--- title: "Stop Excluding Search Terms on Bounce Rate: Build a GA4-to-Google Ads Triage Sheet" description: "Dedicated strategists run your account and a proprietary engine trained on $500B in profitable ad spend optimises the execution underneath them" image: "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdecd230f2e0725dedf3e2_64493087-97ae-4816-b843-daa38f083965.png" --- October 1, 2026 • 11 min read # Stop Excluding Search Terms on Bounce Rate: Build a GA4-to-Google Ads Triage Sheet ![Young man with curly hair wearing a black shirt outdoors against green foliage background.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6821efca072e48f6f495a47e/68562d390107b3921a6e3d68_1743932904108.jpg) **Alexander Perleman**, Head Of Product @ groas Ex-Goldman Sachs and Stanford Computer Science **Email: alex@groas.com** [**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-433793253/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-433793253/) ![Cover image for: Stop Excluding Search Terms on Bounce Rate: Build a GA4-to-Google Ads Triage Sheet](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdecd230f2e0725dedf3e2_64493087-97ae-4816-b843-daa38f083965.png) A tool that excludes Google Ads search terms because three visitors bounced is not managing your account. It is guessing with write access. **Bounce rate alone is not a reason to add a negative keyword.** In GA4, [bounce rate is the inverse of engagement rate](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12159312): a session counts as engaged if it lasts at least 10 seconds, includes two or more page views, or records a key event. Even a correctly measured unengaged session tells you little about a query after a handful of clicks. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a spreadsheet that joins GA4 engaged sessions to Google Ads search terms, holds thin samples out of review, and produces a short list of *candidates* for negative keywords. You will still inspect intent before uploading anything. That is the point: see the decision logic before trusting a tool to execute it. Before you start, have these ready: - **GA4** access to the web property receiving your ads traffic. - **Google Ads** access to the Search campaigns you will review, with auto-tagging active. - **Google Sheets** and a blank workbook. - Your **target CPA**, for the spend threshold you will set in Step 4. #### Step 1: Export GA4 queries and engaged sessions Open **GA4 > Explore > Blank exploration**. Set a custom date range covering the last 30 days, but end it 72 hours ago to reduce the effect of incomplete conversion attribution. If spend is under $15,000 a month, use 60 days instead. Use that exact window again in Google Ads. 1. In **Variables > Dimensions**, click `+` and import `Session Google Ads query`, `Landing page + query string`, and `Session campaign`. The [GA4 Data API schema](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/data/v1/api-schema) lists the query dimension if you need to check its name. 2. In **Variables > Metrics**, click `+` and import `Sessions`, `Engaged sessions`, `Engagement rate`, and `Key events`. 3. In **Tab Settings**, put the three dimensions under **Rows**. Put the four metrics under **Values**, and increase **Show rows** from `10` to `500`. 4. Under **Filters**, exclude rows where `Session Google Ads query` exactly matches `(not set)`. Click **Apply**. 5. Use **Export data > CSV** to download the result. **Expected result:** each exported row identifies a query, campaign, landing page, session count, and engaged-session count. **Common mistake:** omitting `Session campaign`. The same words can behave differently in different campaigns; a query-only join erases that distinction. ![Search queries flowing through landing-page engagement checks to a proposed exclusion list](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdecd330f2e0725dedf3f1_70adabc3-26f4-427c-928a-1db6da9410db.png) #### Step 2: Export Google Ads search terms for the same dates In **Google Ads > Campaigns > Insights and reports > Search terms**, set the same start and end dates you used in GA4. Then: 1. Open **Columns > Modify columns**. Include `Search term`, `Campaign`, `Ad group`, `Clicks`, `Impressions`, `Cost`, and `Conversions`. 