One of the most common mistakes of people advertising on Google is paying for clicks from people who will never buy. This happens because Google shows the ad for searches similar to your keywords, and not all of them are relevant. The solution is called negative keywords.
What negative keywords are
They are terms that tell Google: “don’t show my ad when the search contains this word”. If you sell website design and add “course” as a negative, the ad won’t appear for people searching “website design course”.
Why they are so important
- Savings: fewer wasted clicks.
- Better conversion rate: more clicks from people who really want to hire.
- Lower cost per lead: the budget goes to the right searches.
- Cleaner data: it is easier to understand what works.
Common examples of negatives
- Job searches: job, jobs, hiring, salary, careers, resume.
- Learning searches: course, handout, how to, tutorial, college.
- Free searches: free, for free, no cost (when you don’t offer anything free).
- Other locations: cities you don’t serve.
- Services you don’t provide: for example, “repair” for a business that only sells.
- Competitors or brands that make no sense for your ad.
Every business has its own. A negative keyword for one company may be essential for another.
How to find the right negatives
- Before launching: build an initial list with clearly irrelevant terms.
- After launching: open the search terms report, which shows exactly what people typed before clicking.
- Review often: in the first weeks, ideally several times a week.
- Add irrelevant terms as negatives.
Negative keyword match types
- Broad: blocks searches that contain all the words of the term, in any order.
- Phrase: blocks searches that contain the exact expression, in the same order.
- Exact: blocks only that exact search.
Choosing the right type avoids blocking good searches by mistake.
Where to apply them
- At the campaign level: applies to all of its ad groups.
- At the ad group level: useful to separate topics within the same campaign.
- In shared lists: one list applied to several campaigns, great for terms like “job” and “free”.
Precautions
- Don’t overdo it: too many negatives can keep the ad from showing for good searches.
- Be careful not to add a negative that is also part of your main keywords.
- Review the list from time to time.
Part of continuous optimization
Negative keywords are just one of the weekly optimization tasks of a campaign, along with adjustments to bids, ads, schedules and regions. That constant monitoring is what turns budget into clients.
A starter list of negatives
Adapt this list to your business before using it:
- Jobs: job, jobs, work, salary, hiring, resume, internship.
- Education: course, courses, class, handout, college, how to, tutorial, pdf.
- Free: free, for free, no cost.
- Used items: used, second-hand, refurbished (if you only sell new).
- Informational searches: what is, meaning, history (when the campaign is for sales).
Careful: if you sell courses, “course” is a keyword, not a negative. Always review in your own context.
Practical example
A solar energy company advertised for “solar energy”. In the search terms report, searches appeared such as “solar energy course”, “solar installer job” and “how solar energy works”. By adding “course”, “job” and “how … works” as negatives, the campaign started showing ads mainly to people who wanted a quote, and the cost per lead dropped.
A weekly optimization routine
- Open the search terms report.
- Mark irrelevant terms and add them as negatives.
- Identify good terms that are not keywords yet and add them.
- Check that no negative is blocking important searches.
- Write down the changes to compare results the following week.
Conclusion
Negative keywords are one of the simplest and most effective ways to save on Google Ads. Start with a basic list, review search terms often and adjust according to real search behavior. Every irrelevant click avoided is budget left for people who really want to hire you.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I review the search terms?
In the first weeks of a campaign, several times a week. After that, at least weekly.
Do negative keywords reduce reach?
They reduce reach for irrelevant searches, which is good. The care to take is not to block searches that could bring clients.
Does Evollue’s management include negative keywords?
Yes. Reviewing search terms and adding negatives is part of the weekly optimization.
