Find Google Ads opportunities

Your organic keywords are a list of searches that already bring engaged visitors. Some of them are missing from your Google Ads campaigns. This guide lines up the two lists in a spreadsheet and finds the gaps.

Time: about 30 minutes · You need: Google Ads linked to your original Google Analytics property, and Google Sheets or Excel

1. Export the organic keywords

Open the Keyword Hero report through View in Google Analytics.
Change the secondary dimension to search_position_dimension.
Set the date range.
Click the Share this report icon, then Download file → Download CSV.

The Download file menu in GA4 with the Download CSV option.

2. Export the paid queries

Switch to your original Google Analytics property, the one Google Ads is linked to. Keyword Hero’s property has no Ads data, and should not.

Open the Google Ads campaigns report.
Change the primary dimension to Session Google Ads query.
Set the same date range as in step 1.
Export it as CSV the same way.

3. Put both in one spreadsheet

Import each file into its own tab, for example organic keywords and paid keywords. In the organic tab, add a column for engagement rate: engaged_sessions / sessions. Sort by it, or by conversions if you track them.

4. Find the organic keywords Ads does not cover

In the first empty column of the organic tab, enter:

=VLOOKUP(A2, 'paid keywords'!A:A, 1, FALSE)

A2 is the first organic keyword, 'paid keywords'!A:A is the column of paid queries, and FALSE asks for an exact match. Fill the formula down.

The keyword appears: your campaigns already cover it.
#N/A appears: they do not.

The organic keyword tab with a VLOOKUP column, showing #N/A for keywords missing from the paid campaigns.

5. Pick the candidates

Among the #N/A rows, keep the keywords with high engagement or conversions. They already bring the right visitors organically; bidding on them can take the space above your organic result too.