2. Under **Filter**, set `Added / Excluded` to `None` so the review concentrates on terms you have not already acted on. 3. Click **Download > CSV**. **Expected result:** a file with the query, its campaign and ad group, and the clicks, cost, and conversions needed for triage. **Common mistake:** exporting account-wide totals without `Campaign`. `inventory software` in a broad-match discovery campaign is not necessarily the same decision as `inventory software` in a high-intent campaign. Keep the context. #### Step 3: Join query and campaign, not just query Import the CSVs into two Sheets tabs named `GA4_Raw` and `GAds_Raw`. Put the columns in this order; move imported columns if necessary: | Tab | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `GA4_Raw` | Query | Landing page + query string | Campaign | Sessions | Engaged sessions | Engagement rate | Key events | | `GAds_Raw` | Search term | Campaign | Ad group | Clicks | Impressions | Cost | Conversions | Create a third tab, `Triage_Model`. Give columns A through J these headers, in order: `Search term`, `Campaign`, `Clicks`, `Cost`, `Conversions`, `Sessions`, `Engaged sessions`, `Engaged-session rate`, `Cost per engaged session`, `Decision`. In `Triage_Model!A2`, paste this formula to make one row per **search term and campaign**: ```excel =UNIQUE(FILTER(GAds_Raw!A2:B5000,GAds_Raw!A2:A5000<>"")) ``` Paste the following formulas into row 2 of their respective columns, then fill them down alongside the resulting list: ```excel C2: =SUMIFS(GAds_Raw!$D$2:$D$5000,GAds_Raw!$A$2:$A$5000,$A2,GAds_Raw!$B$2:$B$5000,$B2) D2: =SUMIFS(GAds_Raw!$F$2:$F$5000,GAds_Raw!$A$2:$A$5000,$A2,GAds_Raw!$B$2:$B$5000,$B2) E2: =SUMIFS(GAds_Raw!$G$2:$G$5000,GAds_Raw!$A$2:$A$5000,$A2,GAds_Raw!$B$2:$B$5000,$B2) F2: =SUMIFS(GA4_Raw!$D$2:$D$5000,GA4_Raw!$A$2:$A$5000,$A2,GA4_Raw!$C$2:$C$5000,$B2) G2: =SUMIFS(GA4_Raw!$E$2:$E$5000,GA4_Raw!$A$2:$A$5000,$A2,GA4_Raw!$C$2:$C$5000,$B2) H2: =IF(F2>0,G2/F2,"") I2: =IF(G2>0,D2/G2,"") ``` The GA4 formulas **sum across landing-page rows** rather than grabbing the first match. Keep `GA4_Raw` intact: you will return to its landing-page column when a query needs human review. If an imported CSV puts data in different columns, rearrange the tab before using these formulas; do not trust a plausible-looking result from a misaligned sheet. Format H as a percentage and D and I as currency. Column I is *cost per engaged session*: if clicks cost $3 each and 15% become engaged sessions, that works out to about $20 per engaged visitor when clicks and sessions are roughly aligned. It is a useful diagnostic, not a conversion metric. **Expected result:** one campaign-level row per search term, with Ads cost beside GA4 engagement. **Common mistake:** using `XLOOKUP` on the query alone. If a query appears under multiple campaigns or landing pages, that returns one matching row, not the combined behavior you meant to evaluate. #### Step 4: Gate out thin samples and converting terms I would not exclude a term after five bad clicks. If each visitor had a 50% chance of engaging, five unengaged visits in a row would still happen about 3.125% of the time. Spread that across hundreds of queries and noise starts looking remarkably like a strategy. Put your target CPA in `Triage_Model!M1`, enter `30` in `M2` for the minimum clicks, and enter `0.25` in `M3` for the maximum engaged-session rate. If 1.5 times your account’s average clicks-to-convert figure is higher than 30, use that higher number in `M2`. Now paste this into `J2` and fill down: ```excel =IF(E2>0,"LEAVE (CONVERTING)",IF(C2<$M$2,"HOLD (LOW CLICKS)",IF(F2<$M$2,"HOLD (LOW SESSIONS)",IF(D2<$M$1,"HOLD (LOW SPEND)",IF(H2<$M$3,"TRIAGE INTENT","LP AUDIT"))))) ``` A `TRIAGE INTENT` row has **zero conversions**, enough clicks and GA4 sessions to inspect, spend of at least one target CPA, and an engaged-session rate below 25%. Those are review gates, not proof that the query is bad. The spend floor matters: cutting a non-converting term before it has spent one conversion target can also cut off a potential winner, a problem familiar from [non-converting search-term reviews](https://nilsrooijmans.com/google-ads-script-pmax-non-converting-search-terms/). Thin-sample decisions create the [negative-keyword mistake that costs conversions](https://groas.com/post/negative-keywords-google-ads-mistake-costing-conversions). **Expected result:** most low-volume terms say `HOLD`, converting terms say `LEAVE`, and only a smaller set reaches intent review. **Common mistake:** treating `TRIAGE INTENT` as an upload instruction. It is a request to read the search term. ![Magnifying glass separating scattered data points from a clearer trend](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdecd330f2e0725dedf3ee_e864ba18-b516-4cad-a9cc-5a93fefb7d01.png) #### Step 5: Decide whether the query or the landing page is wrong Filter column J to `TRIAGE INTENT` and sort by **Cost**, highest first. For each row, find the matching query and campaign in `GA4_Raw` and read the landing-page URL. Then make one of two calls: - **Irrelevant intent: propose a negative.