Imagine walking into a high-end shoe boutique, asking for running shoes, but instead you are handed a pair of high heels. You will probably walk out frustrated because the store misunderstood what you wanted. In a physical store, that confusion can be corrected immediately.
Something similar happens in digital marketing every day. Businesses pay for clicks from users with no intention of buying their products. Running Google Ads is not just about reaching more people; it is about reaching the right audience.
Even a well-planned campaign can attract searches that have little to do with what a business offers.
That’s where negative keywords in Google Ads come in: they help advertisers filter out unwanted searches and focus on high-intent audiences.
What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads?
Negative keywords let advertisers remove specific search queries and avoid unwanted ad impressions.
Unlike regular keywords, which help determine when your ads may appear, negative keywords specify searches you want to exclude.
The way a negative keyword filters searches depends on the match type you select in Google Ads. The exclusion does not necessarily apply to every search containing that word or phrase.
For example, a premium business coaching provider may want to appear for “business coaching” but not “free business coaching”. Adding “free” as a negative keyword blocks your ad from showing for those searches, reducing wasted ad spend.
How Google Ads Uses Negative Keywords to Filter Searches
When someone searches on Google, their query can trigger ads based on an advertiser’s campaign keywords and targeting settings. Negative keywords help filter out unwanted searches before an ad is shown.
Whether a search is excluded depends on the negative keyword’s match type, which determines how closely the query must match your exclusion.
Types of Negative Keywords in Google Ads
For Google Ads Search campaigns, negative keywords have three match types: broad, phrase, and exact. Each uses different rules to determine which search queries to exclude.
1. Negative Broad Match: Filter Out Unwanted Terms
Negative broad match is the default setting. Your ad won’t show when a search contains all the terms in your negative keyword, irrespective of their order.
Example: You sell new running shoes and want to exclude searches for shoe repair services.
Negative keyword: running shoes repair
| Search query | Can the Ad show | Why |
| Running shoes repair | No | Contains all three negative keyword terms |
| Repair running shoes | No | Contains all three terms in a different order |
| Running shoes repair near me | No | Contain all three terms, along with extra words |
| Running shoes online | Yes | Does not contain all negative keyword terms |
When to use it: Use negative broad match when searches containing all the specified words are irrelevant, regardless of their order.
2. Negative Phrase Match: Keep the Word Order
If a search includes all the words in your negative keyword in the same order, your ad will not be shown. The search can include additional words before or after the phrase. However, if the search includes extra characters within a word, your ad may still show even when the other terms appear in the same order.
Example: You sell new running shoes but don’t offer repair services.
Negative keyword: “running shoes repair”
| Search Query | Can the ad show | Why |
| Running shoes repair | No | Contains the exact phrase |
| Running shoes repair near me | No | Contains the phrase in the same order |
| Best running shoes repair service | No | Contains the phrase, with extra words before and after |
| Repair running shoes | Yes | The words appear in a different order |
When to use it: Choose phrase match when you want to exclude a particular word sequence without blocking every rearrangement of those words.
3. Negative Exact Match: Block a Specific Query
This is the most restrictive option. Under negative exact match, Google blocks your ad only when a search uses the specified keyword terms exactly as entered, with nothing added before or after. Searches containing extra words may still trigger your ad if other targeting conditions are met.
Example: You sell new running shoes but don’t offer repair services.
Negative keyword: [running shoes repair]
| Search Query | Can the ad show | Why? |
| Running shoes repair | No | Matches the negative keyword exactly |
| Running shoes repair near me | Yes | Contains additional words. |
| Best running shoes repair service | Yes | Contains extra words before and after the phrase. |
| Repair running shoes | Yes | The words appear in a different order. |
When to use it: Use exact match when you want to block one specific search term, but still allow ads to appear for longer, more relevant variations.
Negative keywords don’t automatically cover synonyms or singular and plural variations. To block similar searches, add those variations separately as negative keywords. Google automatically recognizes differences in capitalization and common spelling mistakes.
How to Find the Right Negative Keywords For Your Campaigns
Identify irrelevant keywords by reviewing your campaign data and conducting keyword research. Building a robust negative keyword list is not a one-time task; it requires proactive planning and continuous optimization.
Here are five practical ways to identify negative keywords to improve campaign performance.
Here are five practical ways to identify negative keywords to improve campaign performance.
1. Review Your Search Terms Report
The Google Ads Search Terms Report shows search terms that have triggered your ads and received enough activity to be reported. Review your campaign reports regularly to uncover irrelevant search terms that may be wasting ad spend.
2. Understand Your Target Audience’s Search Intent
Review what people search for when they look for your products or services. Spot queries that do not fit your offerings. Also check clicks, cost, and conversions before excluding them.
3. Identify Irrelevant Terms Before Launch
Use Google Keyword Planner to explore keyword suggestions before launching your campaign. Compare these suggestions with the products or services you offer and identify terms that are not relevant to your business. This helps you build your negative keyword list before your ads start attracting unwanted traffic.
4. Analyze Competitor and Industry Search Patterns
Check whether your business name or keywords are also used in other industries. Review searches that include competitor names to see if they bring relevant traffic. If these searches don’t attract potential customers, consider adding those names to your negative keyword list.
5. Organize Negative Keywords Into Lists
Group similar negative keywords into one list, such as job searches, free services, or competitor names. In Google Ads, you can use these lists across multiple campaigns, but the same exclusion should not be applied to every campaign.
For example, if you don’t want your ads to appear for job searches, create a list of job-related keywords and apply it to the campaigns where those searches aren’t relevant.
Steps to Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads
- Sign in to your Google Ads account.
- Click Campaigns, open Insights and reports, and select Search terms.
- Review the available search terms and select those that are irrelevant to your products or services.
- Click Add as negative keyword.
- Choose whether to add the keyword to an ad group, campaign, or negative keyword list. Search terms added directly from the Search Terms report use negative exact match by default. Check the match type and change it if needed, then click Save.
Conclusion
Negative keywords in Google Ads help advertisers prevent ads from appearing for searches that don’t match their business goals. You can improve your campaign relevance by understanding negative broad, phrase, and exact keyword types. Negative keywords should help you filter out irrelevant traffic without unnecessarily blocking potential customers. The key is to review search data regularly and apply exclusions selectively.
For additional details and relevant resources, please refer to our official website.
FAQs
Q1. How often should you review your negative keyword list?
Answer: Review your negative keyword list regularly, especially after launching a campaign or making significant changes. The right frequency depends on your campaign’s search volume, budget, and performance.
Q2. Can we remove a negative keyword after adding it to Google Ads?
Answer: Yes, you can remove a keyword from the relevant ad group, campaign, or negative keyword list. Before removing it, check whether the previously excluded searches are now relevant.
Q3. What is the difference between a negative keyword and a search term?
Answer: A search term is the word or phrase someone enters into the Google search bar.
A negative keyword is a term an advertiser adds to prevent ads from appearing for searches that match the exclusion rules.
Also Read:
Google Ads Attribution Models Explained
