When businesses start up with Google Ads campaigns, most advertisers focus on the keywords that they want to target. But what about the ones they don’t? These are Negative Keywords - and it’s shocking how many accounts just completely neglect, or ignore these.

If you don’t keep up with your negative keyword lists, you’re likely wasting spend on clicks that are unlikely to convert, or worse; are completely irrelevant to the search intent.

With Google’s automation growing in stature, keeping on top of negative keywords (where possible) through where your ads appear is even more important now than ever.

Why Negative Keywords Are Essential

Google’s automation is great, but it’s not perfect. With broad match, dynamic search ads, and automated bidding, Google ultimately has control over where your ads show and that means they could be appearing for low-intent or even completely irrelevant searches - which would eat through your budget unnecessarily and ultimately make the business goals less efficient. 

For example, imagine you run a luxury furniture business. One of your keywords in your account is “bespoke furniture” and this is set on a Broad or Phrase-match using a Google automated bid strategy. This means that your keyword could potentially trigger ads for search queries such as: 

“Cheap furniture”

“How to build furniture”

“Second hand furniture”

“Diy furniture plans”

These searches are low/no intent or not to the target audience, yet you’re still potentially going to pay for the click (if the ad is clicked on) since Google has matched your keyword to the search query which has triggered your ad. This is wasted ad budget that could have gone towards actual customers.

How to Use Negative Keywords Effectively

Regularly Review Search Terms

Check your Search Terms Report frequently, make it at least a standard weekly task. If there are any irrelevant search terms leading to high impressions or clicks, add them to your negative keyword list.

Use Different Match Types

Like regular keywords, negative keywords can also have their own match types. For example, adding “cheap” will negative block any search that contains that word, and close variants. You can also set negative keywords to a Phrase or Exact match type too, depending on how strict you need to be with various search terms.

Build a Strong Negative Keyword List

Alongside negative keywording within your campaigns, you can also create Negative Keyword Lists that sit under the Shared Library as Exclusion Lists. These can be created and applied to any Campaign needed (if possible). For example you can create a list that negates profanity words, or job-searching words in a list and apply it across all of your campaigns. 

Update, Update, Update

The most important factor here is to continue to keep these Exclusion Lists and Negative Keywords within each campaign updated. Search behaviour changes and so should your exclusion lists. Even if some Search Terms need to be removed. 

The Impact of Not Using Negative Keywords

Ignoring negative keywords and exclusion lists not only wastes spend, but it can also affect the overall account performance. 

Lower Click-Through-Rate (CTR)

If your ads are showing for irrelevant search queries, then likely that ad will not get clicked. This will decrease the CTR on the ad, and can likely negatively affect your Quality Score. 

Higher Cost-Per-Click (CPC)

Poor targeting can place your ad-triggering keywords in more expensive search query spaces. This means you may end up paying more for Clicks that don’t convert, which thus hurts the efficiency of your ad spend. With less CTR too and the Quality Score dropping, this will also negatively affect the Cost-per-Click that you pay as an advertiser.

Reduced Conversion Rates

This goes hand in hand with the other two really. If your irrelevant ad does in fact get a click, yet the landing page has no relevance to the users search query then they are not going to convert on your site - which will lead to them leaving altogether, negatively affecting your Conversion Rate. This could also lead to a lower Quality Score which affects your CPC too.

Misleading Performance Data

If irrelevant traffic skews your metrics, it can be harder to identify what’s actually working in your campaigns.

Advanced Negative Keyword Strategies

If you want to take your negative keyword strategy to the next level, consider:

Negative Keyword Lists

We touched on this above, but bulk uploading some common negative keywords that can be used across all campaigns can benefit your account. It also helps to streamline your management process.

Using Google/Bing’s Search Terms Report

This will give you insight into the search queries that your keywords are triggering, and allows you to see directly how each of these are performing, allowing you to analyse and make decisions on what is best for the account.

Use of Various Match Types

Taking advantage of the Broad, Phrase and Exact match-types can really help tailor your negative keywords to being as effective as possible. 

Segmentation

Negative keywords can be applied to a Campaign, or even down to Ad Group level. There are some Campaigns/Ad Groups that need a certain type of negative keyword that another may not. Tailor the approach to the ad. 

Final Thoughts

Google’s automation is powerful, but it still needs human oversight. Negative keywords are your way of telling Google where NOT to show your ads, ensuring your budget is spent on high-quality traffic.

If you’re not already using them, start today—your ROI will thank you.

Luke Trevillion is Paid Search Manager at PinPoint Media