What are Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords tell search engines which queries not to match. They prevent spend on irrelevant searches. By excluding poor‑fit terms, negative keywords improve match quality and budget efficiency. Lists can live at campaign, account, or shared‑library levels.
Understanding negative keywords
Negative keywords exclude terms like “free,” “jobs,” or unrelated product names so your ads don’t show on poor‑fit queries. Maintain lists at campaign, account, or shared‑library levels depending on scope. Use search term reports to mine real queries and update exclusions regularly as patterns shift. Align negative keywords with goals so you protect efficiency without choking discovery. Document match types and rationale so teams add exclusions consistently.
Structure matters as you scale. Keep brand‑protection negatives separate from generic efficiency lists. Review overlaps with phrase vs. exact to avoid blocking profitable long‑tail variants. Revisit lists during promos and catalog changes since intent patterns move. Measure impact beyond CTR—watch conversion rate and new‑customer share to confirm you tightened quality, not just clicks.
Why negative keywords matter
Negative keywords matter because they prevent budget from flowing to irrelevant traffic and protect downstream metrics. Smart exclusions raise CTR and conversion rates by tightening query intent, especially in broad match environments. They also reduce wasted spend that can hide inside blended averages at the account level.
- Efficiency: Reduce wasted clicks and CPC.
- Relevance: Tighten query match to your products.
How negative keywords work
Negative keywords work by excluding queries that match terms on your lists before the auction, preventing your ad from serving on irrelevant searches. Platforms apply match types (exact, phrase) to control how strictly the negative matches the user query. Use campaign‑level or account‑level negatives depending on scope and reuse. Build a core library (e.g., free, jobs, how‑to if not relevant) and expand it weekly from search term reports. During promos, relax or adjust negatives that might suppress deal‑seeking intent. Monitor conversion rate and search impression share to ensure you didn’t over‑constrain reach.