** If you sell enterprise warehouse automation software and the term is `free open source warehouse simulator for college students`, the words describe a school assignment, not your offer. Mark it for exclusion. - **Commercial intent: keep the query.** If the term is `enterprise warehouse management platform pricing`, do not negate it just because engagement is 14% and conversions are zero. Inspect the landing page instead. Slow loading, an unskippable video, or a 14-field form before pricing are possible page problems, not evidence that the search itself is worthless. For rows marked `LP AUDIT`, check the landing page as well; those terms spent enough to notice but did not cross the low-engagement threshold. **The mistake here is blaming the auction for a page failure.** A spreadsheet can narrow the queue. It cannot read commercial intent for you. #### Step 6: Format and upload only the reviewed negatives In a separate column, copy only the terms you judged irrelevant. Choose the narrowest match type that solves the problem. [Google Ads negative keywords](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453972) do not cover close variants the way many advertisers expect, so check plurals and related wording separately rather than assuming Google will infer them. - **Exact, `[term]`:** use when one full search string is unwanted but nearby wording may be valuable. For example, `[free accounting software]` does not mean every query about a free trial is unwanted. - **Phrase, `"term"`:** use when an unwanted sequence of words should be blocked wherever it appears in the query. `"free open source"` is a narrower decision than negating every search containing `free`. - **Broad, `term`:** reserve for words you are comfortable blocking broadly, such as `login`, `careers`, `internship`, or `syllabus`. For multiword negatives, do not assume broad match means the words must appear in the same order. The [negative match-type breakdown](https://www.scottredgate.com/blog/negative-keyword-match-types) is worth keeping open while you format the list. A match-type error can block more useful traffic than the original bad query ever cost. ![Diagram comparing exact, phrase, and broad negative-keyword boundaries](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdecd330f2e0725dedf3eb_b428254a-3130-4404-9b1d-4b5a7b081edb.png) ##### Choose the scope before you click Save For negatives shared by the relevant Search or Shopping campaigns, go to **Google Ads > Tools > Shared library > Negative keyword lists**: 1. Click the blue `+` and name the list `GA4 Unengaged Intent Exclusions`. 2. Paste your reviewed terms, with brackets for exact match or quotation marks for phrase match where appropriate. Click **Save**. 3. Open the list, choose **Apply to campaigns**, and select only the campaigns for which those exclusions make sense. **Expected result:** the list shows the intended terms and is attached to the intended campaigns. **Common mistake:** applying a campaign-specific judgment across the whole account. A query that is junk in one campaign may deserve a different treatment elsewhere. If the term is junk everywhere, consider the account-level exclusions under **Tools > Shared library > Exclusion lists**; [Google’s account-level negative guidance](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/12971089) describes that scope. For Performance Max-specific exclusions, use the campaign’s **Settings > Negative keywords** controls rather than assuming a Search campaign list covers PMax. The [campaign-level PMax limit](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/pmax-negative-keyword-limit/) expanded to 10,000 negatives, but capacity is not a reason to paste in unreviewed terms. Before saving any entry, check Google’s stated 80-character and 10-word limits. #### Step 7: Re-run the join, then check the account Repeat the two exports and refresh the sheet every two weeks. On a single brand spending $5,000 a month, that rhythm may be enough. Across $30,000 or $50,000 of complex Search and Performance Max spend, a closed spreadsheet leaves more time for bad queries to keep spending. That is a reason to automate the work, not to automate a bad rule. At [groas](https://groas.com/), we use a [fully autonomous growth engine for paid search](https://groas.com/paid-search) to monitor query and post-click signals continuously, execute within guardrails, and log actions for a named human strategist to oversee. I would still ask the same questions of any tool before giving it write access: 1. **Does it use GA4 engagement correctly?