The “Low search volume” status appears next to a keyword that has very little or no search history on Google. To see it, open the “Campaigns” menu, go to “Keywords” and read the “Status” column in the statistics table. In Google’s help it belongs to the “Eligible (limited)” group.
How to choose keywords so you see this status less often is in my guide to keyword research for Google Ads.
What it means
Google treats such a keyword as barely relevant to what people search, so it keeps it out of the auction until traffic grows. If searches rise even a little, the keyword is reactivated: the system checks and updates the status regularly. Before it decides, it counts searches for the keyword worldwide over the past twelve months.
This is not a penalty. Google’s help says the status is unrelated to Quality Score, bid or creatives, so changing them will not clear it. Keywords with this status do no harm to your account.
Your ad can still show for a rare search, because a more general keyword can trigger it. Google’s example: for the search “red and blue bicycles for sale” an ad may appear thanks to the keyword “blue bicycles”.
Why it happens
According to the help, the keyword is too specific, too obscure or badly misspelled. Google also suggests waiting if you advertise a new brand, term or product, because searches for it may still be few. Do not mix this status up with similar ones:
| Status | What it means | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| “Low search volume” | Almost no searches for the keyword, inactive until traffic grows | Keep, broaden or remove, see below |
| “Below first page bid estimate” | The keyword is active but not on the first page, likely because of Ad Rank | Work on bids and Quality Score |
| “Keyword paused due to low activity” | No impressions in 13 months, Google paused it automatically | Decide whether you need the keyword at all |
I wrote separately about the second one: bids below the first page.
What to do
- Find the keywords with this status in the “Status” column and ask of each: is this a rare but real buying search, or a mistake or an over-narrow phrase?
- Keep. If it is a new brand, term or product, or a genuinely rare search, do nothing: Google checks the status again in about a week, and if searches pick up, it reactivates the keyword.
- Broaden. If the phrase is too narrow, make it less specific. Google’s example: change “gardenia flower delivery in spring NYC” to “gardenia delivery NYC”. Or switch to a broader match type, for instance from exact to phrase or broad.
- Remove. If the keyword is unclear, misspelled or no longer needed, delete it and find replacements in Keyword Planner. It forecasts from twelve months of history.
- After broadening, open the search terms report and check that traffic has not drifted to off-target searches.
What not to do
- Raise the bid or rewrite the ads to “clear” the status. It does not depend on them.
- Delete every keyword with the status in one sweep. They do no harm, and among them may be a rare but valuable search. Delete them when you hit your account limits.
- Broaden a keyword and then not look at which searches the impressions came from.
When this does not apply
- Your ads are silent for another reason: the campaign or ad group is paused, or the keyword is disapproved. Read the whole “Status” column, and for other causes see my piece on why your ad is not showing.
- Your phrase is narrow, local or niche. Google counts searches worldwide, so such a phrase can get this status even though your customer does search for it. Broadening is not always the answer, because it can change the meaning. I keep the keyword and look for reach in separate, more general phrases.
- You advertise a new brand or product: the status may clear on its own, so leave the keyword alone.
The step-by-step version of reading and setting this in your own account is in my book on Google Ads for business owners.
My e-book “19 Google Ads Secrets”: how to get the most out of Google Ads without draining your budget, drawn from real campaigns and tests.
See the book →Questions and answers
Can ads show for a keyword with “Low search volume”?
The keyword itself is inactive. But an ad can show for that phrase through a more general keyword already in your account.
How long does a keyword stay in this status?
There is no fixed period. Google checks regularly, and the help mentions a new check in about a week. When searches pick up, the keyword is reactivated.
Does the status hurt my account?
No. Keywords with this status have no negative impact. You can remove them if they get in the way of your account limits.