Search cleanup field guideIssue 01 / updated Jun 1, 2026
Working notes on Google Ads, for the people who pay for the clicks.
Practical guides, workflows, and comparisons from the cleanup work Sensei Ads helps automate. Search terms in, reviewed negatives out.
No generic SEO maze
Built around workflows
Short routes, deep notes
Primary note
First read
Where wasted Google Ads spend actually goes
The four leakage patterns that drain Google Ads budgets, how to find them in your account, and what fixing each one is worth in dollars.
5 min readOpen note
Working notes
Filter the field guide.
Tabs grow as we add workflows, comparisons, and downloadable templates.
The product
Stop bleeding money on irrelevant clicks. Sensei Ads in sixty seconds.
Upload your search terms CSV, write what your business does, and get a categorized negative keyword list with reasons attached.
Section index
All sections.
- Rule I07 piecesNegative keywordsHow to find, organize, and apply Google Ads negative keywords without burning the wrong searches.
- Rule II07 piecesSearch terms reportReading, downloading, and acting on Google Ads search terms reports week after week.
- Rule III05 piecesWasted ad spendDiagnosing where Google Ads spend leaks: junk traffic, irrelevant clicks, and low-quality matches.
- Rule IV02 piecesComparisonsHonest, specific comparisons of Sensei Ads against the alternatives, including the manual spreadsheet method.
- Rule V02 piecesIndustry listsCurated negative keyword lists by industry, with commentary on why each term tends to leak in that vertical.