Why Negative Keywords in Google Ads Matter More Than You Think
If you are running Google Ads campaigns and not using negative keywords, you are almost certainly burning money. It is that simple.
Every day, your ads are being triggered by search queries that have nothing to do with what you sell. Someone searching for “free accounting software” might click on your ad for premium accounting services. Someone looking for “accounting jobs” might land on your sales page. Each of those clicks costs you real money and delivers zero return.
Negative keywords in Google Ads are the fix. They let you tell Google which searches should not trigger your ads, so your budget goes toward people who actually want what you offer.
In this guide, we will walk through exactly what negative keywords are, how to find the bad search terms draining your account, how to build and maintain a proper negative keyword list, and real examples of wasted spend that negative keywords would have prevented.
What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads?
A negative keyword is a specific word or phrase you add to your Google Ads campaign to prevent your ad from being triggered when someone includes that term in their search. Google’s own definition states it is “a type of keyword that prevents your ad from being triggered by a certain word or phrase.”
Think of it this way:
- Regular keywords tell Google when to show your ads.
- Negative keywords tell Google when not to show your ads.
For example, if you sell luxury watches and add “cheap” as a negative keyword, your ad will not appear when someone searches “cheap watches online.” That searcher was never going to buy a luxury watch, so you just saved yourself a wasted click.
Negative Keyword Match Types
Just like regular keywords, negative keywords have match types. Understanding them is critical because they control how broadly or narrowly your exclusions work.
| Match Type | How It Works | Example Negative Keyword | Blocked Search | Not Blocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Match | Blocks searches containing all negative keyword terms in any order | running shoes | “blue running shoes” | “running sneakers” |
| Phrase Match | Blocks searches containing the exact phrase in the same order | “running shoes” | “buy running shoes online” | “shoes for running” |
| Exact Match | Blocks only searches that match the exact term with no extra words | [running shoes] | “running shoes” | “best running shoes” |
Important note: Unlike regular keywords, negative broad match does not include close variants, synonyms, or misspellings. If you add “running shoes” as a negative, searches for “runing shoes” (misspelled) may still trigger your ad. You need to add misspellings separately if they are relevant.
Real Examples of Wasted Spend (And How Negative Keywords Fix Them)
Let us look at concrete scenarios where advertisers waste money because they have not set up proper negative keywords.
Example 1: The Plumber Who Paid for Job Seekers
A local plumbing company bids on the keyword “plumber” using broad match. Their ads start showing for:
- “plumber salary”
- “plumber apprenticeship near me”
- “how to become a plumber”
- “plumber jobs hiring”
None of these people need a plumber. They want to be a plumber. Over three months, these irrelevant clicks cost the business over $1,200.
The fix: Add negative keywords like salary, jobs, hiring, apprenticeship, career, training, certification, course, resume, degree.
Example 2: The SaaS Company Attracting Freebie Seekers
A B2B software company offers a paid project management tool. Their broad match keyword “project management software” triggers ads for:
- “free project management software”
- “project management software open source”
- “project management software free download”
These searchers are specifically looking for something free. They are not converting into paying customers.
The fix: Add negative keywords like free, open source, download, freeware, trial, cracked.
Example 3: The E-commerce Store Paying for DIY Searches
An online furniture store bids on “bookshelf” and ends up showing ads for:
- “DIY bookshelf plans”
- “how to build a bookshelf”
- “bookshelf design ideas Pinterest”
The fix: Add negative keywords like DIY, plans, build, how to, ideas, Pinterest, tutorial.
In all three cases, the advertiser is paying for clicks from people who will never convert. Negative keywords eliminate this waste entirely.
How to Find Irrelevant Search Terms in Your Campaign Reports
You cannot build a good negative keyword list if you do not know which search terms are triggering your ads. Here is how to find them.
Step 1: Open the Search Terms Report
- Sign in to your Google Ads account.
- Navigate to Campaigns, then click on Insights and reports.
- Click on Search terms.
- You will see a list of actual search queries that triggered your ads.
Step 2: Sort by Cost (Highest First)
This is a tip frequently recommended by experienced Google Ads practitioners. Sort the table by the “Cost” column in descending order. You want to identify the search terms that are costing you the most money first, because that is where the biggest waste typically hides.
Step 3: Identify Irrelevant Terms
Go through the list and flag any search terms that:
- Have zero conversions and significant spend
- Are clearly unrelated to your product or service
- Indicate the wrong search intent (informational when you need commercial, job-related when you sell services, etc.)
