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What are the negative keywords in Google Ads?

We explain it on the fingers and tell you how to work with them effectively

Reading time: 7 min

When should you use negative keywords?What is the role of negative keywords in contextual advertising?List of words to add in the first place.The process of collecting negative keywords for Google Ads.Generator of negative keywords from the Osadchiy Agency.Different levels of negative keywords in Google Ads:     • at the advertising account level     • at the company level     • at the ad group levelStep-by-step instructions for adding negative keywords to your Google Ads account.Set a list of negative keywords for a specific campaign or group of ads.Tips for creating effective negative keyword lists.

When should you use negative keywords?

Negative keywords in contextual advertising are keywords that exclude your ads from appearing in irrelevant search queries. You should use negative keywords when you want to reduce the number of untargeted visitors, lower your cost per click, and increase the overall effectiveness of your advertising campaign. This is especially true for words that have multiple meanings or can be associated with topics that are not related to your offer.

What is the role of negative keywords in contextual advertising?

Negative keywords help filter out unwanted search queries, thereby increasing the relevance of ads to user requests. This is important for improving the quality of traffic to your website, reducing advertising costs, and improving conversions. Using negative keywords allows you to target your audience more accurately and exclude traffic that is unlikely to lead to a purchase or other targeted action.

List of words to add in the first place

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Free (if you do not offer free goods or services)
Jobs, work (to filter job searches if this is not your offer)
Download, upload (if you sell products and do not offer free downloads)
Reviews, testimonials (if you do not want to appear in queries related to reviews)

This list can contain thousands of negative keywords.Carefully select ready-made lists of negative keywords so as not to cut your advertising reach.

The process of collecting negative keywords for Google Ads

You can start collecting negative keywords by analyzing search query reports in Google Ads. Look through the queries for which your ads were shown and identify irrelevant queries.  It will also be useful to work with your sales or support team to identify words that are often used by non-target visitors. Additionally, you can use SEO tools to analyze keywords and find potential negative keywords.

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Broad compliance

This type of match excludes your ads from being shown for queries that contain any word from your list of negative keywords in any order. For example, if you have added the negative keyword "free courses", your ads will not be shown for queries that contain this word.

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Phrasal compliance

This type limits the display of ads for queries that contain your negative keywords in the exact sequence you specify but can include additional words before or after the phrase. If you set the negative keyword to "buy a book", your ad will not appear for the query "Where can I buy a book".

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Exact compliance

Prevents ads from being shown for queries that exactly match the negative keyword without any additional words before or after it. For example, if the negative keyword is "free delivery", the ad will not be shown for the query "free delivery", but may appear for the query "Where in Kyiv is there free delivery"

Using different types of matches allows you to customize your advertising campaigns more flexibly and avoid losing potentially profitable traffic due to the overuse of broad match negative keywords. Careful selection of the type of match and constant monitoring of campaign performance will help you optimize the use of negative keywords and increase the ROI of your advertising campaigns.

Generator of negative keywords

USEFUL! If you understand how the types of negative keyword matches work, we have prepared a special tool: Negative Keywords Generator, which will help you generate a relevant list of negative keywords based on the collected search queries.

Different levels of negative keywords in Google Ads

1

At the advertising account level

Use negative keywords to exclude traffic for queries that are completely irrelevant to all your campaigns (this type of application level also applies to Performance Max campaigns).

2

At the company level


Add negative keywords to refine targeting for a specific campaign.

3

At the ad group level


Here, negative keywords allow you to customize ad impressions within a single campaign in even more detail.

TIP! Although Google Ads doesn't allow you to add negative keywords directly to the keyword level, you can get around this limitation by creating a separate ad group with a single keyword for which you want to use negative keywords. This will allow you to target your ads as accurately as possible, eliminating unwanted queries for this particular keyword. Creating such a group of ads with a single keyword and adding appropriate negative keywords to it will allow you to manage your ad impressions more flexibly and increase the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.

Step-by-step instructions for adding negative keywords to your Google Ads account

  • 1

    Sign in to your Google Ads account.

  • 2

    Go to the "Keyword" section, then select "Negative keywords".

  • 3

    You can add negative keywords at the campaign or ad group level.

  • 4

    To add negative keywords to the account level, go to "Settings" - "Account settings" - "Negative keywords" - "+"

  • 5

    Enter the negative keywords you want to add and save your changes.

Set a list of negative keywords for a specific campaign or group of ads

For each campaign or ad group, select "Negative keywords" in the corresponding menu section and add the necessary terms. Use analytics data to adapt the list according to campaign results.

Using the "Negative Keywords List" tool for a specific campaign

In the Google Ads Shared Library, you can create negative keywords lists that you can use at the campaign level. To do this, follow these steps:

  • 1

    Sign in to your Google Ads account.

  • 2

    Go to the "Tools & Settings" menu, then select "Negative Keywords Lists" in the "Shared Library" section.

  • 3

    Click "+" and name your list. Then paste the finished negative keywords list into the field below and save it.

  • 4

    Select the formed list and click "Apply to Campaigns".

  • 5

    Select the campaigns where you want to add the negative keywords list and apply the changes.

Tips for creating effective negative keywords lists:

Our agency offers comprehensive Google Analytics 4 setup services that cover various types of web resources.
We adapt GA4 conversion events to meet the unique needs of your business:

    Regularly update your negative keywords lists based on the analysis of the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.

    Use different variations of negative keywords, including synonyms and misspellings, and conjugations.

    Don't go overboard with negative keywords to avoid limiting the potential reach of your campaigns.

    Communicate with your team and involve them in the process of identifying irrelevant queries. Often, specialists who work directly with customers or products can provide valuable insights.

    Use keyword analysis tools that can help identify potential negative keywords based on search frequency and relevance.

    Check the effectiveness of your negative keywords by analyzing your campaign performance reports. If you notice a decrease in traffic but an increase in conversions, this may indicate that you have chosen the right negative keywords.

    Be attentive to the context of your business and the specifics of the products or services you offer. Some words may be negative keywords for one campaign but are perfectly acceptable and effective for another.

    Don't forget about the possibility of using negative keywords for geographic targeting. If your business is localized or focused on a particular region, exclude the names of cities and countries that go beyond your target audience.

    Create detailed negative keyword lists for different languages and dialects if your target audience is multicultural or international. This will help you avoid misunderstandings and improve targeting accuracy.

The use of negative keywords in Google Ads is an important part of the contextual advertising strategy that allows you not only to save your budget but also to significantly increase the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns. Regularly analyzing and updating the negative keywords list will help your business attract a more targeted audience, increase conversions, and effectively develop your online presence.

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