In the world of Google Ads, “negative” isn’t always a bad thing.
When it comes to keywords, being negative can be incredibly positive for your ad campaigns.
Negative keywords might sound like a contradiction, but they’re your secret weapon for streamlining ad spend, improving click-through rates, and boosting conversions.
Ready to dive into the bright side of going negative?
In this blog post, we will be exploring exactly what is a negative keyword, how to implement them into your Google Ads campaigns and some top tips on how to find them.
What is a Negative Keyword?
A negative keyword lets you exclude certain search terms from your campaign and only include the words that matter most to your business. Think about the intent of someone searching for your product or service and what people you want to see your ad.
Let’s use a real-life example.
Say you provide a service where you fix and repair drains. You receive two clicks on your Google Ad, one of the searches was “drain repair near me” and another one was “drain repair DIY”.
Both searches activated your ad, but both have very different levels of intent.
The first searcher is actively looking for someone who provides your service. Whilst the second person is looking for tips on how to do drain repairs themselves.
They’re a wasted click, and a wasted click is wasted money.
But, if we include the keywords “DIY” or “do it yourself” as negative keywords, then our ad would not have been activated.
Why are Negative Keywords Important?
Negative keywords ensure that ads are shown to the most relevant audience, thereby increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of campaigns.
By filtering out irrelevant or unwanted search queries, negative keywords help you avoid spending money on clicks that are unlikely to convert.
This in turn maximises your return on investment.
Negative keywords also improve the overall quality and relevance of ads, leading to higher click-through rates and better Quality Scores on platforms like Google Ads.
Using Negative Keywords in Your Campaign
You can use negative keywords at the campaign level or Ad Group level within your campaign. Or… create a negative keyword list Which makes your campaign structure look a lot tidier.
To create a negative keyword list, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to tools & settings.
2. Under shared library click on ‘negative keyword lists’.
3. Hit the big blue plus sign.
4. Give your list a name you can remember.
5. Go back to the campaign you want to use your negative keyword list.
6. Hit on ‘keywords’ and then onto ‘negative keywords’.
7. Press the blue plus sign again and tick ‘use negative keyword list’.
8. Select the list you choose before, and click save.
9. Continue to monitor your account and adding keywords to the list you don’t want your ads to appear for.
Keeping an updated negative keyword list is one of the fastest ways to save money in your campaign.
Clicks are valuable to your campaign, and your clicks deserve the best searches.
How do I Know What Negative Keywords to Add?
Adding negative keywords to your campaign from the start can save you a lot of money in the long run; essentially mitigating the risk before it has even happened.
Start by thinking of words that seem pretty obvious that you don’t want to associate with your ads. Words like ‘free’ or ‘DIY’. Leave them for your competitors who haven’t implemented a negative keyword list.
The next thing to do is go to the Google search bar. Start typing in your product or service and then the letter A.
Google automatically generates the top searches for your product or service followed by the letter A. You will find some hidden gems of words to add to your negative keyword. Repeat this process by going through the alphabet.
Next – let’s eliminate your competitors. Now… this is a questionable decision. Should you bid on your competitors’ names as keywords?
It really depends on the industry. But most of the time, I would recommend adding them as negative keywords.
What to Do About Competitor Terms?
It’s important to remember that bidding on competitor terms is often inefficient and costly, as it generally fails to convert effectively.
When people search for a specific competitor, such as their local dentist, they are typically intent on finding that particular provider.
Consequently, ads targeting these searches are less likely to be clicked, and even if they are, the likelihood of converting these users into customers is low.
This results in wasted ad spending with minimal return on investment.
If you are a local business, go to Google Maps and go to your location. Do a search for your product or service.
Let’s use the example of a dentist. Go through and add your competitor’s dental surgeries to your list – ‘Pierce’s Dentists’, ‘Jones And Sons Dentists’ and so on.
However, be careful when you see Dentists that use locations within their names. For instance, I live in a place called Crosby (lovely little beachside town). There is a Dentist called ‘Crosby Dentists’. If I include this business in my negative keyword list, I will lose searches for ‘dentists in Crosby’ or ‘emergency tooth repair Crosby’.