- Include words like free, cheap, DIY, jobs, salary, how to, tutorial, review, Reddit, PDF (depending on your business)
Step 4: Add Them as Negative Keywords
Select the irrelevant search terms directly in the report, click “Add as negative keyword,” and choose whether to add them at the campaign level or to a negative keyword list (more on this below).
How to Add Negative Keywords to Your Google Ads Campaign
There are two main ways to add negative keywords: directly to a campaign or ad group, or through a shared negative keyword list.
Method 1: Add Negative Keywords at the Campaign or Ad Group Level
- Go to your Google Ads account.
- Select the campaign or ad group you want to edit.
- Click on “Keywords” in the left menu, then select “Negative keywords.”
- Click the blue “+” button.
- Choose whether to add them to a campaign or ad group.
- Enter your negative keywords, one per line.
- Click Save.
Method 2: Create a Shared Negative Keyword List
If you run multiple campaigns, a shared negative keyword list saves you enormous time. Instead of adding the same negatives to every campaign individually, you create one list and apply it across campaigns.
- Go to Tools in the top navigation.
- Under Shared library, click “Negative keyword lists.”
- Click the blue “+” button to create a new list.
- Name your list something descriptive (e.g., “Universal Negatives” or “Job Seeker Exclusions”).
- Add your negative keywords.
- Save the list, then apply it to the campaigns you want.
Pro tip: Use shared lists for broad categories of negatives (job-related terms, competitor names, freebie terms) and use campaign-level negatives for terms specific to a single campaign.
How to Build a Comprehensive Negative Keyword List
A strong negative keyword list is not something you create once and forget. It is built over time through research, analysis, and regular maintenance.
Sources for Finding Negative Keywords
| Source | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Search Terms Report | Actual queries triggering your ads that are irrelevant or non-converting |
| Google Keyword Planner | Related keyword suggestions that are off-topic for your business |
| Google Autocomplete | Type your main keywords into Google and see what irrelevant suggestions come up |
| Competitor Analysis | Terms related to competitors you do not want to bid on |
| Industry Knowledge | Terms you know from experience are not relevant to your audience |
| Pre-built Negative Keyword Lists | Publicly available master lists that cover common irrelevant categories |
Common Negative Keyword Categories to Consider
Here is a starter list of negative keyword categories that apply to many businesses. Review each one and decide which terms make sense for your specific campaigns.
- Job-related: jobs, careers, salary, hiring, resume, employment, internship, apprenticeship, recruit
- Free/cheap seekers: free, cheap, discount, bargain, coupon, deal, clearance, freeware, open source
- Educational/informational: how to, tutorial, guide, what is, definition, examples, course, class, training, certification
- DIY: DIY, homemade, build your own, make your own, plans, blueprint
- Unrelated platforms: YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest, TikTok, Amazon (if you only sell on your own site)
- Competitor names: add specific competitor brand names if you do not want to bid on them
- Negative intent: complaint, scam, lawsuit, problem, terrible, worst, refund
Be careful: do not go overboard. Adding too many negative keywords can restrict your reach so much that your campaigns stop getting impressions. Only exclude terms you are confident are irrelevant.
How to Remove Negative Keywords from Google Ads
Sometimes you will add a negative keyword that ends up blocking good traffic. Here is how to remove it:
- Go to your campaign or ad group.
- Click “Keywords” in the left menu, then select “Negative keywords.”
- Find the keyword you want to remove.
- Check the box next to it and click “Remove.”
If the negative keyword is in a shared list, go to Tools > Shared library > Negative keyword lists, open the list, and remove the keyword from there.
It is a good practice to audit your negative keywords every few months to make sure you have not accidentally blocked profitable search terms.
Maintaining Your Negative Keyword List: A Routine That Works
Building a negative keyword list is not a one-time task. You need a regular maintenance schedule to keep your campaigns efficient.
Recommended Maintenance Schedule
| Frequency | Task |
|---|---|
| Weekly | Review the Search Terms Report for high-spend, non-converting queries. Add new negatives as needed. |
| Monthly | Analyze performance trends. Look for patterns in irrelevant traffic. Expand shared lists if necessary. |
| Quarterly | Audit your full negative keyword list. Remove any negatives that might be blocking valuable traffic. Review match types. |
| When launching new campaigns | Apply your existing shared negative keyword lists immediately. Add campaign-specific negatives based on keyword research. |
Signs Your Negative Keyword List Needs Attention
- Your click-through rate (CTR) is dropping while impressions are rising (you may be showing to irrelevant audiences)
- Your cost per conversion is creeping up with no change in bidding strategy
- You see high spend on search terms with zero conversions in the Search Terms Report
- Your impression share is unusually high but conversions are flat (you might be showing for too many broad queries)
Negative Keywords for Different Campaign Types
Negative keywords work differently depending on your campaign type. Here is what you need to know.
