How to Find Negative Keywords in Google Ads

The whole point of using ads is to target potential customers. You don’t want your ads showing up for unrelated queries or in front of users that may not be interested. That’s just a waste of money.

One way you can refine your ad campaigns is through negative keywords. And we’re here to guide you through the steps on how to find negative keywords Google Ads.

Don’t let the name throw you off. Negative keywords can actually help optimize your ads when used correctly. Read on to find out how to leverage these keywords to improve your ad campaigns!

What are Negative Keywords?

Negative keywords (aka “negative match”) prevent ads from being displayed to anyone searching for that particular keyword or phrase. Think of them as word filters that help you refine your campaigns so that only the most relevant clicks end up costing you money.

PPC marketers identify these phrases after conducting a careful analysis of which keywords generate clicks and leads. These key phrases can be added to campaign levels in Google Ads. But we’ll go into detail on that later on.

To help you better understand negative keywords, consider the search term “free photo editor.” If your photo editing software isn’t free, you’ll want to add this phrase to your negative keyword list.

If they’re not interested in paying for your service, why waste money by showing them your advertisement?

Types of Negative Keywords

Search campaigns can use broad-match, phrase-match, or exact-match negative keywords. But it’s important to note that these negative match types function differently from their positive counterparts.

You will need synonyms, singular or plural versions, misspellings, and other close variations to exclude them.

Broad Match Negative Keywords

This will prevent ads from showing if all words within the phrase are included in the search query. This is even if they aren’t in the exact order. Your ad may also still show up if the search query contains only some of your keyword terms.

For example, if you were to use the negative keyword “running shoes,” your ads won’t show for queries like:

• Red running shoes
• Shoes for running

It will, however, show your ads for the following queries:

• Blue tennis shoes
• Running shoe

Phrase Match Negative Keywords

Allow advertisers to prevent ads from showing if a user enters the exact phrase into the search query in the exact same order. The search may include additional words.

There are cases when there may be additional characters in the search. In these cases, the ads will appear even if the rest of the keyword terms are entered in the same order.

As in our previous example keyword “running shoes,” your ads won’t show for queries like:

• Red running shoes
• Running shoes

It will, however, show your ads for the following queries:

• Shoes running
• Blue tennis shoes
• Running shoe

Exact Match Negative Keywords

Blocks ads from being triggered if the exact keyword is entered in the search query. The keywords should be in exact order and shouldn’t include any additional words. This gives advertisers the most control over what searches trigger their ad campaigns. 

For the sample keyword “running shoes,” your ads won’t show for the query:

• Running shoes

It will, however, show your ads for the following queries:

• Blue tennis shoes
• Running shoe
• Blue running shoes
• Shoes running

How to Find Negative Keywords Google Ads

To find negative keyword ideas, go to your Google Ads account, open a search campaign, and click on the Search Terms Report. You can find existing negative keywords by clicking on the Negative Keywords Tab or opening a Negative keyword list.

The Search Terms Report is useful for optimizing your Google Ads advertising campaigns. Here are some guidelines for choosing your negative keywords:

• You should exclude terms that do not pertain to your products or services.
• Take out words and phrases hurting your conversion rate and increase your cost per conversion.
• Get rid of words that are irrelevant to your current targeting on the Display Network or Video Network.

Steps for Adding New Negative Keywords to Your Campaigns

• Sign in to your Google Ads account.
• Click on Keywords on the left side of the page menu.
• Click on Search terms to see the search terms for all your keywords.
• To see search terms for all keywords, click Search terms at the top. To see terms for only a select group of keywords, check the boxes next to the keywords you want to see search results for. You can then click on Search terms in the upper menu.
• Make sure you check the boxes next to the search terms that you want to add as negative keywords. After that, click Add as a negative keyword.

At this point, you can add negative keywords to an ad group or campaign or an existing or new negative keyword list.

To add negative keywords to an ad campaign or group.

• Click on Add negative keywords or create a new list.
• Choose which campaign or ad group you want to add it to
• Add your keywords (one per line). Make sure to keep your negative keywords in line with your target keywords, or else this will prevent your ads from showing at all.
• You can save negative keywords to a new or existing list and then apply those keywords to the campaign. Simply select Save to a new or existing list, enter a name for your new list or select an existing list, and click Save.

Final Words

Negative keywords are an essential element in any effective Google Ads campaign. They allow you to target your campaigns to the right audience and avoid wasting your budget on irrelevant searches.

By learning how to find negative keywords Google Ads, you can better optimize your Ad strategy to align with your business goals.