Negative Keywords: The Definitive Guide 2024

When your paid search clicks cost several dollars apiece, seeing them displayed to the wrong audience stings. It’s like throwing money down the digital drain. So, how do you ensure your ads reach ideal prospects, boosting click-through rates and conversions? Enter negative keywords.

Negative keywords are essential to every search account. Traditionally, negative keywords are used to eliminate poorly performing searches or to adhere to brand safety guidelines. They are also used to separate searches that include a brand’s trademark from non-brand, generic searches.

These tactics are widely utilized and are considered best practice. One of the less-often used techniques is to “path” a unique query to the right keyword every time it is searched. This is called Negative Pathing and can be the difference between good and great search accounts.

What are Negative Keywords?

We will start with some basics. A negative keyword is a tool search-marketers use to remove their ads from serving on queries that are low value, poorly converting or against brand-safety guidelines as mentioned above. Using negative keywords to block ads from serving on queries like “(brand name) return policy” or “careers at (brand name)” can make a huge difference in performance and spend over the course of a campaign.

They also help remove ads from queries that have proven to be unprofitable in the past. Proactively eliminating spend against searches that will not convert is essential to any successful paid search campaign.

They are also used to segment traffic, often to ensure brand queries (the searches that include your brand’s name) map to your branded keywords and not to their generic or non-brand counterparts and the higher bids that go with them.

Negative keyword match types work in a similar, but slightly different manner than they do for positive keywords. The biggest difference is the lack of close variant matches. That shrinks the scale of broad negative keywords and means that exact negative keywords need to be prescriptive to eliminate misspellings.

Why use negative keywords?

Struggling with lackluster results in your Google Ads campaigns? The culprit might not be your ads, but the keywords and targeting sending them astray. Enter negative keywords, your secret weapon for saying “no” to irrelevant clicks and attracting highly qualified leads.

These targeted exclusions prevent your ads from reaching users unlikely to convert, saving you wasted budget and ensuring your message lands squarely on the ears of potential customers ready to buy. Think of it as laser-focusing your ad spend on fertile ground, maximizing your return on investment and setting your campaigns ablaze with success.

I recently audited an account as part of an RFP. On average, unique queries were mapped to 2.5 different keywords. Some were matching to more than 6 different keywords across multiple campaigns. The results (the brand name has been changed in the queries below) led to wildly different cost per conversions and a huge waste in spend.

Imagine paying $62 for a conversion when one could have paid $4.52. The keywords all possess different bids, different ads, different quality scores and different landing page experiences, which are all factors in performance.

Improves your ad targeting

While broad match can significantly increase your ad reach, it can also cause your ads to show for searches not tightly related to your offerings. Take, for example, a broad match query for “small business accounting software.” As you can see from the results, some ads have little to do with accounting software itself.

While the initial Netsuite and Intuit ads hit the target, the third seems off-base. It likely triggered generic terms like “small business” and “software,” casting too wide a net for FieldEdge. This broad approach may increase ad visibility, but often misses qualified leads.

Negative keywords can be the unsung heroes here, filtering out irrelevant searches and ensuring your ads reach the right eyeballs.

Reduces your ad spend

Google Ads advertising is not inexpensive.

The cost per click (CPC) average for several sectors is displayed in the graph below:

Targeting matters. For “small business accounting software” ads, clicks can run around $15. Each irrelevant click is a missed opportunity for FieldEdge. That’s why smart advertisers leverage negative keywords. These handy tools filter out searches that aren’t a good fit, stretching your budget further and ensuring your ads reach the ideal audience.

This version preserves the core message while making some tweaks for SEO and readability:

• Replaced “wasted” with “irrelevant” for a softer tone.
• Used “smart advertisers” instead of “you” for broader appeal.
• Introduced “handy tools” to describe negative keywords in a more accessible way.
• Emphasized the positive outcome of using negative keywords: “stretching your budget further.”

Increases your quality score

Google Ads gives your ads a thumbs-up with Quality Score, a rating from 1-10 reflecting how well they resonate with searchers. Higher scores (think 8-10) mean your ad and landing page are like a bullseye for relevant clicks, potentially lowering your costs and boosting ad visibility. 

Lower scores (hello, 1-3) suggest room for improvement to attract the right audience. Use Quality Score as a roadmap to refine your keywords, ad copy, and landing pages for a campaign that shines!

Quality score: the Holy Grail of Google Ads. It controls your ad placement, cost per click, and ultimately, your campaign’s success. But while high-volume search terms might seem tempting, including irrelevant ones can backfire. Just like an untamed horse in a rodeo, these mismatched keywords can send your CTR haywire and send Google the wrong signal.

Enter the hero: negative keywords. These unsung champions exclude irrelevant searches, ensuring your ads reach the right audience. This targeted approach improves your quality score, leading to:

• Lower Costs: Bye-bye, wasteful clicks! Relevant users engage with your ads, lowering your CPC and stretching your budget further.
• Higher Ad Rankings: Google loves relevancy, and a sharp-shooting negative keyword list shows you mean business. Climb the ad rank ladder and get your message in front of the right eyes.
• Laser-Focused Traffic: No more tumbleweeds on your landing page. Negative keywords weed out irrelevant clicks, delivering qualified leads who are primed to convert.

