What N-gram Analysis Does
The N-gram Analysis view shows performance by each individual word (and word combinations) aggregated across your entire search term report. Instead of looking at "vitamin c gummies for adults 60 count" and "vitamin c gummies 120 count" as two separate terms, you're seeing that the word "adults" appears across 30 search terms, and what those 30 terms collectively cost and earned.
This is the fastest way to find negative keyword opportunities that aren't visible when you look at individual search terms one at a time.
How to Access It
Go to Advertising Analytics, open the Keywords and Search Terms tab, and scroll to the N-gram Analysis section at the bottom of the page.
Date range matters: Use at least 30-60 days of data for n-gram analysis. With shorter ranges, low-volume words won't have enough data to show a meaningful pattern. Wider windows reveal structural issues in your targeting that short windows hide.
How to Read the Results
Sort by Spend descending, then look at the ACoS column. You're scanning for words or short phrases that:
Have meaningful spend (not just a few cents)
Show zero or very few orders
Or show ACoS well above your account average
N-gram | Spend | Orders | Interpretation |
"kids" | $130 | 0 | Your product isn't for children. This word is pulling irrelevant traffic across many search terms. Negate "kids" as a phrase match. |
"free" | $55 | 1 | Bargain-hunter traffic. Very unlikely to convert at a useful rate. Negate "free." |
"organic" | $95 | 2 | If your product isn't organic-certified, shoppers searching this word are comparing you against products you can't compete with on that claim. Negate. |
"immune support" | $180 | 9 | Good ACoS. This is a strong keyword cluster — invest more here and make sure it's targeted in exact match. |
Taking Action
For each high-spend, high-ACoS word you confirm is irrelevant to your product:
Add it as a negative phrase match at the campaign level. This blocks all search terms containing that word without requiring you to negate every individual search term one by one.
If the word causes problems across all campaigns (not just one), add it at the portfolio level.
Note what you added. In a month, you can verify that spend dropped on those terms and ACoS improved.
What to expect: After a round of n-gram cleanup, total impressions will drop (which is expected — you're blocking irrelevant traffic) while ACoS typically improves as budget concentrates on terms that actually convert. TACoS may also improve if the freed budget is redirected toward your best-performing exact match keywords.