Basics: Search Term Waste Elimination

Description

Purpose

Automatically negate zero-converting search terms to stop budget waste.

This Template is for:

✓ Accounts with obvious search term waste - zero-order terms burning through clicks
✓ Conservative automation approach - only targets the most clear-cut waste
✓ First-time negative keyword automation - simple, safe starting point
✓ Accounts wanting budget protection without complex performance analysis

Key Features

• Zero-risk targeting: only negates terms with zero orders and high clicks
• Simple click threshold system with no complex calculations
• Conservative approach that won't accidentally negate valuable terms
• Immediate budget protection from obvious waste

Configuration Guidance

• Click Threshold: Start with 20 clicks for conservative waste removal - increase to 30-40 for more aggressive accounts
• Campaign Targeting: Use include/exclude filters rather than separate blueprints for different campaign types
• Monitoring: Check negated terms weekly initially to build confidence in automation

Recommended Workflow

Daily Automation: Create Negative Exact Match using $action

How it works

How the Logic Works

This blueprint uses the simplest possible waste detection: zero orders + high clicks = clear waste. It evaluates each search term's lifetime performance and negates terms that have generated 20+ clicks without a single order. No complex calculations, no performance ratios - just pure waste elimination.

Key Technical Concepts

Conservative Targeting Philosophy: Only acts on terms with zero orders, eliminating any risk of accidentally negating valuable converting terms. This makes it ideal for first-time automation users or accounts wanting maximum safety.

Lifetime Performance Analysis: Uses complete historical data rather than recent periods, ensuring terms get adequate opportunity to convert before negation. A term needs to accumulate the full click threshold over its entire lifetime.

Binary Decision Logic: No gray areas or complex scoring - terms either qualify for negation (zero orders + sufficient clicks) or they don't. This transparency makes the automation predictable and trustworthy.

Configuration Deep Dive

Click Threshold Selection: The 20-click default provides conservative waste removal suitable for most accounts. Increase to 30-40 clicks for accounts with higher average order values or longer consideration cycles. Decrease to 15 clicks only for very budget-conscious accounts with clear waste patterns.

Campaign Filtering Strategy: Use include/exclude filters to target specific campaign types rather than running separate blueprints. For example, set include_campaigns to ["Auto"] to focus on automatic targeting waste, or exclude_campaigns to ["Brand"] to protect brand campaigns.

Diagnostic Property Interpretation

Action Results: Simple "Negate" or "Keep" output makes it easy to audit automation decisions. "Negate" indicates the term met both criteria (zero orders + click threshold). "Keep" covers all other scenarios including converting terms and terms below the click threshold.

Expected Volume: In healthy accounts, expect 5-15% of search terms to qualify for negation. Higher percentages may indicate targeting issues, while very low percentages suggest the click threshold might be too conservative.

Common Performance Patterns

High-Waste Scenarios: Accounts with broad keyword targeting or automatic campaigns often see significant waste elimination in the first weeks of deployment. This is normal and indicates the automation is working effectively.

Low-Activity Periods: During slower seasons or after campaign restructuring, fewer terms will qualify for negation. This doesn't indicate a problem - the automation naturally adapts to activity levels.

Upgrade Considerations: This blueprint focuses only on zero-order waste. Accounts wanting to address converting but inefficient terms, or terms with poor ACOS performance, should consider the Core-level Search Term Waste Elimination blueprint for more sophisticated analysis.

Syntax

/*
=== Basics: Search Term Waste Elimination ===
Purpose: Automatically negate zero-converting search terms to stop budget waste.
Recommended: Create Negative Exact Match | Daily
*/
 
// === Core Settings ===
let $base_clicks = 20;                       // CORE: Clicks required to negate zero-order terms (0 orders + 20 clicks = negated)
 
// === Campaign Filters ===
let $include_campaigns = [""];               // FILTER: Apply to all campaigns, or specify terms like ["SP-", "Auto"]
let $exclude_campaigns = ["NEVER_MATCH"];    // FILTER: Exclude campaigns containing these terms, e.g., ["Brand", "Test"]
 
// ============================================================================
// === Blueprint Logic ===
// ============================================================================
// Advanced logic below - modify carefully
 
// Pre-calculate performance metrics
let $lifetime_orders = orders(lifetime);
let $lifetime_clicks = clicks(lifetime);
 
// Simple waste removal: zero orders with sufficient clicks
let $waste_candidate = case(
    $lifetime_orders = 0 and $lifetime_clicks >= $base_clicks => 1,
    else 0
);
 
// Diagnostic properties
let $action = case(
    $waste_candidate = 1 => "Negate",
    else "Keep"
);
 
// === Final Filter ===
negated = false
and (campaign name contains any $include_campaigns)
and (campaign name does not contain any $exclude_campaigns)
and $waste_candidate = 1