Why Negative Keywords Matter in Google Ads & How to Use Them

The same as you choose keywords to bid on, you can select negative keywords to your account, campaign, or advert group. You can select them as broad, phrase, or exact. 

Negative Keyword Matches

There are three negative keyword types to focus on, including:

• Broad match – these are keywords matched to multiple variations of a phrase
• Phrase match – matches the exact phase of your negative keyword
• Exact match – these are exact matches you add to your Google Ads account without taking extra words into consideration

Why Negative Keywords Matter

Negative keywords are important to a successful Google Ads campaign. They offer excellent benefits, including:

• Improves Click Through Rate (CTR) – with your ads only showing to qualified audiences, you increase the percentage of users clicking on your advert 
• Ad Groups – when you identify what keywords are not working, you can improve the relevance within your ad groups
• Reduce spending – avoid paying for useless and unqualified clicks, saving you money and maximising your return on investment
• Improves Conversions – With negative keywords in place, your adverts are shown to users that are more likely to convert

How to Use Negative Keywords

In order to use negative keyword effectively, you will want to add broad and phrase match keywords to your account.

Head to the “keywords” tab in your Google Ads account, you can select account, campaign, or group level. Here you can see what keywords you are bidding on, but not what is triggering them. 

Click on “search terms,” located within the same menu. This will show you some columns you don't see on the “keyword” screen. This includes search term, match type, added / excluded:

• Search term – the query entered into Google by the user that triggered the keyword you bid on
• Match type – how the query and your keywords matched up
• Added / Excluded – your action on whether you have added the keyword to your account as a negative keyword

You can select the keyword and click on “add as a negative keyword,” it's really that easy. You will be asked a level and the match type. Hit the save button and your campaign is adjusted in real time.

Conclusion

Effectively managing your negative keywords in Google Ads can improve your campaign success, increasing your return on investment. Avoid wasted spending by selecting keywords you want to exclude from your campaign, ensuring you only receive qualified clicks from users who are more likely to convert. Do you need help with your Google Ads campaign? Get in touch with Genie Crawl today. We are rated a Number 1 Google Ads and SEO agency. Contact us now for a free evaluation and quote.