How To Do Negative Keywords In Adwords

Running Google Ads is one of the fastest ways to get your business in front of potential customers. But here’s the catch: not every searcher is your ideal customer. If your ads show up for irrelevant searches, you’ll waste money on clicks that will never convert.

That’s where negative keywords come in.

In this guide, we’ll explain what negative keywords are, why they matter, and how to set them up step by step. You’ll also learn best practices and common mistakes to avoid so you can maximize your ad spend.

What Are Negative Keywords?

Negative keywords are search terms you tell Google Ads not to show your ads for.

For example, let’s say you sell luxury watches. You might want your ads to appear when people search for “buy Rolex watch,” but not when someone searches for “cheap watches” or “free watch giveaway.” By adding “cheap” and “free” as negative keywords, you prevent wasted clicks and keep your ads in front of the right audience.

In short, negative keywords help filter out unqualified traffic so your budget goes toward people most likely to convert.

Why Negative Keywords Are Important

Adding negative keywords isn’t just about saving money—it’s about improving your entire campaign performance. Some key benefits include:

• Prevent irrelevant clicks: Stop your ads from showing up for searches that don’t align with your business.
• Improve ad relevance and Quality Score: The more targeted your ads, the higher your Quality Score, which can lower your cost per click.
• Reduce wasted budget: Every irrelevant click eats away at your ad spend. Negative keywords protect your budget.
• Boost conversion rates: By excluding bad matches, the traffic you do pay for is more qualified and more likely to convert.

Types of Negative Keywords

Google Ads allows you to choose how strictly you want to block certain search terms. Here are the three main match types:

Negative Broad Match

• Blocks your ad if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, in any order.
• Example: If your negative keyword is cheap shoes, your ad won’t show for “cheap red shoes” or “shoes cheap.”

Negative Phrase Match

• Blocks your ad if the search contains your exact negative keyword phrase in the same order.
• Example: Negative keyword cheap shoes will block “red cheap shoes” but not “shoes that are cheap.”

Negative Exact Match

• Blocks your ad only if the search matches the keyword exactly.
• Example: Negative keyword cheap shoes only blocks “cheap shoes,” but not “cheap red shoes.”

Choosing the right match type depends on how tightly you want to filter your traffic.

How To Find Negative Keywords

Building a strong negative keyword list requires research. Here are the best ways to identify irrelevant search terms:

• Search Term Reports: Within Google Ads, review the actual queries that triggered your ads. This is the most reliable way to spot unwanted terms.
• Keyword Planner Tool: Use Google’s keyword research tool to find variations of your main keywords, then exclude irrelevant ones.
• Competitor Research: Look at what terms competitors are ranking for—you may notice mismatched intent you’ll want to avoid.
• Brainstorming Buyer Intent: Think about terms your ideal customer wouldn’t use. For example:
  • Free
  • Cheap
  • DIY
  • Jobs or careers
  • Training or tutorial

How To Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads

Adding negative keywords is straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to Google Ads.
2. Choose the campaign or ad group where you want to apply negative keywords.
3. On the left-hand menu, click Keywords.
4. Select the Negative Keywords tab.
5. Click the “+” button to add new negative keywords.
6. Enter your terms manually or upload a list.
7. Save and monitor your performance.

You can also create shared negative keyword lists that apply across multiple campaigns, which saves time and ensures consistency.

Best Practices for Negative Keyword Management

Getting the most out of negative keywords requires ongoing management. Follow these best practices:

• Review regularly: Check your search term reports at least once a month.
• Use shared lists: Keep one master negative keyword list for your account.
• Avoid overblocking: Don’t exclude too many terms or you may miss out on potential customers.
• Think seasonally: Adjust your lists during peak seasons (e.g., exclude “jobs” searches when hiring season ramps up).
• Test and refine: Campaign performance changes over time, so keep adjusting.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many advertisers misuse negative keywords. Here are common pitfalls to watch for:

• Overusing negatives and blocking out valuable traffic.
• Forgetting match types and unintentionally excluding too many searches.
• Not updating lists regularly as search trends evolve.
• Applying keywords only at the ad group level instead of campaign-wide when needed.

Examples of Negative Keywords by Industry

Not sure where to start? Here are some examples to guide you:

• E-commerce: free, cheap, used, wholesale
• SaaS: jobs, careers, training, tutorials, reviews
• Service Businesses: DIY, how to, repair, sample

These will vary depending on your goals, but they’re a good foundation.

Conclusion

Negative keywords are one of the most powerful tools in Google Ads. They help you save money, improve relevance, and focus your budget on clicks that actually matter.

The key is to treat negative keyword management as an ongoing process. Not a one-time setup. By reviewing your search terms and refining your lists regularly, you’ll get more qualified leads and better ROI.

If you want expert help setting up and managing your Google Ads campaigns, our team at Elivatedcan help you maximize every dollar of your ad spend. Give us a call today to book a consultation.