Think about managing an advertising campaign in which you are paying for clicks that will never result in a sale. It is similar to a bakery that appears when someone searches for “free cake samples.”
Negative keywords come into play in this instance. By removing pointless traffic, they help you save money and make sure your adverts are seen by the correct people.
Let’s get into what negative keywords are, why they’re important and how to use them to improve your advertising approach in this article.
What are Negative Keywords?
Let’s say you use Google Ads Manager to draw clients to your high-end shoe store. You want your ads to be seen by those looking for “luxury leather shoes”.
However, what if searches for “free shoes” or “cheap sneakers” also result in your advertisement? Negative keywords are useful in this situation.
Words or phrases that keep your advertisement from showing up in unrelated searches are known as negative keywords.
You are informing Google that you don’t want your ad to appear for certain searches by including phrases like “cheap” or “free” in your list of negative keywords.
By doing this, you will be able to save money, prevent pointless clicks and make sure the correct people see your adverts.
Thus, these keywords plays a crucial role in improving your Google Ads Quality Score, which impacts your ad rank and cost-per-click.
Put it simply, Negative keywords can be thought of as a filter that excludes unqualified traffic. So that you only spend your money on users that have a higher chance of converting.
Types of Negative Keywords
Not every negative keyword functions in the same manner. Google Ads actually gives you a few different options to fine-tune your targeting.
Let’s dissect them:
1.Negative Broad Match
The most adaptable kind is this one. Your advertisement won’t appear if a user searches for your negative term in any order.
Consider, you are adding “cheap shoes” as a negative broad match. Now your ad won’t appear for “buy cheap running shoes”. But still display for “affordable shoes” or “cheap sneakers”
2.Negative Phrase Match
This kind is a little more rigid. Your ad is blocked only if the exact phrase appears in the same order within a search query.
Consider “cheap shoes” as your negative phrase match. Now, your ad won’t appear for “best cheap shoes online”. But still appear for “cheap sneakers” or “affordable shoes”
3.Negative Exact Match
The most accurate choice is this one. Your ad won’t appear only if someone searches for the exact term, with no extra words.
Consider “cheap shoes” as your negative exact match. Now, your ad won’t appear for “cheap shoes”. But they still appear for “buy cheap shoes online” or “cheap running shoes”.
You get a different level of control with each category. Go with a broad match, if you want to block broad groups of searches. Use phrases or exact matches, if you want more precision.
The trick is to balance exclusions. So that, you can filter out unnecessary traffic without unintentionally blocking valuable clients.
How Negative Keywords Improve PPC Performance?
Consider your PPC campaign to be similar to a fishing net. You wish to capture the appropriate fish (i.e.) Potential Clients and need to avoid the wrong ones (i.e.) those who refuse to convert.
By excluding searches that aren’t relevant to your business, negative keywords assist “patch the holes” in your targeting.
They enhance your PPC performance in the following ways:
- Saves Your Budget for the Right Audience
- Increases Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Boosts Conversion Rates
- Improves Quality Score
- Reduces Bounce Rate
- Lowers Cost Per Acquisition
Common Negative Keywords for Different Industries
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to negative keywords. Your industry will determine them. However, some terms are common across different business types.
Let’s look at a few well-liked negative keywords that will reduce wasted ad spending across a range of sectors.
| Industry | Negative Keywords |
|---|---|
|
E-commerce & Retail |
“Free”, “DIY”, “cheap” |
|
Service-Based Businesses |
“Jobs”, “how to”, “free consultation” |
|
Real Estate |
“Rent”, “Zillow” / “Redfin”, “foreclosure” |
|
Education & Online Courses |
“free course”, “PDF” / “download”, “YouTube”
|
|
Medical & Healthcare |
“home remedies”, “DIY treatment”, “cheap” |
|
SaaS (Software as a Service) |
“free software”, “open-source”, “cracked” / “nulled”, “alternative to” |
Your ads will only reach qualified prospects if you use negative keywords related to your industry.
Think about the kinds of queries that aren’t relevant to your business for a second, then list those as negatives. You’ll notice improved outcomes and save money.
What Symbol would you use to add a Negative Keyword?
It’s really easy to add negative keywords to Google Ads. A minus symbol (-) is all that is required before the keyword.
“Hey, don’t show my ad when someone searches for this term,” is what this tells Google.
Suppose you own an online shoe store that exclusively carries premium brands. You don’t want people who are searching for low-cost options to click on your ads.
Thus, you would include: -cheap, -discount, -free
Now your ad won’t appear if someone searches for “cheap running shoes,” saving you money on a pointless click.
Where Do You Add Negative Keywords? They are accessible at various levels:
- Campaign level → covers all advertisements inside that campaign
- Ad group level → only applicable to particular ad groups
- Lists of negative keywords → you can create and reuse them across campaigns
Thus, you will be able to improve your targeting, steer clear of unqualified traffic and ensure that your ad spend is being used on the appropriate people by strategically using the negative symbol (-).
How to add Negative Keywords in Google Ads?
It’s really simple to add negative keywords to Google Ads. Doing it correctly will help you avoid wasting a lot of money on advertising.
To help you get started, below is a detailed guide:
Step:1 - Sign in to Google Ads
- Open your Google Ads account and log in.
- Go to the campaign or ad group where you want to add negative keywords.
Step:2 - Navigate to the Keywords Section
- From the menu on the left, select “Keywords.”
- Next, choose “Negative Keywords” from the option at the top.
Step:3 - Add Your Negative Keywords
- In order to add new negative keywords, click the plus (+) button.
- Enter the words or phrases you want to exclude.
- Choose where to apply them: Campaign Level or Ad Group Level
Step:4 - Choose the Match Type
- Negative keywords have match types that control how strictly they are applied, just as regular keywords.
- Now choose the match type: Broad Match, Phrase Match or Exact Match.
Step:5 - Save & Monitor
After selecting “Save,” you’re finished! To continue enhancing the success of your ads, remember to periodically check and adjust your negative keywords.
Keeping an eye on these changes is key to getting the most out of your performance marketing services. It helps ensure your campaigns stay optimized and run as efficiently as possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Negative keywords are an effective strategy for ad campaign optimization. They help you focus your budget on high-intent audiences by eliminating irrelevant traffic.
So, regularly update your negative keyword list to make your ads stay relevant and cost-effective, regardless of whether you’re using Google Ads or another PPC campaign.
With better targeting and less wasted spending, you can start using them today and see an improvement in your ad effectiveness. especially when tracking Google ads metrics to assess campaign performance.
