Google Ads Mystery Decoded: What You Don’t Know About ‘Other’ Search Terms

An advertiser noticed 80% of ad spend and 90% of conversions originated from the elusive “Other” search term category. This anomaly raised concerns about the quality and effectiveness of these conversions. Here’s what we’ve decoded.

A concerned advertiser reached out to Google Ads expert Ginny Marvin regarding a puzzling situation. Their meticulously crafted campaign, built entirely on exact-match keywords, yielded an unexpected outcome: 80% of ad spend and a staggering 90% of conversions originated from the elusive “Other” search term category. 

This anomaly raised concerns about the quality and effectiveness of these conversions, and the client expressed concern about the conversion quality and potential misalignment with their ideal customer profile. Here’s what was decoded.

Addressing the ‘Other’ Search Terms Category

Marvin acknowledged the high percentage of conversions attributed to “Other” search terms. He clarified that this category aggregates searches that fall below Google Ads’ privacy thresholds, protecting user anonymity.

To gain more insights, he recommended leveraging the “Search Terms Insights” feature on the Insights page. Here’s what he said: 

“Queries that do not meet our privacy thresholds are aggregated 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.”

Marvin highlighted that “Search Terms Insights” offers a valuable solution. Unlike the standard report, it incorporates all search terms, even those withheld for privacy reasons. This powerful tool categorises queries based on user intent and provides insightful metrics for each category and subcategory.

Decoding New Campaign Optimisation Insights

As detailed in a Google support resource shared by Marvin, “Search Terms Insights” empowers advertisers to gain valuable insights into customer search behaviour and engagement with their business on Google.

This insightful tool leverages automated category groupings to distil key metrics, simplifying analysis even for terms withheld for privacy reasons. Moreover, advertisers enjoy flexible access to these insights, with custom date range selection and downloadable reports, offering both aggregated category overviews and deeper subcategory details since March 2023.

Demystifying Search Terms Insights

Want more insights into your campaigns with Search Terms Insights, accessible at both the account and campaign level? 

Unlock comprehensive data on all search terms, including those previously protected by privacy settings. This granular view breaks down search topics and subtopics, while presenting key metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions.

This recently integrated feature within the Google Ads API seamlessly works with Search, Performance Max, Shopping, and many other campaign types.

Leverage this continuously updated information to refine your targeting and creative strategies in real-time. By aligning your campaigns with evolving user interests, you’ll unlock optimal performance and maximise your advertising impact.

Unveiling Campaign Performance Insights: Taming the ‘Other’ Search Term Category

Marvin’s expert advice empowers advertisers to unlock valuable insights hidden within the enigmatic “Other” search terms category. By leveraging the powerful Search Terms Insights tool, advertisers can gain a deeper understanding of campaign performance and improve targeting effectiveness.

This innovative solution analyses all search terms, including those previously unavailable due to privacy concerns, and organises them into meaningful category groupings. This granular view equips advertisers with comprehensive data on user search behaviour and intent, even for obscured queries.

By effectively utilising these insights, advertisers can refine their targeting to reach the right audience and craft compelling creatives that resonate with their ideal customers. Ultimately, embracing Search Terms Insights paves the way for optimised campaigns that deliver superior results.

Need a fresh perspective? Let’s talk.

At 360 OM, we specialise in helping businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level. Our team stays on top of industry trends, uses data-informed decisions to maximise your ROI, and provides full transparency through comprehensive reports.

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