Help doc was found saying the search terms report may show a 'best approximation' of intent, not the query
- Date
- May 13, 2026 (first reported)
- Primary source
- Search Engine Land
Anthony Higman found new help-center language explaining that for searches involving Lens, AI Mode, AI Overviews or autocomplete, the search terms report shows the closest approximation of intent rather than the literal query.
Covered by Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Journal on May 13. The change reduces the reliability of search term data for negative keyword mining in AI-driven surfaces.
Sources
- open_in_newGoogle says Search Query Reports may not show actual user searchesSearch Engine Land · May 13, 2026
- open_in_newGoogle Ads Search Terms Report Shows Best Approximation Of User's IntentSearch Engine Roundtable · May 13, 2026
- open_in_newGoogle Quietly Alters Search Terms Reporting For AI Queries In Google AdsSearch Engine Journal · May 13, 2026
Related changes
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