Google is Hiding 60% of Search Terms, What Is The Solution? (Episode 520)
July 6, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readGoogle Is Hiding 60% of Search Terms — What Is the Solution?
Google Ads search term data is disappearing. Chris Schaefer, host of The Paid Search Podcast, estimates that 60 to 80 percent of actual search terms are now hidden behind a label Google calls "other search terms," citing privacy. The result: advertisers are flying blind on the most fundamental layer of paid search management.
Why Search Terms Matter More Than Keywords
Schaefer draws a sharp distinction between keywords and search terms. A keyword is what the advertiser chooses — broad, phrase, or exact match. A search term is what the customer actually types into Google before clicking an ad. That difference is the foundation of value measurement.
He gives two examples. A legal practice spending $5,000 on clicks from people searching "lawyer" gets far less qualified traffic than one getting clicks from "criminal defense lawyer near me." Similarly, "haircut" versus "women's haircut and coloring near me" signals a completely different purchase intent. The search term reveals the person's frame of mind and purpose at the moment of search.
"You don't have to have conversion tracking," Schaefer says. "You don't have to have all kinds of ROAS and conversion values. But I can look at my search terms, and I can tell: yeah, I'm sending the wrong people."
The Damage of Hidden Data
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:19) **The Core Problem: Google is Hiding Search Terms** - Chris Schaefer introduces the episode's thesis: Google is hiding up to 60% or more of advertisers' search term data, and he is "heated" about it.
- 2 (02:48) **Why Search Terms Are the Foundation of Value** - Chris clarifies the difference between keywords (advertiser-chosen) and search terms (customer-typed), arguing search terms are the primary measure of traffic value.
- 3 (08:07) **The Scale of the Problem: "Other Search Terms"** - Google hides the majority of clicks behind a "privacy" label, lumping them into a report called "other search terms."
- 4 (09:59) **How Hidden Data Cripples Decision Making** - The lack of search term data directly damages an advertiser's ability to manage campaigns.
- 5 (11:03) **The Worst Impact: Stifling Growth** - Hidden search terms destroy the best source of new keyword research: real, proven search traffic.
- 6 (13:39) **The Trust Issue: A Precursor to Deception** - Chris makes a prediction that removing transparency is always a precursor to deception, making it impossible to hold Google accountable.
- 7 (15:55) **Historical Context: How We Lost Control** - Chris looks back at how search term data was used to understand major Google changes, like the redefinition of match types five or six years ago.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Google Ads is hiding more and more search term data, and it’s becoming a serious problem for advertisers.
Try Opteo for free for 28 days - https://opteo.com/psp
In this episode, Chris Schaeffer explains why search terms—not keywords—are the foundation of successful Google Ads management, why Google’s increasing lack of transparency matters, and what you can do to protect your campaigns.
You’ll learn:
* The critical difference between keywords and search terms
* Why search terms are the first step in measuring paid search quality
* How hidden search terms make optimization more difficult
* Why less visibility leads to more wasted ad spend
* How this shift especially impacts small advertisers
* Why transparency has always been one of Google Search’s biggest advantages
* How broad match negative keywords can help reduce unwanted traffic
Google Ads wasn’t built on showing ads to people who might be interested. It became the world’s most powerful advertising platform because it reached people at the exact moment they were searching for a product or service.
That’s why understanding what people actually searched is so important.
Your keywords are only what you tell Google to target. Your search terms reveal where your advertising dollars are really going.
If Google continues hiding that information, advertisers lose one of the most valuable tools they have for improving performance and holding the platform accountable.
Chris Schaeffer - http://www.chrisschaeffer.com
Submit a Question - https://www.paidsearchpodcast.com
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