Running a Google Ads campaign without negative keywords is like fishing with a net full of holes—you’ll waste money on irrelevant clicks. Negative keywords help refine your targeting, ensuring your ads only appear for relevant searches. This results in lower costs, higher conversions, and a better return on investment (ROI).
What Are Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords are search terms that prevent your ads from showing up for irrelevant queries. When someone searches using a phrase that includes a negative keyword, your ad won’t be triggered, saving your budget for more valuable clicks.
For example:
- If you sell luxury watches, you can add “cheap” as a negative keyword to avoid unqualified leads.
- If you run a digital marketing agency, you might exclude searches like “free SEO services” to filter out users looking for unpaid work.
Benefits of Using Negative Keywords
✔ Reduces Wasted Spend – Stops your ads from appearing on searches that won’t convert.
✔ Improves Click-Through Rate (CTR) – More relevant impressions mean more clicks from the right audience.
✔ Boosts Conversion Rates – Attracts only high-intent users who are likely to take action.
✔ Enhances Quality Score – Google rewards well-targeted ads with a lower Cost-Per-Click (CPC).
How to Find Negative Keywords
🔍 Google Ads Search Term Report – Analyze which keywords triggered your ads and identify irrelevant ones.
🔍 Google Keyword Planner – Look for related search terms that don’t match your intent.
🔍 Competitor Analysis – See which keywords competitors exclude to optimize their campaigns.
For expert-level keyword research, check out our SEO services.
How to Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads
🛠 Go to Google Ads Dashboard → Click on Keywords → Select Negative Keywords
🛠 Add Single Words or Phrases – Use broad, phrase, or exact match to control exclusions.
🛠 Apply to Campaigns or Ad Groups – Target specific audiences with campaign-level or ad group-level exclusions.
For example, if you’re running PPC campaigns, you might want to add “jobs” as a negative keyword to prevent job seekers from clicking your ad.
Common Negative Keywords to Use
📌 For eCommerce: free, cheap, used, repair, second-hand
📌 For Service Businesses: DIY, how to, tutorial, free
📌 For B2B Marketing: hiring, careers, internship, job
📌 For Local Businesses: online, remote, overseas
How Negative Keywords Improve Your Campaign
🚀 More Relevant Traffic – You reach people who are genuinely interested in your product/service.
🚀 Lower CPC – By improving Quality Score, Google lowers your Cost-Per-Click (CPC).
🚀 Higher Ad Rank – Google prioritizes well-optimized ads, improving Ad Rank and visibility.
For Google Ads management, visit our Google Ads services.
Final Thoughts
Using negative keywords is a powerful strategy for reducing wasted ad spend and boosting ROI. By filtering out irrelevant searches, you attract high-quality leads, improve CTR, and maximize conversions.
📢 Need expert help? Contact Social Media Max today!
📞 Call us at 0161 399 3517 or 📧 email Syed_66@hotmail.com to optimize your campaigns!