How to find wasted Google Ads search spend with an AI agent
Search terms that spend and never convert, ranked by cost, with the negative keyword list ready to review.
IntentProduce the exact list of terms to negative, with the spend each one burned as the proof.
- 5
- Steps
- 3
- Tools
- 3
- Rules
- 3
- Failure modes
When to use it
Use it when
- Monthly hygiene on any search account.
- CPA drifting up on search campaigns specifically.
- After broadening match types or adding broad match.
Do not use it when
- Accounts under ~100 clicks a month: every term looks unconverting at that volume.
- Pure brand campaigns, where near-zero waste is expected and the pass finds noise.
What it needs first
Required
Optional
Preconditions
- 30 days of search terms data or more.
- Conversion tracking verified recently enough to trust zero-conversion labels.
Inputs
window- Analysis window.Default: last 90 days.
click_floor- Clicks below which a term is not judged.Default: 20.
Procedure
In order. Every tool named is one the gateway ships, and links to its reference.
Pull the search terms report with spend, clicks and conversions.
Join to keyword performance to see which keyword matched each term.
Bucket terms: converting, unconverting-above-floor, low-volume, and clearly off-intent.
If Search Console is connected, check whether wasted paid terms already rank organically.
A term ranking #1 organically is a candidate for paid exclusion even when it converts.
Draft the negative list, grouped by theme, with the spend each theme burned.
Decision rules
The observable condition, what it lets you conclude, and what takes the conclusion back.
When
A term has at least the click floor and zero conversions over the window
Conclude
Waste candidate. Rank by spend.
Unless
The account sells long-cycle: check a window at least 2× the typical conversion lag first.
When
A term is semantically off-intent regardless of volume
Conclude
Negative it on theme, and name the matching keyword that let it in.
When
Waste candidates sum to under 2% of search spend
Conclude
Report the account as clean; do not pad the list to look useful.
Evidence every conclusion must carry
- Every candidate carries clicks, spend, conversions and the matching keyword.
- The total reclaimable spend is stated with its window.
Where the agent stops
- The gateway does not write negative keywords. The list is delivered for a human to apply in Google Ads.
- Recommending pausing a keyword is separate from negativing terms, and goes through Safe Writes if acted on.
How it goes wrong quietly
The cases where the analysis is wrong and still looks right. Read them before trusting a number.
- Conversion lag makes recent terms look unconverting; exclude the last conversion-lag days from judgement.
- A broken conversion tag makes the whole account look like waste; if overall conversions collapsed, run tracking-audit first.
- Search terms reports omit low-volume terms; the reclaimable number is a floor, not a total.
What the answer contains
- 01Negative list, by theme
- Terms grouped, spend burned per theme, matching keywords.
- 02Off-intent leaks
- Which keywords let bad traffic in, with match types.
- 03Reclaimable spend
- The total, its window, and the click floor used.