What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads?

Negative keywords in Google Ads help prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches, saving your budget and improving campaign performance. If you’re running ads but getting clicks from people who aren’t actually interested in your product or service, negative keywords can help filter out low-quality traffic and increase conversion rates.

This guide explains what negative keywords are, why they’re important, and how to use them effectively in your campaigns.

What Are Negative Keywords?

Negative keywords are words or phrases that you exclude from your Google Ads campaign so your ads won't show when those terms are searched.

For example, if you’re a premium furniture brand, you might want to exclude terms like "cheap" or "free" so your ads don’t appear for people searching for budget or second-hand furniture.

✔️ Example of a Search Ad Without Negative Keywords:
A company selling luxury watches might appear for searches like:

• Best affordable watches
• Free watch giveaways
• Cheap watches under $50

These searches aren’t relevant, leading to wasted ad spend. Adding "cheap," "affordable," and "free" as negative keywords ensures the ad only appears for high-intent buyers.

Why Are Negative Keywords Important?

✔️ Reduce Wasted Ad Spend – Stops ads from showing on searches that won’t convert.
✔️ Improve Click-Through Rates (CTR) – Ensures ads appear only for relevant searches.
✔️ Increase Conversion Rates – Targets the right audience, leading to higher ROI.
✔️ Improve Quality Score – When ads are more relevant, Google rewards you with better rankings and lower CPC (cost per click).

Types of Negative Keywords in Google Ads

There are three types of negative keyword match types:

1. Broad Match Negative Keywords (Default Setting)

Your ad won’t show if the search includes all words in any order.
✔️ Example: Negative keyword = cheap laptop
❌ Blocked search terms: buy laptop cheap, cheap laptop deals
✅ Allowed search terms: best laptop for gaming

2. Phrase Match Negative Keywords (Uses Quotation Marks)

Your ad won’t show if the exact phrase appears in the search query in the same order.
✔️ Example: Negative keyword = "cheap laptop"
❌ Blocked search terms: buy cheap laptop, best cheap laptop deals
✅ Allowed search terms: best laptop for students

3. Exact Match Negative Keywords (Uses Brackets)

Your ad won’t show only if the exact search query is typed with no additional words.
✔️ Example: Negative keyword = [cheap laptop]
❌ Blocked search term: cheap laptop
✅ Allowed search terms: best cheap laptop deals, cheap laptop for sale

💡 Tip: Use broad match negative keywords to exclude wide variations, but for precise filtering, use phrase or exact match negatives.

How to Find Negative Keywords

✔️ Check the Search Terms Report – In Google Ads > Keywords > Search Terms, see actual search queries triggering your ads and exclude irrelevant ones.
✔️ Use Google’s Keyword Planner – Enter your target keywords and look for unwanted variations that you can exclude.
✔️ Analyze Competitor Ads – Check what types of searches competitors rank for and exclude terms that don’t fit your audience.
✔️ Think Like a Customer – Consider terms users might search for that aren’t a match for your business.

How to Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads

1. Go to Google Ads and open your campaign.
2. Click on Keywords in the left menu.
3. Select Negative Keywords and click the “+” button.
4. Enter words or phrases you want to exclude.
5. Choose to apply them to the entire account, a campaign, or an ad group.
6. Save changes and monitor performance.

Best Practices for Negative Keywords

✔️ Regularly Update Your List – Review search terms weekly or monthly to refine negative keywords.
✔️ Use Negative Keyword Lists – Apply the same negative keywords across multiple campaigns instead of adding them individually.
✔️ Don’t Overdo It – Too many negative keywords can limit ad reach, so focus on filtering low-quality traffic while keeping relevant searches.
✔️ Balance Broad & Exact Matches – Start with broad match negatives and refine with phrase or exact match based on performance.

Final Thoughts

Negative keywords prevent wasted ad spend, improve ad targeting, and boost campaign performance. By regularly refining your negative keyword list, you’ll ensure that your Google Ads budget is spent only on high-intent searches that drive results.