Stop Wasting Ad Spend With 10 Negative Keywords

Intro: Why your ads get clicks that never turn into customers

If you’re paying for clicks from people who want free stuff, jobs, tutorials, or to log in, you’re training Google to spend your money on the wrong traffic. Negative keywords are the simple filter that blocks bad intent so more of your budget reaches buyers. In this guide, you’ll get 10 starter negatives, where to add them, and a 5 minute weekly habit that keeps waste down.

What are negative keywords and why they matter

Negative keywords tell Google which searches you do not want. Example: if you sell software, you should block searches like “software jobs” and “software tutorial” so your ads don’t show up for those.

What you get when you add them:

• Less junk traffic and a lower cost per qualified lead
• Cleaner data for automated bidding
• Better search terms over time because the system learns what to avoid

Where they help:

• Search campaigns: highest impact
• Shopping: use them to block research or wrong product intent
• Performance Max: use account level negatives and brand exclusions where available; keep brand and non brand reporting clean by separating campaigns

The starter 10 you should add right now

Copy and paste this list, then add variations that fit your niche.

Core 10:

• free
• job
• jobs
• career
• hiring
• DIY
• how to
• tutorial
• login
• salary

Useful add ons if they show up in your account:

• course, certification, training
• cheap, discount, coupon
• review, reviews, reddit
• definition, meaning

Tip: only block “review” or “reviews” if you do not want that traffic. Some funnels use review intent to convert with strong social proof.

Where to add them so all campaigns benefit

Create one reusable list at the account level, then apply it everywhere it makes sense. This saves you from re typing negatives in each campaign.

Step by step:

1. In Google Ads, click Tools and Settings in the top bar.
2. Under Shared Library, choose Negative keyword lists.
3. Click the blue plus button.
4. Name it something clear like Account Wide Negatives.
5. Paste the 10 core terms. Click Save.
6. Click into the list, choose Apply to campaigns, and select all relevant Search and Shopping campaigns.
7. For Performance Max, use account level negatives and brand exclusions where your account has access. If you run a separate branded Search campaign, exclude your brand in PMax to keep brand clicks cheap in Search.

When to add at campaign or ad group level:

• Campaign level: block broad themes that no ad in the campaign should match
• Ad group level: block terms that clash with one product or service but not others

How to mine your Search terms report in 5 minutes

• Open Google Ads and go to Keywords → Search terms. Set date to Last 30 days.
• Sort by Cost or Clicks to surface the biggest leaks first.
• Scan for intent words that don’t buy: free, jobs, career, hiring, DIY, how to, tutorial, login, salary, course, certification, cheap, discount, coupon, reddit, definition, meaning.
• Tick the irrelevant rows, click Add as negative keyword, choose Campaign (or Ad group if the term only conflicts with one ad group), and Save.
• Repeat weekly. If you run lead-gen without tracked conversions yet, use Avg. session duration in GA4 and Bounce rate as a sanity check for bad terms.

Local, lead-gen, and ecommerce tweaks

Local services

• Service area only Cover one city Block neighboring cities and counties you cannot serve.
• Emergency vs research If you only want urgent jobs, consider blocking “how to”, “DIY”, “training”, “course”, and “salary”. Keep “near me” if you serve walk-ins or on-site work.

B2B lead gen

• Student traffic Block “training”, “course”, “certification”, “salary”, “resume”, “internship”.
• Definitions Block “definition”, “meaning”, “what is [term]” if you only want buyers, not researchers.
• Job seekers Block “jobs”, “career”, “hiring”.

Ecommerce

• Wrong product intent Block “manual”, “diagram”, “parts”, “used”, “compatible with [other brand]” if you do not sell those.
• Price hunters Decide on “cheap”, “discount”, “coupon”. Keep them only if you run promo landing pages built for that traffic.
• Sizes and models If you do not stock certain sizes/models, add them as negatives to the affected ad groups.

Match types for negatives (what to use and when)

• Negative broad (default): blocks queries containing all words in any order. Safe for single words like free, jobs, login.
• Negative phrase: blocks queries containing the words in that order. Use for multi-word intent like "how to" or "do it yourself".
• Negative exact: blocks only that exact query. Use sparingly for precise one-offs you never want again.

Safe defaults

• Single word junk terms → negative broad.
• Multi-word intent phrases → negative phrase.
• Edge cases you misfired on once → negative exact.

Avoid over-blocking

• Don’t add your core product words as negatives just because one phrase was bad. Tighten with phrase or exact instead of broad if you saw collateral damage.

A simple weekly routine that keeps waste down

• Monday (5 minutes): Search terms sweep. Add 3 to 10 obvious negatives.
• Wednesday (2 minutes): Re-apply your Account-Wide Negatives list to any new campaigns.
• Friday (5 minutes): Check two numbers by campaign: conversion rate and cost per qualified lead. If volume dipped too far after new negatives, remove the most aggressive ones or move them from campaign level to ad-group level.

How to know it worked in 2 weeks

• Fewer junk queries in Search terms.
• Conversion rate up or flat while cost per lead down.
• More budget available for the queries that actually convert.

If things still feel off after tightening negatives, run a deeper triage with this step-by-step teardown: Why Your Google Ads Might Not Be Working (Expanded Audit Guide).

Brand protection without cannibalizing

If competitors bid on your name, keep brand search cheap and clean.

How to set it up

• Create a separate Brand Search campaign with exact match [your brand] and [your brand + service].
• Add your brand as a negative in all non brand Search campaigns.
• In Performance Max, use brand exclusions if available. If not, keep Brand Search running and watch overlaps in Search terms.

Why this helps

• Your reporting stays honest.
• Branded clicks stay cheap in Search instead of getting soaked up by PMax.
• Competitors have a harder time poaching ready buyers.

Quick ad copy for brand terms

• Headline: [Your Brand]
• Headline: Book Today or See Pricing
• Description: Get a written price and timeline in one business day.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Over blocking with broad negatives. If performance drops fast, move heavy negatives to phrase or exact, or apply at the ad group level only.
• Blocking customer language. Words like “pricing” or “cost” are usually buying intent. Do not negative them out.
• Forgetting to apply the shared list to new campaigns. Reapply the account list every time you launch.
• Treating PMax like Search. You cannot manage exact negatives inside PMax the same way. Use account level negatives, brand exclusions, and a strong Brand Search campaign to keep lines clear.
• Never revisiting the list. Markets change. Review once a month and prune anything that is killing useful volume.

Wrap up and next step

Add the 10 core negatives, build an account wide list, and spend five minutes each week mining Search terms. Protect your brand with a separate Search campaign and keep non brand clean. In two weeks you should see fewer junk queries, steadier conversion rate, and a lower cost per qualified lead.