Negative Keywords: The Secret to Saving Budget
When running Google Ads, every click costs money. The challenge is making sure each one comes from someone genuinely interested in your product or service. That is where negative keywords come in. Negative keywords are one of the most powerful and underused tools in Google Ads. They allow you to prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches, which saves your budget and increases your return on investment. This guide will explain what negative keywords are, why they matter, and how to use them effectively to eliminate waste and attract more qualified leads.
What Are Negative Keywords
A negative keyword tells Google not to show your ad when a search includes that term. For example, if you are a company that sells luxury watches, you may not want your ads to appear for “cheap watches” or “free watch giveaway.” By adding those phrases as negative keywords, you make sure your ads only appear in front of people who are genuinely interested in your offering. According to Google Ads Help, negative keywords improve campaign performance by preventing your ads from showing on irrelevant searches, which can lower click-through rate and reduce wasted spend.
Why Negative Keywords Matter
Without negative keywords, your ads could appear for thousands of unrelated searches. Every irrelevant click drains your budget and lowers your overall campaign performance. Here is why negative keywords are essential:
They save money by blocking unqualified traffic.
They improve click-through rate by keeping your ads in front of the right audience.
They raise Quality Score since your ads appear for more relevant searches.
They enhance lead quality by filtering out people who will never buy.
Simply put, negative keywords act as your campaign’s security system. They protect your ad spend and keep your targeting clean.
Common Examples of Negative Keywords
The best way to understand negative keywords is through examples. Here are a few categories most advertisers use:
Free: If you sell paid services, block terms like “free,” “no cost,” or “trial.”
Jobs or careers: If you are not hiring, exclude terms such as “jobs,” “internships,” or “careers.”
Information seekers: If you only want customers ready to buy, exclude “how to,” “DIY,” or “examples.”
Competitors: If you do not want to appear for competitor names, add them as negatives.
Incompatible locations: If you only serve a certain region, exclude city or country names outside your area.
Each business is different, but these examples highlight how negative keywords help refine targeting.
The Financial Impact of Negative Keywords
Every irrelevant click costs money. Even a small percentage of wasted traffic can add up quickly. For example, if your campaign gets 1,000 clicks at two dollars per click, and 20 percent are irrelevant, you are wasting 400 dollars on traffic that will never convert. By using negative keywords, you can redirect that 400 dollars toward people more likely to buy. A study from WordStream found that campaigns using negative keywords strategically can save between 10 and 30 percent of total ad spend while improving lead quality.
Types of Negative Keywords
Google Ads lets you use three match types for negative keywords, similar to regular keywords.
1. Broad Match Negative
Your ad will not show for any search that includes all the negative keyword terms, even in a different order. Example: If you add “cheap shoes,” your ad will not appear for “buy cheap running shoes” but could still appear for “affordable shoes.”
2. Phrase Match Negative
Your ad will not show when the exact phrase appears in the same order. Example: If you add “used cars,” your ad will not show for “buy used cars near me.”
3. Exact Match Negative
Your ad will only be excluded for searches that exactly match your negative keyword. Example: If you add [used cars], your ad will still appear for “used cars for sale” but not for “used cars.” Understanding how these match types work ensures you block only the right traffic without limiting potential opportunities.
How to Find Negative Keywords
The most effective negative keyword lists come from real data rather than guesswork. Here are several ways to find them:
1. Search Term Report
In Google Ads, open your campaign and go to the Search Terms tab. This report shows the exact searches that triggered your ads. Review this list regularly and add irrelevant phrases to your negative keyword list.
2. Keyword Research Tools
Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google’s Keyword Planner can show variations and related terms you might not want to target.
3. Competitor Research
Look at what keywords competitors target and identify gaps or irrelevant phrases that could waste your spend.
4. Customer Feedback
Talk to your sales team about unqualified leads. If they receive inquiries from people outside your target audience, use those insights to refine your negatives.
How to Add Negative Keywords
You can add negative keywords at three levels: campaign, ad group, or account level.
Campaign Level
Use this when you want to exclude terms from an entire campaign. For example, if none of your products are free, you can add “free” as a campaign-level negative keyword.
Ad Group Level
Use this when a term is irrelevant to only certain ads. For instance, if one ad group promotes “Google Ads Management” and another promotes “SEO Services,” you can exclude “SEO” from the first group.
Account Level
Account-level negatives are managed through shared lists, which can apply to multiple campaigns at once. Shared lists are efficient for recurring exclusions, such as “free,” “cheap,” or “jobs.”
How Often to Update Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are not a one-time setup. Search trends change, and new irrelevant terms appear constantly. Review your search term report at least once every two weeks to identify and exclude wasteful traffic. The more frequently you refine your list, the more efficient your campaigns become.
Balancing Exclusion and Opportunity
Be careful not to overuse negative keywords. If you exclude too many terms, you may accidentally block valuable traffic. For example, excluding “cheap” might prevent your ad from showing to users searching for “affordable,” which could still represent your target market. The goal is to remove irrelevant traffic while maintaining a wide enough audience to generate leads.
Using Negative Keywords with Smart Campaigns
Even with automated or Performance Max campaigns, you can still influence which searches trigger your ads. Although some newer campaign types have limited keyword control, negative keywords remain one of the few ways to guide automation. Review your performance data regularly and submit account-level negative lists through your Google Ads representative if needed.
The Relationship Between Negative Keywords and Quality Score
When your ads show for irrelevant searches, users are less likely to click, which lowers your click-through rate. Low CTR signals to Google that your ad is not relevant, which can decrease your Quality Score. By filtering out bad searches, you keep your CTR high and your Quality Score strong. This means better ad placement and lower cost per click over time.
Measuring the Impact of Negative Keywords
After implementing a list, monitor key performance indicators to measure improvement. Look for:
Lower cost per conversion
Higher click-through rate
Reduced wasted spend
Increased lead quality
If you see these positive trends, your negative keyword strategy is working.
Creating a Negative Keyword Strategy
To maintain long-term efficiency, develop a process that includes:
Reviewing search term data weekly or biweekly.
Updating shared negative keyword lists regularly.
Documenting which terms are excluded and why.
Testing the impact of changes before applying them to all campaigns.
Over time, this routine builds a refined system that continuously improves campaign performance.
When to Get Expert Help
Negative keyword management may seem simple, but it requires constant attention and understanding of search behavior. Partnering with professionals ensures your campaigns run efficiently and reach only the audiences most likely to convert. At Cristanta Digital Marketing, we specialize in optimizing Google Ads campaigns for maximum ROI. Our team continuously refines keyword lists, including negatives, to minimize waste and boost performance. If you want to protect your ad budget and target the right audience, visit our Paid Advertising Services page to learn how we can help.
Conclusion
Negative keywords are one of the easiest yet most powerful ways to improve your Google Ads results. They prevent wasted clicks, improve audience targeting, and enhance the overall efficiency of your campaigns. By regularly updating your negative keyword lists and analyzing performance data, you can save thousands of dollars and focus on the clicks that truly matter. The secret to better Google Ads performance is not just spending more but spending smarter.