In the world of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, what you don’t show up for is often as important as what you do.
Negative keywords are specific words or phrases that prevent your ads from being triggered. By using them, you tell Google: “Don’t show my ad if the user’s search query contains this specific word.” If you aren’t using negative keywords, you are likely wasting a significant portion of your daily budget on clicks that have zero chance of converting.
The “Beer Glass” Problem
Imagine you sell high-end beer glasses. If you bid on the broad keyword glasses, your ad could appear for:
- Prescription eye glasses
- Wine glasses
- Stained glass repair
- Shot glasses
If a user looking for “eye glasses” accidentally clicks your ad, you pay for that click. Since they have no intent to buy a beer glass, that money is effectively gone. Negative keywords solve this by filtering out the “noise.”
The Benefits of Negative Keywords
- Lower Costs: You stop paying for “junk” clicks.
- Higher Click-Through Rate (CTR): Your ads only show to relevant searchers, which makes them more likely to be clicked.
- Better Quality Score: Google rewards relevant ads with higher positions and lower costs per click.
Modern Negative Keyword Match Types
Google has simplified match types in the past few years. Modified Broad Match (+keyword) is no longer supported.
Use these three instead:
- Negative Exact Match
-[keyword]: Your ad won’t show if the search is the exact phrase, in that order, with no extra words. - Negative Phrase Match
-"keyword": Your ad won’t show if the search contains the exact phrase, even if there are words before or after it. - Negative Broad Match
-keyword: Your ad won’t show if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, in any order.
Master List: Essential Negative Keywords to Exclude
Depending on your business, you should consider adding these common “junk” categories to your campaigns or account-level negative keyword lists.
1. The “Job Seeker” List
If you are selling a product or service, you don’t want to pay for people looking for a career at your company.
career, careers, employer, employment, hire, hiring, intern, internship, job, jobs, occupation, recruiter, resume, salary, salaries, work
2. The “Researcher/Student” List
These users are looking for information, not a purchase.
about, article, book, case study, definition, diagram, examples, forum, history, journal, magazine, news, report, research, review, tutorial, what is, white paper, wiki
3. The “Bargain Hunter” List
If you are a premium brand, exclude these to avoid “tire kickers.”
bargain, cheap, cheapest, clearance, close out, discount, free, inexpensive, low cost, overstock, used, thrift
4. The “DIY/Technical” List
Avoid people trying to build it themselves or fix it.
app, code, community, craft, create, diy, download, error, hack, homemade, how to, make, repair, software, template, tip
5. The “Competitor/Brand” List
Exclude big-box retailers or specific competitors if you don’t want to bid against them.
amazon, craigslist, ebay, facebook, walmart, youtube, [Competitor Name]
Final Thoughts
Negative keywords are the secret to a high-ROI Google Ads account. We recommend reviewing your Search Terms Report at least once a week. If you see a word that triggered your ad but didn’t result in a lead or sale, add it to your negative list immediately.
Need help trimming the fat from your ad spend? Our Google ads experts can perform a comprehensive audit of your negative keyword lists to ensure your budget is only spent on high-intent traffic.