"Low search volume" means Google expects too few people to search for that keyword to show ads for it. The keyword is paused in effect, not deleted. Your ad won't run on it until Google's estimate changes, however high you set the bid.
It doesn't say the keyword is bad. A very specific phrase can be exactly what your best customer types, and still be searched rarely. Google's help page on keyword status lists it as a status on an otherwise valid keyword. What matters is whether the keyword was worth buying in the first place.
Why a rare keyword can still matter
Most owners read the label as a verdict. It's closer to a note saying there isn't enough traffic here. Someone typing a narrow phrase, like a specific service in a specific town, is often further along in deciding than someone typing a broad term. There just aren't many of them.
That's why deleting every flagged keyword is a mistake. Before you act, ask what the person typing it wants. If they're ready to call, the keyword is worth keeping in mind even if Google won't run it on its own.
What to do about it
You have four real options, and they aren't exclusive.
- Reword it. A phrase that's one word too specific may have a close, still-relevant cousin that people search more often.
- Group related terms. Several rare phrases that mean nearly the same thing can sit together in one ad group, so the ad speaks to all of them and the group has enough searches to run.
- Let broader matching catch it, but only with a strong negative keyword list (searches you tell Google never to show up for). Without one, broad match can buy browsers instead of buyers.
- Accept it. Some terms are too rare to buy, and the money is better spent on terms with real demand.
Don't pad the keyword with extra words just to clear the flag. If the new version no longer matches what a buyer types, you've fixed the label and broken the targeting.
Check tracking before you chase it
It's tempting to spend an afternoon rescuing a flagged keyword. First check whether it was ever producing leads. A keyword that never ran has no data, so you're guessing. A keyword that did produce leads before the status appeared is worth the effort.
Both answers depend on conversion tracking (the code that tells you which click produced a real lead, not just a click). Without it, you can't tell a rare keyword that matters from one that never would have.
A related status worth reading
This label often sits next to below first page bid. They sound similar and aren't. Below first page bid means the keyword can run but your bid is too low to compete. Low search volume means Google doesn't expect enough searches to run it at all. Raising the bid fixes the first and does nothing for the second.
Where to start
Filter your keyword list for the status. Sort the flagged ones by what you know about them: did they ever bring in a lead, and does the phrase match what a buyer types right before they act? Keep, reword or drop on that basis.
If you want a second opinion on a whole account, an independent audit shows which flagged keywords are worth saving. Our Google Ads management page explains how we structure keywords so the rare, valuable ones don't get lost.