** A bounce-rate threshold without the engagement logic is not an intent model. 2. **Does it hold thin samples?** Ask for its click, session, spend, and conversion gates. 3. **Can it separate bad traffic from a bad page?** A relevant pricing query with poor engagement calls for a page review, not an automatic negative. 4. **Can you inspect each action?** You should see the query, campaign, match type, and reason for exclusion. **Verify it worked:** after applying the list, confirm it appears on the intended campaigns and check the Search terms report seven days later for the specific queries you excluded. Look for new spend on those queries; do not assume every query containing a negated word is blocked, because match type determines the boundary. Then make the first useful change: review the highest-cost `LP AUDIT` or commercially relevant `TRIAGE INTENT` row and fix the landing page before excluding another search term. Otherwise, you have only taught the account to stop showing you the problem. #### Frequently asked questions ##### Should I add a negative keyword in Google Ads just because a search term has a high bounce rate? No. In GA4, bounce rate is the inverse of engagement rate, where a session counts as engaged if it lasts at least 10 seconds, includes two or more page views, or records a key event. Even correctly measured unengaged sessions say little about a query after only a handful of clicks, so engagement data should be joined with Google Ads spend data before making exclusion decisions. ##### Why should I join GA4 and Google Ads data by search term and campaign instead of just the search term? Because the same words can behave differently in different campaigns. For example, a query in a broad-match discovery campaign is not necessarily the same decision as the same query in a high-intent campaign. A query-only join erases that distinction, and using XLOOKUP on the query alone returns one matching row rather than the combined behavior you meant to evaluate. ##### How many clicks does a search term need before I can decide whether to exclude it? More than a handful. Five unengaged visits in a row can happen about 3.125% of the time even when each visitor has a 50% chance of engaging, so the recommended gates include a minimum of 30 clicks, or 1.5 times your account's average clicks-to-convert figure if higher, a minimum of 30 sessions, and spend of at least one target CPA before a term reaches intent review. ##### A search term looks commercially relevant but has low engagement and no conversions. Should I still exclude it? No, not on that evidence alone. A relevant pricing query with poor engagement may point to a landing page problem, such as slow loading, an unskippable video, or a long form before pricing. Inspect the landing page instead of negating the search, because blaming the auction for a page failure cuts off queries that could convert. ##### Which negative keyword match type should I use in Google Ads? Use the narrowest match type that solves the problem. Exact match in brackets blocks one full search string while leaving nearby wording available, phrase match in quotation marks blocks an unwanted word sequence wherever it appears, and broad match should be reserved for words you are comfortable blocking broadly, such as login or careers. Negative keywords do not cover close variants the way many advertisers expect, so check plurals and related wording separately. ##### Where do I apply a negative keyword list, and how do I know it worked? Create the list under Google Ads Tools, Shared library, Negative keyword lists, then apply it only to the campaigns for which those exclusions make sense, since a query that is junk in one campaign may deserve different treatment elsewhere. After applying, check the Search terms report seven days later for the excluded queries and look for new spend on them, remembering that match type determines the boundary. ##### How often should I refresh my GA4 and Google Ads search term review? Repeat the two exports and refresh the sheet every two weeks. That rhythm may be enough for a single brand spending around $5,000 a month, but at $30,000 or $50,000 of complex Search and