What Are Negative Keywords?
Negative Keywords are search terms added to a Google Ads campaign to prevent ads from showing for unwanted or unsuitable searches. They help separate relevant enquiries from searches with a different service need, location, audience or buying intent. For example, a tradie can exclude employment searches when advertising services to homeowners.
Quick Facts About Negative Keywords
Category
Google Ads campaign control
Used for
Filtering unsuitable searches
Common confusion
Not the same as poor-performing keywords
Also called
Negative keyword list, Negative keyword targeting
Often discussed with
Google Ads Management
Key Takeaways About Negative Keywords
- They exclude searches that do not match the advertised service.
- They refine who can trigger an ad.
- They are not the same as low-performing keywords.
How Negative Keywords Works
Negative Keywords tell Google Ads which searches should not trigger an advertisement. The platform compares a person’s search with the campaign’s targeting settings and excluded terms. A negative keyword can filter searches linked to jobs, products or services that the advertised business does not provide.
Related glossary terms: Search Intent, Click-Through Rate, Impression Share.
Advertisers review the search terms that triggered clicks or impressions, then add unsuitable wording to the campaign or an ad group. Match settings affect how closely the exclusion applies to related searches. For example, a plumbing campaign may exclude employment-related wording while keeping searches from homeowners seeking repairs.
Expert Note
When we manage Google Ads campaigns, we review search terms against the advertised service and the type of enquiry the campaign should attract. We add exclusions carefully, then check whether useful searches have been filtered out as campaign targeting changes.
Negative Keywords in Practice: A Real-World Example
A Brisbane electrician advertising residential switchboard work may receive searches from people seeking apprenticeships or electrical training. We could add employment and course-related terms as Negative Keywords so those searches do not trigger the service advertisement.
Related Services
Related Terms
Search Intent
Search Intent is the underlying purpose behind a search query, such as learning, comparing options, finding…
Click-Through Rate
Click-Through Rate is a digital advertising metric that shows the proportion of impressions that result in…
Impression Share
Impression Share is the proportion of eligible ad impressions that your campaign receives in Google Ads…
Conversion Funnel
A Conversion Funnel is a model that shows how a person moves from discovering a business…
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