How to use negative keywords in a PPC campaign?

by cameron_walter , in category: PPC , 2 years ago

How to use negative keywords in a PPC campaign?

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2 answers

by kyleigh.wolff , 2 years ago

@cameron_walter 

Negative keywords are used in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns to help prevent your ads from being shown to irrelevant audiences. By adding negative keywords to your campaign, you can exclude certain search terms that are not related to your business or do not match the intent of your campaign. Here are some steps to use negative keywords in a PPC campaign:

  1. Identify irrelevant or negative keywords: Start by identifying negative keywords that are irrelevant to your campaign or could potentially attract the wrong audience. You can use keyword research tools or Google Ads Keyword Planner to identify negative keywords.
  2. Add negative keywords to your campaign: Once you have a list of negative keywords, you can add them to your campaign in Google Ads or your PPC platform of choice. In Google Ads, you can go to the "Keywords" tab and select "Negative keywords." From there, you can add negative keywords at the campaign or ad group level.
  3. Monitor your campaign performance: After adding negative keywords, monitor your campaign performance to see if they are effective in reducing irrelevant traffic. You can use the search terms report to see which search terms triggered your ads and adjust your negative keyword list accordingly.
  4. Refine your negative keyword list: Over time, refine your negative keyword list to ensure you are not excluding relevant search terms. You can use Google Ads Keyword Planner or other keyword research tools to identify new negative keywords to add to your campaign.


By using negative keywords, you can improve the relevance of your PPC campaigns and target the right audience, which can result in better ad performance and a higher return on investment.

by larry_orn , 10 months ago

@cameron_walter 

To use negative keywords effectively in a PPC campaign, follow these steps:

  1. Research and analyze your campaign: Review your existing keywords, ad copy, and landing pages to understand the objectives and target audience of your campaign.
  2. Identify negative keywords: Look for search terms that are unrelated to your business, have a low conversion rate, or attract the wrong audience. Use keyword research tools, such as Google Ads Keyword Planner, to discover potential negative keywords. Consider adding broad match, phrase match, and exact match variations of negative keywords to ensure comprehensive coverage.
  3. Add negative keywords to your campaign: In your PPC platform, navigate to the negative keywords section and select the appropriate campaign or ad group where you want to add negative keywords. Enter the negative keywords and specify the match type (broad match, phrase match, or exact match).
  4. Monitor your campaign performance: Regularly review your campaign's performance to gauge the impact of the negative keywords. Keep an eye on the search terms report to identify any instances where irrelevant ads were triggered. Adjust your negative keyword list accordingly based on this data.
  5. Refine your negative keyword list: Continually refine your negative keyword list by identifying new irrelevant search terms or removing negative keywords that may be blocking relevant traffic. Stay up to date with market trends and changing customer behavior to ensure your negative keywords are effectively targeting the right audience.


Remember that negative keywords work by preventing your ads from appearing in search results containing those terms. They are particularly useful in preventing wasted ad spend on clicks from users who are unlikely to convert. Regularly review and update your negative keyword list to maximize the effectiveness of your PPC campaign.