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How to read a search terms report properly

Sort by cost, not by clicks. Almost nobody does, and it is where the money is.

The routine

  1. Date range: last 30 days, or long enough to have real data.
  2. Sort by cost, descending. Ignore impressions entirely.
  3. Work down the list asking one question: would I have chosen to pay for this search?
  4. Every "no" becomes a negative, at phrase or exact match.
  5. Every surprising "yes" becomes a keyword in its own right.

What you are looking for

Research intent, free and cheap modifiers, adjacent products you do not sell, competitor and marketplace names, and job-seeker traffic.

Why weekly

Search behaviour drifts, new products change what you match, and Google's matching loosens over time. Set once and forget means it decays. More on negatives.

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