Negative Keywords And How to Use Them

Tips For Using Negative Keywords For Your Google Ads


1. Start with the basics: Identify your primary keywords and then use negative versions of those terms to prevent irrelevant searches from triggering your ads. For example, if you are selling “women’s jeans”, include “men’s jeans” as a negative keyword.

2. Use multiple variations of negative keywords: Don’t just use broad terms like “jeans” as a negative keyword, but also include niche terms such as “skinny jeans” or “distressed jeans”.

3. Exclude irrelevant search terms: Use negative keywords to exclude searches that are not relevant to your products or services and could waste your ad budget. For example, if you are selling shoes, add “free shipping” as a negative keyword so your ads don’t appear for people searching for free shipping offers.

4. Monitor search terms: Regularly check your search query report to see what keywords are triggering your ads and add any irrelevant ones as negative keywords.

5. Group negative keywords: Create ad groups that contain related negative keywords to easily apply them to multiple campaigns or ad groups.

6. Set up automated rules: Use automated rules to add negative keywords when certain conditions are met, such as if the cost per click exceeds your desired threshold.

7. Analyze performance metrics: Monitor the performance of your campaigns and adjust your negative keywords accordingly to improve ROI.

8. Test new negative keywords: Try testing different versions of negative keywords to see which ones produce the best results.

9. Simplify your lists: Make sure that your negative keyword list is organized and easy to understand, as this will help you identify any problems quickly.

10. Utilize Google’s tools: Take advantage of Google’s keyword planning and optimization tools to help you identify negative keywords.

By following these tips, you can effectively manage your negative keywords and improve the performance of your Google Ads campaigns.

Need expert Google Ads help? Get a free Google account audit from Clicks Geek.

Try for free
Get Free Account Audit →