These people aren’t looking for this particular practice, but for someone who offers the service I am advertising in my campaign.
Benefits of Negative Keywords
Here are the key benefits of using negative keywords:
Increased Relevance
Negative keywords prevent ads from showing up for irrelevant search queries.
By excluding terms that do not match the advertiser’s product or service, the ad only appears to users with a higher likelihood of interest, thus increasing the relevance of the ad impressions.
Cost Efficiency
By filtering out unwanted clicks from irrelevant searches, negative keywords help save on ad spend.
This ensures that the advertising budget is utilised more effectively, targeting only those users who are likely to convert, thereby reducing wasted spend.
Improved Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Ads that appear for more relevant searches are more likely to be clicked on.
By excluding irrelevant searches, the overall CTR of the campaign improves, which can also positively impact the ad’s Quality Score on platforms like Google Ads.
Higher Conversion Rates
When ads are shown to a more targeted audience, the likelihood of conversions increases.
Negative keywords help in reaching users who are specifically looking for what is being advertised, thus leading to higher conversion rates.
Better Return on Investment (ROI)
With reduced spend on irrelevant clicks and higher conversion rates, the overall return on investment improves.
The advertising budget is spent more efficiently, generating more value from the ad spend.
Enhanced Quality Score
Search engines like Google use the Quality Score to determine the relevance and quality of ads.
A higher Quality Score can lead to better ad placements and lower costs per click.
By using negative keywords, advertisers can improve the CTR and relevance of their ads, contributing to a higher Quality Score.
Refined Targeting
Negative keywords allow for more precise targeting by eliminating broad or unrelated search terms.
This ensures that the ads are shown to a more focused audience, aligning closely with the advertiser’s target market.
Reduced Bounce Rates
When ads appear for highly relevant searches, the visitors who click on these ads are more likely to stay and engage with the site, reducing the bounce rate.
This is beneficial for both the user experience and the site’s performance metrics.
Types of Negative Keywords
There are three main types of negative keywords that can be utilised to refine the targeting of your ads: broad match, phrase match, and exact match negative keywords.
Here’s a detailed look at each type:
Broad Match Negative Keywords
Broad match negative keywords prevent your ads from appearing if the search query contains all the negative keyword terms in any order.
Use broad match negative keywords to exclude a wide range of irrelevant searches that include unwanted terms.
Example:
If “free shoes” is set as a broad match negative keyword, your ad won’t show for searches like “buy free shoes” or “shoes for free”, but it may still show for “cheap shoes” or “discounted shoes”.
Phrase Match Negative Keywords
Phrase match negative keywords prevent your ad from showing if the search query contains the exact keyword phrase in the specified order, even if other terms are present before or after the phrase.
Use phrase match negative keywords to exclude searches that contain the exact phrase but may still include additional terms.
Example:
If “cheap shoes” is set as a phrase match negative keyword, your ad will not show for searches like “buy cheap shoes online” or “cheap shoes for kids”, but it could still show for “affordable shoes” or “shoes on sale”.
Exact Match Negative Keywords
Exact match negative keywords prevent your ad from showing only if the search query is exactly the same as the keyword.
Use exact match negative keywords to exclude very specific search terms while allowing for variations or additional terms in the query.
Example:
If “running shoes” is set as an exact match negative keyword, your ad won’t show for searches like “running shoes”, but it may still show for “buy running shoes” or “best running shoes”.
Choosing the Right Match Types
For lots of campaigns, exact-match keywords don’t gather enough impressions or our highly competitive. You need to use phrase & broad match keywords to get longer searches.
This comes with the risk of your ads appearing for search queries which will cost you money. But implementing your negative keywords allows you to take more control.
Continue to monitor the search terms that come through, add irrelevant keywords to your list and save yourself money.
Turning Your PPC From a Negative to a Positive
Who knew that being negative could be so positive?
Remember, the secret to a successful marketing strategy might just be a healthy dose of negativity.
It’s like turning your ad campaigns into a VIP club—only the most relevant search terms get past the bouncer.
So, go ahead and get picky with your keywords.
Your budget will thank you for it!
If you would like more information on Google Ads and how we can help you achieve the results you desire then please reach out to us.