Google Ads guide

How to Set Up Google Ads Search Terms Report for D2C Brands

To set up a Google Ads search terms report for a D2C brand, separate brand, product, category, problem, offer, support, and research intent, then check each important query against the right product route and business outcome. Review inventory, variant, price, margin, shipping, returns, new-customer status, and repeat value before expanding coverage or adding a negative keyword.

Google’s search terms report shows searches that resulted in ads being shown. The report can reveal product language and feed gaps, but it cannot decide whether a purchase was profitable or whether a query deserves more coverage after returns and customer value are considered.

Record the catalog and economics first

Create a short reference for the report with products and variants currently in stock, countries or regions served, shipping promise, return rules, active offers, margin guardrails, and products the brand does not sell. Note whether the account is trying to acquire new customers, drive repeat orders, promote a launch, clear inventory, or protect contribution margin.

The same search can have a different action depending on those rules. A query for a discontinued color may indicate feed or inventory waste. A query for “gift set” may justify a collection page even if no exact keyword exists. “Cheap” may be wrong for a premium product or useful for a budget line. “Review” may be research worth supporting, or it may belong in an organic or customer-support route.

Keep brand and nonbrand demand separate where the account structure allows it. Branded searches can be efficient while reflecting demand created by other channels. Nonbrand searches may cost more but bring new customers. Neither should be declared universally better without a business objective.

Select the report fields and review window

Use the search terms report with search term, campaign, ad group or asset group, keyword, match type, impressions, clicks, cost, conversions, and conversion value. Add product, variant, landing page, feed status, device, country, new-customer status, order margin, return, or repeat-purchase fields when they are reliable.

Choose a window that matches the order and return cycle. A weekly review is useful for sudden query or feed problems; a monthly or longer review is better for low-volume product themes. Leave enough time for fulfillment, refunds, and returns before judging economics. Annotate launches, restocks, stockouts, promotions, price changes, shipping delays, site outages, and creative changes.

Prioritize the rows that can change a decision:

  1. high spend on unavailable or unsupported products;
  2. repeated product or category language with no matching page;
  3. searches that produce strong order, margin, or new-customer evidence;
  4. clicks that stall at product view, add-to-cart, or checkout; and
  5. support, returns, jobs, research, or unrelated queries in acquisition campaigns.

Do not let a large export become the process. A concise review with a reason and next action is more valuable than a report that no one can finish.

Classify each query before changing the account

Use labels that describe the shopper’s question: brand, exact product, category, problem, comparison, gift, discount, size or fit, shipping, support, returns, research, or unrelated intent. Add a separate action such as retain, expand, improve route, investigate, or exclude.

For retain rows, record the product or collection that answered the search and what evidence exists. For expand rows, write the exact query theme, product availability, current destination, and expected signal. For improve-route rows, note whether the shopper needs a category page, comparison, size guide, compatibility detail, policy page, or bundle.

For investigate rows, ask a catalog, merchandising, site, or customer-care question. Is the product planned? Is the size available? Is the shopper asking for wholesale? Is the shipping promise accurate? Is a return or support term being shown to new shoppers? Do not turn unanswered questions into permanent negatives.

For exclude rows, state the precise mismatch. A job search, repair instruction, unsupported country, or product the brand cannot sell may be clear. Terms like “review,” “alternative,” “cheap,” or “gift” need more context. Read the full search and check the commercial rules.

Check product-page and feed fit

For a relevant query with weak progression, inspect the path before changing targeting. Verify that the ad, image, product title, page, variant, price, availability, shipping, returns, reviews, and checkout answer what the shopper asked. A query for a category should not always land on one product. A query for compatibility may need a table or guide. A gift query may need a curated route.

Ask the merchandising or feed owner whether:

  1. the product and variant are actually available;
  2. the title and attributes use the shopper’s language;
  3. the offer and price shown are current;
  4. shipping and return conditions are clear; and
  5. the conversion and revenue values are accurate.

A product feed issue can make a good search look irrelevant. A stockout can create clicks without purchases. A high shipping cost can reduce checkout progression. A poor page can make an accurate ad appear unhelpful. Send the problem to the right owner rather than hiding it with a negative.

Add negative keywords with a scope and reason

Use the Google Ads negative-keyword guidance and keep a log containing the observed query, mismatch, wording, campaign or ad-group scope, good queries checked, date, and next review.

Start narrowly when a term has mixed product value. A support term can be excluded from prospecting while staying available in a customer campaign. A competitor term can be a deliberate strategy. A country or product name can be wrong for one market but valuable in another. Do not create a universal list from one product’s data without checking the wider catalog.

After applying a negative, compare unwanted spend with product coverage, orders, new customers, margin, and returns. If useful searches disappear, inspect wording and scope. If poor traffic remains, check the feed, page, offer, shipping, and audience before adding more exclusions.

Reconcile queries with orders and value

Connect important search themes to product view, add-to-cart, checkout, purchase, cancellation, refund, return, margin, new-customer status, and repeat order where possible. Google’s measurement guidance helps explain platform events; the store records explain the economic result.

When a query produces orders but weak economics, check discount, product mix, shipping, returns, and repeat behavior. When it produces strong margin but low volume, inspect feed coverage, product page, creative, and category reach. When it produces clicks but no purchase, inspect stock, variant, price, page trust, delivery promise, checkout, and tracking.

Make the limitations visible. If the account cannot connect a search theme to new-customer or return data, do not claim that the query is profitable or unprofitable. Use “not yet known” and specify what data is needed.

Turn findings into coordinated actions

Route each recommendation to the team that can act:

  • growth or paid media for coverage and campaign scope;
  • merchandising for products, collections, inventory, and margin;
  • feed or site teams for titles, attributes, pages, and checkout;
  • creative for images, offers, and promises; and
  • customer care for support, return, and delivery language.

For each action, record the query or theme, product or page, reason, owner, date, and expected signal. Keep proposed, approved, implemented, and observed as separate statuses. A new page is not proven when it launches; a negative is not approved merely because it appears in a spreadsheet.

Use the D2C Performance Max guide for broader PMax context. adz.so can help inspect supported account data and organize the report, but it does not verify stock, fulfill an order, calculate the brand’s full contribution margin, or determine repeat value.

Validate the D2C setup

Before making the review routine, confirm that:

  1. catalog, variant, stock, market, shipping, return, and margin rules are current;
  2. brand, product, category, problem, support, and research intent are labeled;
  3. account, campaign, date range, and conversion fields are correct;
  4. expensive, repeated, high-value, and stalled-funnel queries were reviewed;
  5. negative candidates have exact queries, good-coverage checks, and safe scope;
  6. orders are compared with new-customer value, margin, returns, and repeat behavior;
  7. feed, product-page, offer, checkout, and fulfillment issues have owners; and
  8. the next review allows the order and return cycle to mature.

A D2C search terms report is set up well when shopper language can improve the catalog, storefront, and media decisions together. Protect relevant product demand, investigate broken routes, and let real order economics—not clicks or platform revenue alone—decide what deserves expansion.