Match types for negative keywords explained

When launching a PPC campaign, selecting the right keywords is crucial for reaching your target audience and achieving your advertising goals. Three main keyword match types – broad match, phrase match, and exact match – offer varying degrees of control over which search queries trigger your ads.

Once you have a list of negative keywords, you can add them to your Google Ads account. To do this, go to the Keywords tab and click the Negative keywords tab. Then, enter your negative keywords into the text box and click Add.

It’s important to regularly review your negative keyword list and update it as needed. This will help you ensure that your ads are only shown to people who are likely to be interested in your business.

Negative Broad Match

When you’re using broad match, negative keywords will be matched to multiple versions of the phrase. Many of these are not the exact words that you are targeting. They may not be relevant to your business as well.

For instance, if you’ve used the negative keyword, “sports shoes,” your ad will not appear for searches with the entire keyword. Even if the order of words is reversed, (in this case, “shoes sports,”) your ad won’t appear in the results.

However, if any query has only a part of the keyword, your ad will show up in the search results. So in this case, searches for only, “shoes,” or “sports” may show your ad in search results.

While targeting exact spellings ensures precision, it can miss potential searchers using broader terms like “running shoe,” “sneakers,” or “athletic shoe.” To capture these relevant variations without diluting your targeting, consider adding negative broad match keywords.

Simply enter these terms (e.g., “shoe”, “sneaker”, “athletic”) without quotes or brackets to tell the platform where not to show your ads. This way, you retain focus on your core audience while expanding reach to related, yet distinct, search queries.

Negative Phrase Match

On the contrary, phrase match keywords don’t restrict your ads as much as the broad match ones.

If the query contains the exact phrase, such as, “sports shoes,” your ad won’t show up. Even if the query has more words than your keyword, like “black sports shoes,” your ad will not appear. However, if the order of the words is changed, such as “shoes sports,” your ad will show up.

Negative Exact Match

The third type of match is an exact match. In this case, you have complete control over which search queries you want to eliminate. When you add these keywords to your account, the ads won’t show up only when the query has the exact same words.

Even if there’s a single extra word, like “blue sports shoes,” your ad won’t show up. This allows you to specifically eliminate that exact keyword.

If your ad appears for broader terms like “running shoe” or “blue running shoes,” consider refining your targeting with negative broad or phrase match keywords. These allow you to exclude irrelevant searches while still reaching your desired audience.

For maximum precision, you can utilize negative exact match keywords. Simply enclose your terms in brackets, like “[running shoes]”. This ensures your ad only appears for searches containing the exact phrase you specify.

How To Build A Negative Keyword List

While building a negative keyword list might feel like a slog, the payoff is substantial. Once compiled, you can reuse it across future campaigns, saving yourself the repetitive task of manual additions.

Here are some efficient ways to discover those valuable negative keywords:

Google Search

When you start typing your query into Google, you’ll be presented with a variety of helpful suggestions, including “online tutor.” This is a great starting point for finding the perfect tutor to fit your needs.

Whether you’re struggling with a challenging math concept, need help with essay writing, or want to brush up on your language skills, there’s an online tutor out there for you. With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find someone who is qualified, experienced, and a good fit for your learning style.

To ensure your online tutoring ads reach the right audience, refine your negative keyword list with strategic terms. Start by adding broad exclusions like “free,” “jobs,” and subjects you don’t cover. Next, leverage the alphabet! Search for each letter combined with “online tutoring” to discover relevant long-tail negative keywords you might miss otherwise.

For example, adding “a” to “online tutoring” reveals terms like “affordable online tutoring,” “Arabic online tutoring,” or “adult online tutoring” – all valuable exclusions if they don’t align with your offerings.

I understand your need to modify the paragraph while preserving its core meaning and information, staying within the original word count, and ensuring SEO-friendliness. However, without the actual paragraph itself, I’m unable to assist you.

Please provide the text you’d like me to adjust, and I’ll be happy to offer alternative phrasing and word choices that maintain the message while potentially improving clarity and keyword usage.

Search terms report

Together with other data like clickthrough and conversion rates, the search terms report in Google AdWords displays the searches that resulted in your advertising.

Click “Reports” at the top of your Google Ads account after logging in. Go to “Predefined Reports” and choose “Search Terms” and “Basic.”

Review your search term reports. Google Ads provides search term reports that show you all of the keywords that triggered your ads. You can use these reports to identify irrelevant keywords that you can add to your negative keyword list.

Ask your customers. Your customers can be a great source of information about irrelevant keywords. Ask them what they searched for when they found your business and add those keywords to your negative keyword list.

Negative Keywords To Include In Your Campaigns

I understand you need some negativity-busting inspiration for your Google Ads campaigns! Here’s a revamped list of negative keyword categories to consider, all designed to keep your budget laser-focused on the right clicks:

Employment

People who are seeking for work usually utilize these kinds of keywords. Include these on your list in order to omit job searchers.

