, reducing transparency and making it harder to fully audit where dollars are going. This limitation makes it especially important to pair search term analysis with other performance signals like CTR, conversion rate, and cost-per-lead.