Negative Keywords Mastery

Without proper negative keywords, you're paying for clicks that will never convert. Most accounts waste 20-40% of budget on irrelevant traffic. This guide reveals how to build comprehensive negative keyword lists that dramatically improve ROAS.

What You'll Learn

• The two-phase approach to building negative keyword lists
• Universal negatives every advertiser should use
• Industry-specific negative keyword strategies
• Match type selection for maximum protection
• Common mistakes that kill campaign performance
• Implementation checklists for immediate action

Definition: A negative keyword is a word or phrase that prevents your ads from appearing when that term is included in a search query.

Example

• You sell sofas
• Negative keyword: "free"
• Result: Your ads won't show for "free sofas," "free sofa removal," "free sofa cushions"

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Without "free" as negative	With "free" as negative
Someone searches "free sofas London"	Someone searches "free sofas London"
Your ad appears (bidding on "sofas London")	Your ad doesn't appear
They click (you pay $2-5)	No click, no cost
They immediately bounce (looking for free)	Budget reserved for actual buyers
Zero chance of conversion	-

Multiply this by hundreds of irrelevant searches, and you see why 30-70% budget waste is common without proper negative keywords.

Use Google Keyword Planner Strategically

Step 1: Enter your target keywords

Example: "accounting services"

Step 2: Review ALL keyword suggestions, not just targets

• Google shows hundreds of related keywords
• Many will be relevant (add to campaign)
• Many will be irrelevant (add as negatives)

Step 3: Identify negative keyword patterns

Pattern	Examples
Free	free accounting, free tax advice, free consultation
Jobs/Careers	accounting jobs, accountant salary, accounting careers
Learning/DIY	accounting course, how to do accounting, learn accounting
Competitor brands	[Competitor Name] accounting software
Adjacent services	bookkeeping (if you don't offer it)

Step 4: Add negatives preemptively

• Better to be too restrictive initially
• Can always remove negatives later if needed
• Prevents wasteful clicks from day one

Expected result: Negative keyword list often longer than target keyword list—this is good.

Use Search Terms Report Systematically

Navigation: Campaign → Insights & Reports → Search Terms

Weekly Review Process

Step 1: Sort by spend (highest first)

• Identify expensive irrelevant searches immediately
• Add high-cost waste to negative keywords first

Step 2: Look for patterns, not just individual terms

• If "[Brand] Newbury" is irrelevant, add "Newbury"
• If "poker" appears (irrelevant), add variations: poker, gambling, betting

Step 3: Consider quality, not just relevance

• Some searches are relevant but don't convert well
• "accounting services price comparison" — comparison shoppers
• "hire accountant now" — immediate intent (better)

Step 4: Add negatives strategically

• Individual terms for specific problems
• Broad negatives for category-wide exclusions

Review Frequency

Timeframe	Frequency
Week 1-4	Check daily (highest waste initially)
Week 5-12	Check 2-3x weekly
After 3 months	Weekly reviews sufficient

Standard Exclusions Every Advertiser Should Consider

Negative	What It Blocks	Exception
free	free [product], free trial, free version	If you offer free trials as lead gen
cheap/cheapest	cheap [product], cheapest option, low-cost	If budget positioning is your advantage
used/secondhand	used [product], refurbished, secondhand	If you sell used/refurbished items
DIY/how-to	how to make [product], DIY [service]	Rarely—indicates learning not buying
jobs/careers	[industry] jobs, [product] salary, careers	If you're specifically recruiting
courses/training	[industry] course, learn [skill]	If you sell training

Industry-Specific Negative Keywords

Strategy: Think about what's adjacent to your offering but not what you provide.

Example: Accounting Services (Don't Offer Bookkeeping)

• Add negatives: bookkeeping, bookkeeper, daily records, expense tracking
• Reasoning: Closely related, but you don't offer it

Example: Kitchen Installation (Prefer Remodels Over Repairs)

• Add negatives: repair, fix, restore, patch
• Reasoning: You do repairs, but remodels are 5x more valuable

The principle: Even relevant searches can be negative keywords if they represent lower-value customers.

The Three Match Type Options

Exact Match Negative: [keyword]

• Blocks only that specific phrase
• Example: [poker player] blocks "poker player" only
• Doesn't block: "professional poker player"

Phrase Match Negative: "keyword"

• Blocks searches containing that phrase in order
• Example: "poker player" blocks "professional poker player"
• Doesn't block: "player poker tournament"

Broad Match Negative: keyword

• Blocks searches containing those words in any order
• Example: poker player blocks all variations
• Most restrictive negative match type

When to Use Each Type

Match Type	When to Use
Exact Match	Very specific phrase is irrelevant, don't want to block variations
Phrase Match	The phrase order matters, want to block most variations (most common)
Broad Match	Any mention of these words is irrelevant, maximum blocking

Default recommendation: Phrase match for most negatives, broad match for completely irrelevant terms.

Mistake #1: No Negative Keywords at Campaign Launch

Result: First 1-2 weeks waste 50%+ of budget on irrelevant clicks

Solution: Always do Keyword Planner research pre-launch, add 20-50 negatives minimum from start

Mistake #2: Overly Specific Negative Keywords

Example: Irrelevant search "cheap blue leather sofas London"

Added negative: [cheap blue leather sofas London] (exact match)

Problem: Doesn't block "cheap red leather sofas London"

Solution: Use phrase or broad match: "cheap" blocks all cheap-related searches

Mistake #3: Never Reviewing Search Terms Report

Result: New irrelevant searches emerge, slow budget bleed you never notice

Solution: Weekly Search Terms Report reviews, even after campaign maturity

Mistake #4: Being Too Restrictive

Result: Impression volume drops dramatically, good customers never see ads

Solution: If impressions drop >50% after adding negatives, review list for over-restriction

Pre-Launch Negative Keyword Research

• ☐ Use Google Keyword Planner with all target keywords
• ☐ Review all suggested keywords (not just targets)
• ☐ Identify patterns of irrelevant suggestions
• ☐ Add universal negatives (free, jobs, courses, etc.)
• ☐ Add industry-specific negatives
• ☐ Add competitor brand names
• ☐ Create negative keyword list with 20-50 terms minimum
• ☐ Apply to all relevant campaigns/ad groups

Post-Launch Search Terms Review (Weekly)

• ☐ Navigate to Search Terms Report
• ☐ Sort by cost (highest spending terms first)
• ☐ Identify irrelevant searches that consumed budget
• ☐ Look for patterns, not just individual terms
• ☐ Add phrase match negatives for patterns
• ☐ Add broad match negatives for irrelevant categories
• ☐ Document budget saved (estimate clicks avoided)

Monthly Negative Keyword Audit

• ☐ Review total negative keyword list
• ☐ Check for potential over-restriction
• ☐ Remove negatives blocking legitimate searches
• ☐ Compare impression volume month-over-month
• ☐ Calculate estimated budget savings from negatives

This Week

• Open Google Keyword Planner with all your target keywords
• Review ALL suggestions, identify 30-50 negatives
• Add universal negative keywords (free, jobs, courses, etc.)
• Apply negative keyword list to all active campaigns

Next 30 Days

• Check Search Terms Report 2-3x weekly minimum
• Add new negatives as irrelevant searches appear
• Track budget savings from negative keyword additions
• Build comprehensive negative list (target 100+ keywords)

Ongoing

• Weekly Search Terms Report reviews
• Monthly negative keyword list audits
• Document patterns of irrelevant searches by industry