What’s The Best Strategy For Negative Keywords In Google Ads?

Are you struggling to determine the best strategy for negative keywords in your Google Ads campaigns? It’s a common question that many advertisers have, and the answer isn’t always straightforward. In this blog post, we’ll explore the different strategies for adding negative keywords and help you decide which approach is best for your campaign.

Firstly, it’s essential to understand the difference between exact match and phrase match negatives. Exact match negatives exclude only the exact keyword or phrase, while phrase match negatives exclude any search term that contains the keyword or phrase.

When it comes to adding negative keywords, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best strategy depends on your campaign goals, target audience, and the type of keywords you want to exclude.

If you’re adding exact match negatives, you’re excluding only the exact search terms that you’ve specified. However, it’s important to note that Google may still show your ads on similar search terms that are not exact matches but are semantically similar. This could result in unwanted clicks and wasted ad spend.

On the other hand, phrase match negatives are more inclusive and exclude any search terms that contain the specified phrase or keyword. For example, if you add “free” as a phrase match negative keyword, any search term containing the word “free” will be excluded. This is useful if you want to exclude a broader range of search terms and avoid any potential negative associations with your brand or product.

Which Strategy Is Best For Your Campaign?

So, which strategy is best for your campaign? It depends on your specific needs and goals. If you’re targeting a specific audience and want to ensure that your ads only show for exact matches, then using exact match negatives is the way to go. If you’re looking to exclude a broader range of search terms and avoid any negative associations, then phrase match negatives are the better option.

It’s also important to consider the level at which you’re adding the negative keywords. If you have multiple ad groups, campaigns, or even accounts, you’ll need to decide where to add the negative keywords. Adding them at the ad group level allows you to be more specific and exclude only the search terms that are irrelevant to that particular ad group. Adding them at the campaign or account level ensures that those search terms are excluded across all ad groups and campaigns within that account.

In conclusion, the best strategy for negative keywords in Google Ads depends on your campaign goals, target audience, and the type of keywords you want to exclude. Whether you choose to use exact match or phrase match negatives, make sure to consider the level at which you’re adding them to ensure that you’re excluding the right search terms and achieving the desired results.

Written by Uzair Kharawala

Founder of SF Digital Studios, a Google Premier Partner agency. Uzair has been helping businesses grow with Google Ads since 2002 and teaches it every week on YouTube.