Mastering Negative Keywords and Ad Targeting

1. Reduce Wasted Spend

By preventing your ads from showing for irrelevant searches, you stop paying for clicks that will never convert. This can save hundreds or thousands of dollars per month, depending on your budget.

2. Improve Click-Through Rate (CTR)

When your ads only show for relevant searches, more people who see them will click. This improves your CTR, which can lead to better Quality Scores and lower costs per click.

3. Increase Conversion Rate

By filtering out irrelevant traffic, you're left with users who are more likely to convert. This means better conversion rates and higher ROI.

4. Better Quality Score

Google rewards advertisers who show relevant ads. By using negative keywords effectively, you improve your ad relevance, which can lead to higher Quality Scores and lower costs.

1. Broad Match Negative

Your ad won't show if the search query contains all of your negative keyword terms in any order. This is the most restrictive type.

Example: Negative keyword "free software" will block "free software," "software free," "free download software," etc.

2. Phrase Match Negative

Your ad won't show if the search query contains your exact negative keyword phrase in that order.

Example: Negative keyword "how to" will block "how to install software" but not "software how to use."

3. Exact Match Negative

Your ad won't show only if the search query matches your negative keyword exactly (or close variations).

Example: Negative keyword [free software] will only block the exact phrase "free software" and close variations.

1. Search Terms Report

The Search Terms Report in Google Ads shows you the actual search queries that triggered your ads. This is your goldmine for finding negative keywords.

• Review this report weekly or bi-weekly
• Look for search terms with high impressions but low CTR or no conversions
• Identify irrelevant terms that don't match your product or service
• Add these terms as negative keywords at the appropriate level (campaign or ad group)

2. Keyword Research Tools

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify related keywords that might be irrelevant to your business.

• Look for keywords with high search volume but low relevance
• Identify competitor keywords that don't apply to your business
• Find variations of your target keywords that have different intent

3. Competitor Analysis

Analyze what keywords your competitors are targeting and identify terms they're avoiding that might also be irrelevant for you.

4. Common Sense and Business Logic

Think about what your customers are NOT looking for. Common negative keywords include:

• Price-related: "free," "cheap," "discount" (if you sell premium products)
• Job-related: "jobs," "careers," "hiring" (if you're not recruiting)
• Educational: "how to," "tutorial," "learn" (if you're selling, not teaching)
• Competitor names (if you don't want to compete directly)
• Irrelevant product types or services you don't offer

1. Start Broad, Then Get Specific

Begin with broad negative keywords that apply across all your campaigns, then add more specific negatives at the campaign and ad group levels as you identify them.

2. Use the Right Match Type

Use broad match negative for terms you want to completely exclude, phrase match for specific phrases, and exact match when you want to be very precise.

3. Organize by Campaign and Ad Group

Add negative keywords at the appropriate level. Campaign-level negatives apply to all ad groups, while ad group-level negatives are more specific.

Performance Max campaigns: As of 2025, you can now add campaign-level negative keywords to Performance Max campaigns, providing better control over where your ads appear across all asset groups. This is especially valuable for excluding irrelevant search terms that might trigger your ads through Google's automated systems.

4. Regular Review and Maintenance

Review your Search Terms Report regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) and continuously add new negative keywords. This is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup.

5. Don't Over-Negate

Be careful not to add negative keywords that might block legitimate searches. For example, if you sell "free shipping," don't add "free" as a negative keyword.

1. Layered Targeting

Combine negative keywords with demographic targeting, device targeting, and location targeting to create highly focused campaigns that reach only your ideal customers.

2. Campaign Segmentation

Create separate campaigns for different product lines or services, each with its own set of negative keywords. This allows for more precise control and better performance tracking.

3. Intent-Based Targeting

Use negative keywords to filter out informational searches when you're running conversion-focused campaigns, or vice versa. This ensures your ads match user intent.

1. Setting and Forgetting

Negative keyword lists need regular maintenance. New irrelevant search terms appear constantly, and your business might expand into new areas that require list updates.

2. Being Too Aggressive

Don't add negative keywords that might block legitimate searches. Always review your Search Terms Report before adding negatives to ensure you're not excluding potential customers.

3. Ignoring Match Types

Understanding and using the right match type for your negative keywords is crucial. Using the wrong match type can either block too much or too little.

4. Not Using Shared Negative Keyword Lists

For common negative keywords that apply across multiple campaigns, use shared negative keyword lists. This makes management easier and ensures consistency.