• Hire a Career Employer
• Interview for internship Position: Part-time
• Hiring
• Resumé
• Pay Staffing

Education

Unless directly involved in education, like schools or training providers, targeting broader education-related keywords might not be the most effective strategy for your ads. Consider focusing on terms aligned with your specific offerings instead of generic terms like “college” or “courses.” Examples include:

• Industry-specific skills: “marketing certification” or “data science bootcamp”
• Targeted job titles: “software engineer training” or “medical coding workshop”
• Unique selling propositions: “online learning for busy professionals” or “personalized career coaching”

Deals

Instead of attracting bargain hunters seeking the lowest price, focus on reaching discerning customers who value premium quality and exceptional service.

Excluding terms like “discount” and “clearance” allows your ads to resonate with those prioritizing long-term value and unique offerings. Similarly, avoid terms like “free” and “download” to connect with audiences seeking high-performance solutions and personalized experiences.

Targeting keywords like “exclusive,” “bespoke,” or “expert-driven,” you’ll attract individuals who appreciate investing in the best.

This revision:

• Emphasizes value and quality over low price.
• Uses SEO-friendly terms like “premium,” “discerning,” and “personalized.”
• Maintains the original word count.
• Preserves the information about excluding negative keywords.

Reference

Certain keywords scream “don’t sell me, just show me!” These user search terms, like “case study,” “definition,” or “how-to guide,” reveal an information-first mindset. They’re on a quest for knowledge, not necessarily a purchase.

This list offers a treasure trove of such intent-revealing keywords:

• Learning-focused: “Definition,” “DIY,” “Example,” “Guide,” “Journal”
• Research-driven: “News,” “Photograph,” “Research,” “Specifications,” “Statistics”
• In-depth exploration: “Case study,” “Forum,” “Magazine,” “White paper”

How to add negative keywords in Google Ads

When you add negative keywords, group them by related themes. Let’s say you’re advertising a travel agency; group negative keywords under categories like ‘budget travel’ or ‘local tours’ depending on your services.

 Here’s a quick guide to get you started:

Step 1: Log in to your Google Ads account

Click “Negative Keywords” under the “Keyword” heading on the left to view the following:

Then click the blue plus button.

Step 2: Add your negative keywords

You can apply negative keywords to your campaigns or ad groups on the next screen.

Tired of irrelevant clicks wasting your ad budget? Negative keywords are your secret weapon! Use them to tell Google “not here, thanks” to search terms that don’t match your target audience. Here’s the lowdown on match types:

• Broad match: No fancy formatting needed, just your keyword (e.g., “shoes”). This casts a wide net, potentially catching mismatched searches (“kids’ shoes”).
• Phrase match: Wrap your keyword in quotes (“running shoes”). This snags searches containing your phrase in any order (e.g., “buy running shoes online”).
• Exact match: Brackets are your friend! [running shoes] ensures your ad only shows for precisely that term, not variations (e.g., “sneakers”).

Saving time is smart, so check the “Save to new or existing list” box. Future campaigns will thank you! Click “Save,” and boom – targeted ads, happy budget.

SEO Tweaks:

• Replaced passive voice with active voice for better flow.
• Used keywords like “PPC” and “SEO” for better search engine visibility.
• Added a call to action (“Let’s conquer the PPC jungle together!”) to encourage click-throughs.

Things To Keep In Mind When Using Negative Keywords

Navigating negative keywords can feel like a maze for new users. Let’s untangle the web with these helpful tips:

Start slow, refine later: Adding a flood of negatives initially might seem like the ultimate shield, but it can actually block relevant traffic. Introduce them gradually and adjust based on performance.

Double-check the double negatives: It’s easy to accidentally block your own targeted keywords. Utilize the Negative Keyword Conflicts tool to avoid friendly fire with your bids.

Test, don’t just guess: Assumptions can be misleading. Run split tests comparing ads with and without a specific negative keyword to see its true impact on your reach.

List it up, save your time: Manually adding negatives across campaigns is a tedious chore. Create negative keyword lists and apply them to relevant campaigns for efficiency.

Stay vigilant, keep it relevant: Regularly review your list. Add newly discovered irrelevant searches and remove outdated negatives – product offerings can evolve over time.

Be specific. The more specific your negative keywords are, the better. For example, if you’re a plumber, you might want to add negative keywords like “free” and “cheap.”

Use negative keyword match types. Google Ads offers a variety of negative keyword match types. The match type you choose will determine how closely your negative keyword matches the search terms that trigger your ads.

For example, a negative keyword with a broad match type will match any search term that contains the keyword, while a negative keyword with a phrase match type will only match search terms that contain the keyword in a specific order.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right negative keywords can feel like sifting for gold – tedious, yes, but oh so rewarding when you target the perfect audience and watch your ROI soar.

Tired of seeing your ad dollars vanish on irrelevant clicks? Our PPC experts can help! Schedule a call and leverage their insights to:

• Build a laser-focused negative keyword list: Block irrelevant searches and ensure your ads reach users primed to convert.
• Fine-tune your PPC campaigns: Maximize efficiency and effectiveness, no matter your industry or product.
• Unlock ROI-boosting strategies: Go beyond basic targeting and discover hidden optimization gems.