Negative keywords in your Google Ads campaign: How to save millions!

O

With Google Ads campaigns, every business aims to get the best possible ROI. Negative keywords help you do this: they eliminate irrelevant searches, reduce costs, and increase campaign effectiveness. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to build equipment to have the cleanest, most effective advertising structure possible – get ready, because there’s a long but exciting road ahead of you! 👇

What is a negative keyword and why is it essential? 🛑

Negative keywords are phrases that prevent your ads from appearing on searches that don’t help you achieve your goals. Honestly, irrelevant clicks are like throwing money out the window – but negative keywords prevent that.

Advertisement should only appear where they are really interested

People write in many different ways: some search exactly (“parasol buy Budapest”), while others find out (“what is a parasol”). The two cannot be lumped together, so negative keywords help.

Why are negative keywords important?

1. Cost reduction – fewer irrelevant clicks, less money spent 💸
2. Higher ROI – relevant clicks convert better
3. Improved Quality Scores – lower CPC and better placement
4. More precise targeting – really get close to your customers

Example: you sell a premium leather bag, but you don’t serve free or used products. By adding “free” or “used” keywords negatively, you’ll prevent irrelevant impressions – so only people who are really interested in your premium product will click.

---

🔍 Search intent and negative keywords

What keywords should you exclude?

The following three types of search intent are particularly important:

–Information

Users are just getting information: “what is a negative keyword”, “Google Ads education” – few conversions, high costs.

–Transaction

Actual purchase intent: “order a leather bag”, “take a language course” – your goal, but be careful with irrelevant terms (e.g. “used bag”).

–Navigational

They are looking for a specific website: “Google Ads interface login“, “Facebook Ads help” – it may be advisable to exclude these if they are not relevant.

Irrelevant keywords include:
“free”, “used”, “reviews”, “job”, “how-to”.

---

Analyze search intent reporting

1. Run a weekly or bi-weekly “Search terms” report in Google Ads.
2. Watch for the combination of high CTR and low conversion.
   • Example: “coffee machine repair” comes with a lot of clicks, but they don’t buy? Add as a negative keyword.
3. Check out the suggestions in Keyword Planner – they can contain a lot of irrelevant terms.
4. Competitor monitoring: If other advertisers are targeting irrelevant terms (e.g., “free trial”), you may also be among the disqualifiers.
5. Know what you offer – e.g. in the case of luxury accommodation, negative: “cheap”, “hostel”.

Regular updates are also needed: user habits change – check the list at least monthly!

---

🎯 Explanation of match types

Match type	Meaning	When to use it?
General (Broad Match Neg.)	Anything you are in will be excluded (synonyms included)	If you want to block an entire topic – be careful!
Phrase Neg.	Exact word combination, different words can be before and after	Exclude a specific term in a controlled manner
Exact Match	It only forbids for the given term, leaves someone else	Specific, very precise exclusion

Tips:

• Start with a narrow match (Exact/Phrase) and expand to Broad only if necessary.
• Regularly check how many searches you’ve excluded – if it’s too many, it narrows down.

---

Negative Keyword Lists: How and Why?

You can manage negative lists for campaigns or at the account level.

• Account-level list → General exclusions (“free”, “used”): Available for all campaigns.
• Campaign-level list → Unique, tied to a current offer (“Christmas”, “black friday”), which affects only one campaign.

Lépések:

1. Google Ads → Tools → Negative Keyword Lists
2. Click on the New List button, name it (“General Exclusions”)
3. Add words + define match type
4. Save and add to campaigns

Typical application:
E-merchant on the list of “General exclusions”: free, used, reviews. Seasonal Campaign: “Seasonal Exclusions” e.g. Christmas, Black Friday (if not relevant).

---

⚠️ Avoid common mistakes

• Too many exclusions → loss of relevant traffic (“bag” leaving out of the keyword list)
• Inadequate match → exclusion that is too broad or too narrow
• Neglecting lists , → new irrelevant searches won’t be excluded
• Conflicts with positive keywords → if the same thing is listed between both, the ad won’t show

Tips to prevent mistakes:

• Weekly campaign audit
• Exact / Phrase Match Testing
• Involve an external expert

---

🌐 Negative keywords in Performance Max campaigns

Performance Max campaigns are automated – but negative keywords are important here as well.

• Don’t “cannibalize” your own organic traffic → excluding brand terms.
• Fine-tuning with Google Ads Editor
• Automatic system: more frequent checks are needed

Example: fashion store excludes: used clothes, free shipping – only available to premium audience.

---

Impact on Quality Score and ROI 📈

1. Quality Score

• Higher relevance → better CTR
• Because of this, lower CPC, better position

2. ROI

• More relevant clicks → more conversions
• Example: fictitious furniture store with negative keywords
  • 25% reduction in costs,
  • 15% increase in conversion rate

---

✅ What should you do now?

1. Go through the search terms report – look for irrelevant ones
2. Create account- and campaign-level negative lists
3. Download your own checklist (free download… link here)
4. Seek expert support if you’re unsure

💼 Don’t let your budget go down the drain – you can start saving and boost your ROI today by controlling your keywords!

---

📊 Impact of negative keywords on budget structure

Using negative keywords not only reduces your cost per click, but also affects your budget allocation. If you’re optimally excluding irrelevant searches:

• Focus your budget: You can direct your ad amounts to the keywords that really matter, so there’s no wasting money on “noisy” traffic.
• Applicable daily/cyclically: If your targeted keywords perform poorly on certain days, you can redirect them to the periods that convert best to your daily budget.
• Budget planning: Using negative keywords can help you plan and simulate your monthly spend in advance, which can be useful for predictability and ROI projections.

💡 Example: In an online course campaign, there is a wave of information searches on Friday afternoons (e.g. “free learning material”). In this case, by excluding these, you can regroup the budget to the days when there is a real intention to buy (Mondays, Tuesdays).

---

🛠️ Automation and smart tools in negative keyword management

Manual negative list management is time-consuming—but there are now effective tools and methods available:

• Automated rules (Google Ads): You can set up certain terms to automatically treat certain terms as negative keywords at certain CTR-conversion rates.
• Scripting, Google Ads API: Advanced mode: Custom scripts filter out “bad” terms and automatically update the negative keyword list.
• Third-party software: Platforms like Semrush, WordStream, or Optmyzr help identify and automatically exclude irrelevant keywords.
• AI monitoring: Early algorithms are now able to make suggestions on what new negative keywords to add when – but the decision is still made under human control.

🤖 Complex example: You set up a “if search term CTR > is 10% AND < conversion is 1%, then add as negative” rule. Your script checks this daily and also thinks about which match type would be ideal.

---

🧠 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a negative keyword and how is it different from a regular keyword?
A negative keyword excludes certain searches, while a “traditional” keyword adds them.

2. Which negative match type should I use?
Start with the exact expression or; If you see too many irrelevant clicks, use broad match.

3. How long should you update your negative keyword list?
At least on a monthly basis, but it is also worth more often in case of major campaign changes.

4. How do negative keywords affect Quality Score?
They reduce irrelevant impressions, increase CTR, which improves the Quality Score.

5. What mistakes can you run into?
Too many exclusions, inadequate matches, account-level and campaign-level conflicts.

---

👉 Ready to boost your campaign? Follow the steps, make negative lists, and enjoy cost savings – with this system, you will not only save money, but also time. If you need help, feel free to contact me!