Why Negative Keywords are Extremely Important
🚫 What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads?
A simple guide to stop wasting money on ad clicks that don’t matter to your business.
💡 Let’s Start with the Basics
When you run Google Ads, your ad can show up for lots of different searches — some great, some totally random.
That’s where negative keywords come in.
They tell Google which searches not to show your ads for.
Think of them like your “no thanks” list — keeping your ads focused on the right people while blocking the wrong ones.
🧸 Example for a Local Store
Let’s say you run a Auto Detailing shop.
You want to show up when people search for things like:
✅ “auto detailing shop near me”
✅ “the closest auto detailing store”
But without negative keywords, Google might also show your ads for:
🚫 “auto window tinting nearby”
🚫 “house cleaning near me”
🚫 “how to start an auto detailing store”
Those clicks don’t bring you customers — they just waste money.
By adding “tinting,” “house” and “how to” as negative broad match keywords, you stop your ad from showing for those searches again.
💸 Why Negative Keywords Are So Important
Every time someone clicks your ad, you pay.
Even if they’re not your target customer.
Adding negative keywords helps you:
💰 Save money by blocking irrelevant clicks.
🎯 Reach real customers who are ready to buy.
📈 Improve ad performance since Google learns what’s relevant faster.
🧠 Keep your reports clean so you can see what’s actually working.
⚙️ How to Add Negative Keywords (Step-by-Step)
Option 1: Add Them Manually
Open your Google Ads account.
Click on your campaign or ad group.
Go to Keywords → Negative Keywords.
Click + Add and type in the words you want to exclude.
Save your changes.
Option 2: From Your Search Terms Report
Go to your Search Terms Report.
Check which phrases triggered your ads.
If you see something irrelevant — like “DIY” or “free” —
click the checkbox and choose Add as Negative Keyword.
💡 Pro Tip:
Add common words like “jobs,” “reviews,” or “cheap” as account-level negatives so they apply to all your ads under Tools -> Shared Library -> Exclusion List to apply negatives to all campaigns.
🧩 Common Negative Keywords for Small Businesses
For Local Stores (like Auto Detailing):
free
jobs
donate
wholesale
manufacturer
DIY
For Service Businesses:
salary
training
example
cheap
reviews
For E-Commerce:
template
definition
pdf
tutorial
💬 Tip: Always think, “Would someone searching this actually buy from me?”
If not — it’s probably a negative keyword.
🔁 Keep Checking Regularly
Negative keywords aren’t a one-time thing.
Search trends change, and new irrelevant searches pop up all the time.
Make it a habit to check your Search Terms Report every week or two. When you first launch, I recommend every day for the first week.
Each time you review it, add new irrelevant phrases as negatives and keep refining your targeting.
🌟 Real Example: How One Simple Fix Saved 40%
A Children’s Orchard location noticed a lot of ad spend going toward searches like “kids clothing jobs” and “Once Upon a Child employment.”
After adding “jobs” and “employment” as negative keywords, they cut wasted spend by 40% — and started reaching real shoppers instead.
✅ Quick Recap
Negative Keywords = Your Ad Filter
They help you:
Block irrelevant searches
Save money
Improve targeting
Get better-quality leads
Steps to follow:
Review your search terms.
Add irrelevant words as negatives.
Keep checking every week or two.
💬 Final Thought
Negative keywords may sound small, but they make a huge difference.
Even five minutes a week spent cleaning up your keywords can save you hundreds — and help your ads reach the right people faster.
Grow Smarter. Spend Wiser. Stand Out.
👉 Want help setting up your Google Ads the right way?
Book a free consultation with Bindi & Blazers Media — and let’s make every click count.
