What Are Negative Keywords In Google Ads

What Are Negative Keywords? Negative keywords are words and phrases that tell Google NOT to show your ads when those terms appear in a search query. They're the filter that prevents wasted ad spend on irrelevant searches. Without them, your ads will show for countless irrelevant queries — costing you money with zero return. For example, if you sell premium running shoes at $150+, you would add "cheap," "free," and "second-hand" as negative keywords. This prevents your ads from showing to bargain hunters who would never buy at your price point. Figure 1: Search Terms Report showing irrelevant queries that should be added as negatives Types of Negative Keywords Figure 2: Negative keywords list in Google Ads showing organized negative keyword sets Why Negative Keywords Are Critical Beyond wasted budget, irrelevant clicks have a secondary damaging effect: they lower your CTR. When your ad shows for irrelevant searches, people don't click. This lowers your CTR, which lowers your Quality Score, which raises your CPC and lowers your ad position — a downward spiral. Conversely, negative keywords improve your CTR (only relevant people see your ads), which improves Quality Score, which lowers CPC and improves position. Negative keywords create an upward spiral. Building Your Initial Negative Keyword List Before your campaign even launches, add these universal negative keywords as a starting point: "free" — unless you offer free trials, free quotes, etc. "jobs," "careers," "hiring," "employment," "vacancy" "how to" — unless you offer courses or education "DIY" — if you sell professional services "review," "reviews," "testimonials" — if you're not targeting comparison stage "wikipedia," "definition," "meaning" Competitor brand names — unless running comparison campaigns Figure 3: Adding negative keywords to a shared negative keyword list in Google Ads The Search Terms Report Method The most powerful negative keyword source is your own data. After running for 1-2 weeks: Go to Keywords → Search Terms in Google Ads Filter by: conversions = 0, clicks > 3, cost > $5 (adjust to your CPC) Review every search term — ask "Would a qualified buyer search for this?" Add all "no" answers as negative keywords Repeat weekly for first 3 months, monthly thereafter Negative Keyword Match Types Use Negative Exact Match sparingly — it's the most restrictive. Negative Phrase Match is the most versatile option for most use cases. Organizing Negative Keywords For accounts with multiple campaigns, create Shared Negative Keyword Lists under Tools → Shared Library → Negative Keyword Lists. Apply one list to all campaigns for universal negatives, and create campaign-specific lists for industry or product-specific exclusions. Figure 4: Shared negative keyword lists interface in Google Ads showing list management Conclusion & Key Takeaways Understanding What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads? is essential for running successful Google Ads campaigns. Here are the most important things to remember: Review the key concepts of What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads? regularly Apply the strategies outlined in this guide to your campaigns Continuously test and optimize based on data Monitor performance metrics weekly and adjust as needed Use automation and Smart Bidding as your account scales Keep learning — Google Ads evolves constantly Last Updated: 2024 | Part of the Complete Google Ads Guide Series