The Google Ads Search Terms Report for Cleaning Companies: A 15-Minute Weekly Routine

Keywords vs Search Terms

When you add the keyword house cleaning austin, Google may show your ad for "house cleaning austin prices", "house cleaning jobs austin" or "how to start a house cleaning business in austin", depending on the match type. Only the first is a potential client. The search terms report lists every one of these real searches, with the cost of each.

Cleaning attracts more irrelevant searches than most services because so many people search for cleaning jobs, cleaning products and cleaning tips. That's why this report matters so much for cleaners.

Where to Find It

In Google Ads, go to Campaigns → Insights and reports → Search terms. Set the date range to the last 7 days (or 14 for smaller accounts). Add the Conversions and Cost columns if they're not there.

The 15-Minute Routine

Minutes 1–5: Sort by cost and scan

Sort by Cost, highest first. For the top 30 terms, ask one question: would this person hire a cleaning company? Tick any that wouldn't.

Minutes 5–10: Add negatives

Select the ticked terms and choose Add as negative keyword. Don't always add the whole phrase. If "house cleaning jobs austin" appears, add jobs as a negative, so every job search is blocked.

Account-level negatives belong in a shared negative keyword list so new campaigns get them automatically. Our negative keyword list for cleaning companies is a ready starting point.

Minutes 10–15: Look for winners

Now sort by Conversions. Any search term with a booking or quote request that isn't already a keyword is a candidate. Add it as an exact or phrase match keyword in the right ad group, with an ad that repeats it.

Patterns to Watch in Cleaning Accounts

• Close variants of services you don't offer. "Carpet cleaning" can appear for "deep cleaning" keywords.
• Neighbouring cities. If searches mention towns outside your area, check your location settings.
• Competitor names. Decide on purpose whether to bid on them. See competitors and your ad clicks.
• Price research. "House cleaning cost" searches can book, but often at a lower rate. Send them to a page with an instant price.
• Hidden terms. Google hides low-volume searches. If a large share of spend sits in "other search terms", tighten match types.

How Often

Weekly for the first three months and after any big change, such as switching to broad match or adding a new service. Every two weeks after that. Most cleaning accounts settle within two to three months, once the common waste is blocked.

Not sure what you're looking at? Send us your account access before the call and we'll go through your search terms with you. Book a free strategy call below. For a broader review, use our 25-point Google Ads audit checklist.