Mistakes

Negative Keywords for Small Business Campaigns

Negative keywords stop ads from showing for searches that are unlikely to become good customers. They are one of the simplest ways to protect a limited budget.

Start with obvious exclusions

Common exclusions include free, cheap, jobs, salary, template, DIY, training, and unrelated product names. The right list depends on the business.

Review search terms often

Early campaigns should be reviewed frequently. Search term reports show how real users phrase their needs and where budget is leaking.

Avoid blocking useful intent

Negative keywords can also block good traffic if used carelessly. Add them with enough specificity to remove waste without hiding valuable searches.

Use match types carefully

A broad negative can block more traffic than expected. Phrase and exact negatives can be safer when the account is new because they remove specific poor searches without cutting off related high-intent searches.

Build lists by theme

Separate negatives into themes such as jobs, free resources, DIY searches, competitor confusion, irrelevant products, and unsupported locations. Organized lists are easier to review and less likely to create accidental coverage gaps.

Review before scaling

Before increasing budget, check whether the campaign is still spending on terms that cannot become customers. Cleaning search terms before scaling helps avoid multiplying the same waste.

Start with business rules

Negative keywords should reflect what the business cannot or does not want to sell. Unsupported services, low-value jobs, hiring searches, free resources, and out-of-area terms are common starting points.

Review negatives before major changes

Before launching new ad groups or broadening match types, review the negative keyword list. A list that was safe for one campaign may block useful searches in another campaign.

Document why a negative was added

When teams forget why a term was blocked, they may remove useful protections later. A simple note beside important negatives can prevent confusion during account cleanup.

Treat negatives as protection for a specific offer

Negative keywords are not a generic “bad traffic” list. They protect the budget from searches the business cannot or does not want to serve. Start with categories that are easy to verify: jobs and careers, training, DIY instructions, parts-only searches, free requests, competitor support requests, and locations outside the service area. Then compare every proposed negative against real search-term data before adding it.

An exclusion can block a valuable query if it is too broad. A roofing company might exclude “DIY” while retaining “roof repair estimate”; it should not automatically exclude “repair” because repair is an offered service. Keep a note describing the reason, match type, campaign, and date for each important negative.

Review search terms using lead outcomes

Do not optimise only on clicks or cost. Mark whether each meaningful query produced a serviceable enquiry, a qualified opportunity, or a sale where that information is available. A high-cost query may be worth keeping if it produces valuable jobs; a cheap query that repeatedly produces irrelevant calls deserves scrutiny.

Google’s keyword workflow includes choosing a match type when terms are added to Search campaigns. Review the current product guidance before changing match-type strategy: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7476658

A weekly workflow for a small account

1. Export or review search terms after there is enough spend to identify patterns.
2. Label each term: relevant, uncertain, irrelevant, or potentially valuable but missing a page.
3. Add a negative only when the reason is clear and documented.
4. Check that the new exclusion has not blocked a core service term.
5. Feed recurring customer language into ad copy or landing-page improvements.

The goal is not the longest negative-keyword list. It is a more intentional path from search to a service the business can deliver.