What Is Negative Keyword?
Also written as negative keywords, negatives, negative KW.
Definition
A negative keyword is a word or phrase you tell Google never to match your ad against. If someone searches that term, your ad stays hidden and you keep the budget. For an ecommerce store on Google Ads, negatives stop spend on freebie hunts, job searches, and other queries that will not buy.
Written by Christopher Krassnig, Founder & CEO of ZenoX Media. Written by the ZenoX team from the accounts we run. Definitions are general; the numbers in examples are maths, not client results.
Negative Keyword, Explained
You get three match types. A broad negative blocks any search that contains all your words, in any order. A phrase negative blocks your words in that order, with extra words allowed around them. An exact negative blocks only that precise search. Negatives do not match plurals or close variants, so flower does not block flowers. Add each form on its own line.
The usual mistake is skipping the search terms report, or blocking a word so wide that real buyers disappear. Adding dress as a broad negative on a dress store will hide almost every useful search. Another mistake is putting converting brand terms on a non-brand campaign's negative list by accident.
Read the real queries. Block junk. Leave the buyer words alone. In most accounts you can add negatives on Performance Max as well as Search and Shopping. Check weekly, because new waste shows up every week. A short weekly pass is enough on most accounts.
How We Use It at ZenoX
We read search terms on the 200+ ecom accounts we run and add the junk as negatives. We start with feed-only Performance Max, then keep a shared junk list so the same waste does not leak back in. We do not block converting product words just to make the report look clean.
Questions People Ask About Negative Keyword
What Is a Negative Keyword in Google Ads?
It is a word you tell Google not to show your ad for. Add free or jobs as negatives and those searches skip your ad, so the budget stays with people who might buy. Negatives do not match plurals on their own, so add each form. You can use them on Search, Shopping, and in most accounts on Performance Max.
Can I Add Negative Keywords to Performance Max?
In most accounts, yes. You add them in the campaign, and you can also apply an account-level list. That is useful because Performance Max still spends on search queries you never picked. Read the search terms report, then block the junk. Do not block the product words that already convert.
Related terms
- Search Terms ReportThe search terms report is the list of actual queries people typed before they saw your ad.
- Brand Search CampaignA brand search campaign is a Search campaign that only bids on your shop's own name and close spellings.
- Performance MaxPerformance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that can show your products on Shopping, Search, YouTube, Display, Discover and more from one budget.
- Standard Shopping CampaignA Standard Shopping campaign is the older Google Ads campaign type that shows product ads from your Merchant Center feed on Google Shopping and Search.
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