Performance Max spend, a closed spreadsheet leaves too much time for bad queries to keep spending, which is a reason to automate the work rather than automate a bad rule. ## Related Posts [![Cover image for: YouTube Ads Won’t Get Fewer: Six Calls to Check by 2027](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdf393d75bfe8c3da36a21_454d1aea-9ccc-43d4-977a-d7bf62eab14b.png) ##### YouTube Ads Won’t Get Fewer: Six Calls to Check by 2027 October 1, 2026 • 11 min read Written by David](https://groas.com/post/youtube-ads-won-t-get-fewer-6-prediction) [![Cover image for: Your Google Ads Learning Phase May Take Months, Not a Week](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abdeff30593563f84603596_4e800677-6b2b-4f54-98c1-2f2ccf7df073.png) ##### Your Google Ads Learning Phase May Take Months, Not a Week October 1, 2026 • 10 min read 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Even correctly measured unengaged sessions say little about a query after only a handful of clicks, so engagement data should be joined with Google Ads spend data before making exclusion decisions."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why should I join GA4 and Google Ads data by search term and campaign instead of just the search term?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Because the same words can behave differently in different campaigns. For example, a query in a broad-match discovery campaign is not necessarily the same decision as the same query in a high-intent campaign. A query-only join erases that distinction, and using XLOOKUP on the query alone returns one matching row rather than the combined behavior you meant to evaluate."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How many clicks does a search term need before I can decide whether to exclude it?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"More than a handful. Five unengaged visits in a row can happen about 3.125% of the time even when each visitor has a 50% chance of engaging, so the recommended gates include a minimum of 30 clicks, or 1.5 times your account's average clicks-to-convert figure if higher, a minimum of 30 sessions, and spend of at least one target CPA before a term reaches intent review."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"A search term looks commercially relevant but has low engagement and no conversions. Should I still exclude it?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No, not on that evidence alone. A relevant pricing query with poor engagement may point to a landing page problem, such as slow loading, an unskippable video, or a long form before pricing. Inspect the landing page instead of negating the search, because blaming the auction for a page failure cuts off queries that could convert."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which negative keyword match type should I use in Google Ads?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Use the narrowest match type that solves the problem. Exact match in brackets blocks one full search string while leaving nearby wording available, phrase match in quotation marks blocks an unwanted word sequence wherever it appears, and broad match should be reserved for words you are comfortable blocking broadly, such as login or careers. Negative keywords do not cover close variants the way many advertisers expect, so check plurals and related wording separately."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where do I apply a negative keyword list, and how do I know it worked?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Create the list under Google Ads Tools, Shared library, Negative keyword lists, then apply it only to the campaigns for which those exclusions make sense, since a query that is junk in one campaign may deserve different treatment elsewhere. After applying, check the Search terms report seven days later for the excluded queries and look for new spend on them, remembering that match type determines the boundary."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How often should I refresh my GA4 and Google Ads search term review?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Repeat the two exports and refresh the sheet every two weeks. That rhythm may be enough for a single brand spending around $5,000 a month, but at $30,000 or $50,000 of complex Search and Performance Max spend, a closed spreadsheet leaves too much time for bad queries to keep spending, which is a reason to automate the work rather than automate a bad rule."}}]} ```