Search Campaigns
This is where negative keywords have the most direct impact. You can use all three match types (broad, phrase, exact) and they prevent your text ads from showing for specific queries.
Performance Max Campaigns
Google now allows account-level negative keywords that can be applied to Performance Max campaigns. This was a long-requested feature. If you run Performance Max, take advantage of this to filter out obviously irrelevant traffic.
Display and Video Campaigns
For Display and Video campaigns, negative keywords work as topic-level exclusions rather than exact query-level blocks. They help prevent your ads from appearing on pages or videos about certain topics, but they are less precise than in Search campaigns.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced advertisers make mistakes with negative keywords. Here are the most common ones:
- Never reviewing the Search Terms Report. If you are not checking it regularly, you are flying blind.
- Using only exact match negatives. This is too restrictive. Broad match negatives cover more ground and catch variations you might not think of.
- Adding too many negatives too fast. Over-excluding can kill your campaign reach. Start with the obvious ones and expand gradually.
- Forgetting about misspellings. Negative broad match does not automatically catch misspellings. If a misspelled version of an irrelevant term drives significant traffic, add it separately.
- Not using shared lists. Managing negatives campaign by campaign is tedious and error-prone. Shared lists keep things organized and consistent.
- Setting and forgetting. Your market changes, search behavior evolves, and new irrelevant queries pop up all the time. Regular maintenance is essential.
How Much Money Can Negative Keywords Save?
The savings depend on your industry, budget, and how much irrelevant traffic you are currently getting. But here are some general benchmarks based on common industry observations:
- Most advertisers find that 10% to 20% of their search spend goes to irrelevant queries when no negative keywords are in place.
- Well-maintained negative keyword lists can reduce cost per conversion by 20% or more.
- For accounts spending $5,000 per month, that could mean $500 to $1,000 in monthly savings redirected toward clicks that actually convert.
The math is straightforward: every click you prevent on an irrelevant search is money you can reinvest into a click that might actually generate revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions About Negative Keywords in Google Ads
How do I add negative keywords to my Google Ads campaign?
Go to your campaign, click on “Keywords” in the left menu, then select “Negative keywords.” Click the blue “+” button, enter your negative keywords one per line, and save. You can also add them directly from the Search Terms Report by selecting irrelevant terms and clicking “Add as negative keyword.”
What is an example of a negative keyword?
If you sell premium software and do not offer a free version, “free” is a great negative keyword. It prevents your ad from showing when someone searches for “free project management software,” saving you from paying for a click that would never convert.
How do I find my negative keyword list in Google Ads?
For campaign-level negatives, go to your campaign and click “Keywords” then “Negative keywords.” For shared negative keyword lists, go to Tools > Shared library > Negative keyword lists. You will see all your lists and can edit them from there.
How do I remove negative keywords from Google Ads?
Navigate to the negative keywords section of your campaign or shared list. Check the box next to the keyword you want to remove, then click “Remove.” The change takes effect almost immediately.
How many negative keywords can I add?
Google allows up to 5,000 negative keywords per campaign and up to 5,000 keywords per shared negative keyword list. You can create up to 20 shared lists per account.
Do negative keywords work with Performance Max campaigns?
Yes. Google now supports account-level negative keywords that apply to Performance Max campaigns. You can set these up through your account settings or by working with Google support.
Should I use a negative keyword generator?
Negative keyword generators can be a useful starting point, especially if you are new to Google Ads. However, the most effective negative keywords come from analyzing your own Search Terms Report, because those are the actual queries triggering your specific ads.
Final Thoughts
Negative keywords in Google Ads are not optional. They are one of the most powerful and underused tools available to any advertiser. Every dollar you spend on an irrelevant click is a dollar you could have spent reaching someone ready to buy.
Start by reviewing your Search Terms Report today. Sort by cost, identify the irrelevant queries, and begin building your negative keyword list. Make it a weekly habit. Over time, you will notice lower costs, higher conversion rates, and a much healthier return on your ad spend.
Your budget is finite. Make every click count.