What Are Search Terms? The Difference With Keywords

Search terms are the actual queries people type into a search engine. Do not confuse them with keywords: keywords are the terms you choose yourself to target, search terms are what users actually type. That difference sounds subtle, but it is one of the most valuable insights in SEO and online advertising. In this article you will read what search terms are exactly, where to find them and why they matter so much for B2B.

What are search terms exactly?

A search term is the exact text someone types into the search box: “best accounting software for freelancers”, “how much does a crm cost”, “packaging supplier antwerp”. It is the real, unfiltered question of a real person.

A keyword, by contrast, is the term you as a marketer choose to aim your content or ads at. You target the keyword “accounting software”, for example, while in reality people type dozens of different variants that all fit under it. The difference:

• Keyword: what you set up and optimise for.
• Search term: what the user really typed to end up with you.

One keyword can therefore match dozens of different search terms. That is exactly where the value lies: search terms show you the real language of your audience, including questions and phrasings you would never have come up with yourself. If you want to understand the broader context, read our explanation of what SEO is.

The difference at a glance:

The reason one keyword can match so many variants is the keyword match types in Google Ads: the broader the match option, the further search terms can drift from your actual keyword.

Where do you find your search terms?

There are two main sources, depending on whether it concerns organic search or advertising.

1. Google Search Console (organic). The performance report shows, under “queries”, the real searches people used to find your pages in the regular search results. You see impressions, clicks, position and click-through rate per search term. That is your most honest mirror: not a tool’s estimate, but the actual search language of your visitors. How to read that report is covered in our explanation of Google Search Console.

2. The Google Ads search terms report (paid). For ads, the search terms report shows which real queries triggered your ad. Because a keyword on broad match can match wildly different queries, this report is indispensable for seeing whether your budget goes to quality traffic or to noise. You can read more about that in our wiki on search terms.

The organic side tells you what you are found for without paying. The paid side tells you what you are spending money on. Both are equally instructive.

Why search terms make you smarter

The beauty of search terms is that they close the gap between what you think people search for and what they really search for. Three concrete benefits:

• You discover unexpected questions. You often see search terms you would never have picked as a keyword, but that do bring in visitors. Every such term is an idea for new content.
• You spot the wrong matches. If a page attracts visitors with a very different intent than intended, you see it straight away in the search terms. That tells you where your content needs adjusting.
• You save budget on ads. Irrelevant search terms that only swallow budget you exclude as negative keywords, while strong performers hand you new opportunities.

Search terms also reveal search intent: someone typing “how much does it cost” is in a different phase than someone typing “request a quote”. That nuance helps you match the right content to the right searcher.

How do you use the search terms report in practice?

Opening the report is one thing, doing something with it is another. Here is how we approach it, whether it concerns organic or paid traffic.

1. Filter on a period with enough data. At low volumes, look at a longer period (90 days, for instance) rather than one weak week. A single search term says little, a pattern says everything.
2. Sort on impressions and clicks. That way you immediately see the search terms driving the most traffic. Go down the top rows and ask yourself for every term: does this fit what my page or ad promises?
3. Flag the irrelevant terms. Queries with the wrong intent (free, job, do-it-yourself, a competitor’s name) are candidates for exclusion. In Google Ads you turn those into negative keywords.
4. Collect the opportunities. Recurring, purchase-driven search terms you do not yet serve specifically are ideas for a new page, an FAQ block or a separate ad group.
5. Tie it back to conversions. Do not just look at clicks, but at which search terms lead to an enquiry. That is the only measure that counts.

According to the Google Ads Help explanation, the search terms report shows the actual queries that triggered your ad, along with the performance data per term. It is exactly that combination that makes the report usable: you see not only what people typed, but also what it delivered.

Common mistakes with search terms

In practice we see a handful of mistakes come back time and again.

• Confusing keyword and search term. Optimising for what you set up while your data shows people type something else is working backwards. Let the search terms guide your choice of words.
• Fixating on impressions. A term that appears often but never converts feels important but is noise. Weigh every search term against what it delivers, not against how often it shows up.
• Never excluding. Without maintaining your negative keywords, budget keeps leaking away to queries that will never become customers. The search terms report is not a one-off check, but recurring work.
• Ignoring intent. Aiming the same page at both “how much does it cost” and “choosing a provider” rarely works. A mismatch between search intent and page is often visible first in the search terms.

Honestly: what does this mean for B2B?

We would rather say it straight away: for B2B the search terms report is one of the few places where you see, without guesswork, what your audience is really concerned with. Because your volumes are low and your audience narrow, every search term carries weight. One recurring, purchase-driven search term can be worth a whole new content topic or a profitable ad group.

At the same time we warn about the pitfall: do not fixate on search terms with lots of impressions that never lead to an enquiry. A term that appears often but never converts is noise, not an opportunity. Our SEO approach therefore uses search terms to steer on leads and revenue, not on impressions that look good in a report. Looking honestly at this data, even when it shows that a page or campaign attracts the wrong traffic, is the basis for growth that really brings in customers.

Frequently asked questions about search terms

What is the difference between search terms and keywords? Keywords are the terms you choose yourself to target. Search terms are the actual queries people type. One keyword can match many different search terms.

Where do I find my real search terms? For organic search, in the performance report in Google Search Console, under “queries”. For ads, in the search terms report in Google Ads. Both show real queries, not estimates.

Why are search terms important? Because they show the real language of your audience. You discover unexpected questions, spot the wrong matches and save ad budget by excluding irrelevant terms.

Are search terms useful for a small B2B company? Definitely. Precisely at low volumes, every real search term carries weight. One recurring, purchase-driven term can deliver a new content topic or a profitable campaign.

Want to know what your customers really search for?

Search terms are the most honest source you have: not an assumption, but the real words of your audience. We analyse which search terms lead to enquiries for you and which are only noise, so that your content and campaigns build on that. We are a small team that moves fast and steers on revenue. Book your free intake