The short answer
Open the Google Ads search terms report every week. Sort by cost or clicks, then decide for each query: keep it, add it as a keyword, or block it with a negative keyword. Negatives do not expand to close variants, so add plurals and near matches yourself. Pair that cleanup with location assets linked from your Google Business Profile so eligible ads can show the office address, distance, and a call button. Judge progress by tracked calls and booked visits, not by how long the negative list grows.
Why the search terms report matters
Your keyword list is what you hope people will type. The search terms report shows the queries that actually triggered your ads. Those two lists rarely match line for line, especially with broad match or Smart Bidding, so the report is where wasted spend shows up first.
Google's help on the report says to use it in two directions: add strong search terms as keywords when they fit, and add irrelevant ones as negatives so ads stop showing for them. For a dental clinic that usually means catching job seekers, students, supply buyers, and people looking for treatments or cities you do not serve, while protecting patients who are researching a real service you offer.
If clicks look healthy but appointments are thin, pair this guide with our playbook on ads that get clicks but no conversions. Tracking has to work before search-term cleanup tells you the truth.
A weekly review that fits a busy clinic
Google documents a path from the report straight into negatives: open Insights and reports, open Search terms, select the queries you want to block, then choose Add as negative keyword. You can send them to an ad group, a campaign, an existing negative list, or a new list. By default, negatives added from the report are exact match; change the match type on purpose when a short stem needs broader coverage.
| Step | What to look for | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Filter | Last 7 to 30 days on Search campaigns | Ignore one-off queries with almost no cost until patterns repeat |
| 2. Sort | Cost, clicks, or conversions | Fix expensive waste first |
| 3. Triage | Each query: patient, researcher, or wrong intent | Keep, promote to keyword, or negative |
| 4. Apply | Campaign list vs ad group | Use shared lists for waste that never belongs anywhere |
| 5. Recheck | Next week's report | Confirm blocked stems are gone and good queries still appear |
Google's page on using the search terms report for negative ideas is the step-by-step reference for the UI. Keep a short note of what you blocked and why, so a teammate does not undo a careful decision later.
Negative match types without the gotchas
Positive keywords and negative keywords do not behave the same way. Google's negative keyword help and its keyword matching options page are the sources to keep open while you edit.
Negative exact
Blocks that query (and close casing or misspellings). Best for one clear bad search without cutting related wording.
Negative phrase
Blocks searches that include that phrase in order. Useful for stems like "dental assistant" or "hygiene school".
Negative broad
Blocks when all words appear, in any order. Powerful and easy to overuse; test on a shared list first.
- •Negatives do not match close variants. Add singular and plural forms when both show up as waste.
- •Casing and misspellings are covered automatically, so you do not need separate entries for those.
- •Very long queries can still show your ad if your negative sits after the sixteenth word. That edge case is rare for dental searches, but it is documented.
- •Too many negatives can limit reach. Prefer shared lists for account-wide waste, and campaign or ad-group negatives when only one service should be blocked.
Common dental waste patterns
Every market is different, but most dental Search accounts see the same clusters. Use them as a starting checklist, then confirm against your own report before you block anything.
| Pattern | Examples of intent | Usually |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs and staffing | dentist jobs, dental assistant salary, hiring hygienist | Negative at account level |
| Schools and CE | dental hygiene school, dental board exam, CE courses | Negative at account level |
| Supplies and labs | dental supplies wholesale, implant parts catalog | Negative unless you sell those |
| Treatments you skip | oral surgery, sleep apnea appliance, Medicaid dentist | Negative on campaigns that cannot serve them |
| Wrong geography | Cities hours away, other states, "near [other city]" | Negative, and tighten location settings |
| DIY and free clinic | home tooth repair, free dental clinic, dental charity | Negative if you never take those visits |
Keep related research queries when they map to a service you sell. Someone reading about implant stages or Invisalign timeline may still book a consult. If those queries never convert after you have solid call and form tracking, tighten later. For broader CPC context, see how to lower cost per click.
Location assets from your Business Profile
Search term hygiene stops waste. Location assets help the right local searches show your office. Google's location assets help page explains that eligible ads can show the street address, distance, directions, and on mobile a call button, with data sourced from Google Business Profile and Google Maps.
- •Choose the asset type for locations you own, then link the practice's Google Business Profile (or another supported source Google lists).
- •Fix wrong addresses or phone numbers in the Business Profile and Maps. Those edits flow into the linked ads account.
- •For multi-office practices, confirm each office has its own profile and that ads point patients to the office that can see them. Our multi-location profile guide covers that side. Owned versus affiliate assets, shared budgets, and per-office call tracking are in DSO Google Ads budgets and call attribution.
- •Location assets can also support store-visit conversion reporting when an account meets Google's eligibility rules. Treat that as a bonus signal, not a substitute for call and booking tracking.
If the profile itself still needs work, start with setting up a dental Business Profile. For campaign structure, tracking, and bidding basics, use Google Ads best practices for dental offices.
Weekly checklist
Work through this list during your weekly ads review. Your ticks stay in this browser only.
Search terms and location assets
11 items
If you want help running the weekly review and tying it to booked patients, our dental PPC team handles Search campaigns, negatives, and location assets as part of ongoing management.
Sources
Pages accessed November 5, 2026. This guide is marketing and advertising guidance, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a dental practice review search terms?
Weekly is a practical cadence for most single-office accounts. Check after any big keyword or match-type change, and again after you launch a new service campaign. Use a 7 to 30 day window so you see enough queries without drowning in one-off searches.
Do negative keywords block close variants automatically?
No. Google's negative keyword help says negatives do not match close variants the way positive keywords can. If you exclude "flowers", ads can still show for "flower". Add plurals, synonyms, and close wording yourself when you need them blocked. Casing and misspellings are handled automatically.
Should new negatives be exact, phrase, or broad?
Google's search terms workflow defaults new negatives from the report to exact match. Exact is safest when one odd query wasted money. Use phrase when a short stem appears in many wasted queries, such as "job" or "salary". Use negative broad carefully, because it can cut off useful longer searches that contain that word.
What are location assets and why do dental ads need them?
Location assets let eligible Search ads show your office address, distance, directions, and often a call button. Google sources that data from your Google Business Profile and Google Maps, so link the practice profile to the ads account and fix wrong NAP details in the profile itself.
Can too many negatives hurt a campaign?
Yes. Google notes that too many negative keywords can limit reach. Block clear waste (jobs, wrong cities, treatments you do not offer) and leave related research queries alone until you have evidence they never lead to booked visits. Review the list monthly and remove negatives that no longer make sense.