Every Google Ads account leaks budget on irrelevant searches. Negative keywords stop your ads from showing for them. Start with these themed lists, then refine using your own search term data.
Why negatives matter more than ever
Broad and phrase match keywords — and automated campaign types — match a wide range of queries. Without strong negatives, you pay for clicks from job seekers, DIYers and people looking for something you don't sell.
15 starter negative keyword themes
- Jobs and careers: jobs, careers, hiring, salary, internship, resume.
- Education: course, class, training, certification, tutorial, degree (unless you sell these).
- Free seekers: free, freebie, giveaway (careful — "free quote" may be valuable).
- DIY: how to, DIY, yourself, template (for done-for-you services).
- Research only: definition, meaning, what is, wiki.
- Competitors you don't want to bid on: add brand names deliberately.
- Wrong locations: cities or states you don't serve.
- Used / cheap: used, secondhand, cheapest, discount (for premium brands).
- Reviews and complaints: scam, complaint, lawsuit.
- Login and support: login, sign in, customer service, phone number of other brands.
- Downloads: download, PDF, crack, torrent.
- Images and media: images, pictures, clipart, wallpaper.
- Wholesale or retail mismatch: wholesale, bulk (or retail, for B2B sellers).
- Unrelated meanings: words that share your keyword but mean something else.
- Platforms you don't support: e.g. "Wix" if you only build on WordPress.
How to maintain negatives
- Review the search terms report weekly during the first months, then at least every two weeks.
- Use shared negative lists across campaigns for common themes.
- Add campaign-level negatives to stop internal competition between campaigns.
- Watch match types: a negative broad keyword blocks queries containing all its words, in any order.
Don't overdo it
Too many negatives can block valuable traffic. Check impression share and conversion volume after big additions.
FAQs
How many negative keywords should an account have?
There's no fixed number — mature accounts often have hundreds or thousands. What matters is that wasteful search terms are caught.
Do negatives work in Performance Max?
Performance Max supports account-level negative keywords and brand exclusions. Check current options in your account.
Can negatives hurt performance?
Yes, if they block relevant queries. Always review before adding broad negatives.
