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I've been using a Google Adwords tracking template to get the original search string that brought the visitor to my website.

https://example.com/landing?target={lpurl}&keyword={keyword}

The problem is, {keyword} only contains the keyword from my account that triggered the ad. But because my keywords are in broad and phrase match, I only get the partial search string.

For example, if I have the broad match keyword book, and the user types book for sale in Google and clicks on my ad, I will only receive the parameter keyword=book on my landing page.

How can I get the original search string that the user typed in Google?

Such as: keyword=book+for+sale

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3 Answers 3

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The functionality you are looking for is not available. Google documents all the available value track parameters here. From that document, {keyword} is as you describe:

For the Search Network: the keyword from your account that is matched to the search query.

I have looked through the available value track parameters and there is no available parameter for the user's entire search phrase.

The full search phrase used to be available in the referring URL, but Google has eliminated that data in 90% of cases in the last few years. Google Analytics now shows "(Not provided)" in most cases where Google used to allow webmasters to see the search phrase.

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    I was precisely using the referer so far, but because this information has disappeared, I was hoping to be able to fall back on ValueTrack. It's a pity, as I want to offer a better experience to the user based on the EAN number he might have included in his search, and I cannot upload millions of EAN numbers as keywords in Adwords.
    – BenMorel
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 13:45
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    This is definitely true now, what used to work does not work anymore, and probably never will again. I finally resorted to uploading a (big) list of the most active EAN numbers, and using custom paramers and destination URLs to personalize the ads and landing pages.
    – BenMorel
    Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 20:11
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To Clarify:

If this is the user search term:

"penguins that can fly on the moon"

And, an ad-words account has the following broad match keywords

"penguins fly"

An ad could possibly trigger. The ad-words account will never know that the user typed in "penguins that can fly on the moon" but the ad-words account WILL know that "penguins fly" keywords were hit by a broad match.

HOWEVER,

If you have an exact phrase match in your ad-words account:

"penguins that can fly on the moon"

and that phrase is hit, you'll know that a near perfect match for that phrase was triggered. So, you'll technically know that the user typed in "penguins that can fly on the moon".

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It's very easy Login AdWords > Click Upon Campaign > Click Upon Keywords Tab > Below RHS Click Upon Search Terms Tab (Please refer attached Screen shots)

Here you will get original search string that the user typed in Google.

Please thumps up &enter image description here accept my answer if it's helpful for you.

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    Thanks, I'm aware of this feature, but what I need is to get it in real time, not in a report. Like as soon as the user hits my website, I want to be able to programmatically access the original search string.
    – BenMorel
    Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 7:54
  • Dear, It's not possible as it's conflict the Adwords Policy & You must know it///
    – Prem Nath Vishwakarma
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 7:38
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    Does it? Why would they show the original search term in the report, but not in ValueTrack?
    – BenMorel
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 9:03

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