Up to 50% of your Google Ads budget can be wasted on irrelevant clicks from people who will never buy from you. Negative keywords stop this waste. Here’s exactly how to find and add them.

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Introduction: What Are Negative Keywords?

Negative keywords are search terms you tell Google NOT to show your ads for. They prevent your ads from appearing on irrelevant searches, saving your budget for clicks that actually convert.

Without negative keywords (wasted spend):
Your ad for “luxury leather bags” might show when someone searches for “free leather bag patterns” or “cheap fake leather bag.”

With negative keywords (saved budget):
Add “free,” “cheap,” “fake,” and “patterns” as negative keywords. Your ad never appears for those searches.

Businesses save an average of 30-50% of their Google Ads budget simply by adding negative keywords. Yet most advertisers never set them up.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to use negative keywords in Google Ads — where to find them, how to add them, and which ones to add first.

Want our team to manage your negative keyword strategy? Rafirit Station’s Google Ads specialists audit ad accounts weekly and build negative keyword lists that save 30-50% of wasted spend. Get a free Google Ads audit today.

Types of Negative Keyword Match Types

Just like regular keywords, negative keywords have match types. Google’s documentation explains each type:

Match Type Symbol Example What It Blocks
Negative Broad Match (none) free Any search containing “free” anywhere (cheap free, free trial, free shipping, free delivery)
Negative Phrase Match ” “ “free shipping” Exact phrase “free shipping” in that order (cheap free shipping is blocked, but “free delivery” is NOT)
Negative Exact Match [ ] [free] Exactly “free” alone (not “free trial”)

Recommendation: Start with Negative Broad Match for common waste words (free, cheap, job, career, how to). Use Negative Phrase Match for specific phrases (“free trial,” “how to install”). Negative Exact Match is rarely needed.

Where to Find Negative Keywords (3 Primary Sources)

1. Search Terms Report (Your #1 Source)

The Search Terms Report shows exactly what people searched for before clicking your ad.

How to access: Google Ads → Campaigns → Keywords → Search Terms. Then filter to remove converted search terms (important to keep converting keywords).

What to look for:

  • Irrelevant searches (completely wrong intent)
  • Low-intent modifiers (“free trial,” “how to,” “cheap,” “used”)
  • Searches for products you don’t sell
  • Competitor brand names (not allowed as negative keywords — but you can often block)
  • Geographic locations you don’t serve

How often to check: Weekly for high-volume campaigns, monthly for small campaigns.

2. Negative Keyword Research Tools

You don’t have to wait for irrelevant clicks to happen. Add negatives proactively using:

3. Competitor Research

Search your keywords on Google (in incognito mode). What irrelevant results appear? Add those as negatives. Also review competitors’ negative keyword strategies via auction insights and seeing what they don’t show for.

Negative Keyword Lists by Industry (Copy-Paste Ready)

These are universal negative keywords that apply to most businesses. Wordstream’s master list has hundreds more.

Universal Negative Keywords (Almost Every Business):

Cost-related: free, cheap, inexpensive, low cost, budget, discount, coupon, promo code, bargain, deal, clearance, sale

Intent-related: how to, tutorial, guide, learn, training, course, DIY (do it yourself), instructions

Job-related: job, work, career, employment, hiring, salary, freelance, remote

Location-related (outside service area): international, global, USA, UK, Canada, Australia (unless you serve these markets)

Question words: what is, how do, why does, where to find

File types: PDF, doc, xls, PPT, filetype:pdf, download

Temporary modifiers: used, rental, second hand, refurbished, pre-owned, old

Industry Specific Examples:

Industry Negative Keywords to Add
Ecommerce free trial, sample, wholesale, bulk, quantity, Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Etsy, Alibaba, AliExpress
SEO Agency course, certificate, certification, training, internship, entry level, graduate, student, Fiverr, Upwork, freelancer
Law Firm pro bono, free legal advice, legal aid, scholarship, student, paralegal, intern
Restaurant recipe, how to cook, catering, wholesale, supplier, distributor, franchise opportunity
Software/SaaS free download, crack, license key, serial number, torrent, open source, GitHub

How to Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads (Step by Step)

Method 1: Add at Campaign Level (Most Common)

  1. Sign in to Google Ads
  2. Click “Campaigns” → select your campaign
  3. Click “Keywords” → “Negative keywords”
  4. Click the blue “+” button → “Add negative keywords”
  5. Choose “Add to campaign” or “Add to ad group”
  6. Enter your negative keywords (one per line)
  7. Click “Save”

Method 2: Add at Account Level (Global Negative Keyword List)

For negatives that apply to ALL campaigns (universal waste words like “free,” “cheap,” “job,” “tutorial”), create an account-level negative keyword list.

  1. In Google Ads, click “Tools & Settings” (wrench icon) → “Shared library” → “Negative keyword lists”
  2. Click “+” to create a new list → Name it “Universal Negative Keywords”
  3. Add all universal negative keywords
  4. Click “Save” → then “Apply to campaigns” → Select all campaigns → Apply

Google’s official negative keyword library guide walks through both methods with screenshots.

Pro tip: Use negative keyword lists for recurring waste words. Update ONE list, and it applies to ALL campaigns automatically.

Negative Keyword Best Practices (Do’s and Don’ts)

✅ DO:

  • Start broad, then narrow: Add “free” as broad negative first. If it blocks legitimate searches (rarely), adjust to phrase or exact match.
  • Review Search Terms Report weekly: New irrelevant searches appear as Google expands match types.
  • Add negatives BEFORE launching campaigns: Especially for phrase and broad match campaigns.
  • Use negative keyword lists for consistency: Apply universal negatives across all campaigns from day one.
  • Test before adding aggressively: Make sure you’re not blocking converting keywords.
  • Export your negative keyword list monthly: Back up in case of account issues.

❌ DON’T:

  • Don’t add competitor brand names as negatives: This can violate Google’s trademark policy if done maliciously. Instead, monitor them. If irrelevant, add — but be cautious.
  • Don’t over-block: Adding “digital” as a negative for a digital marketing agency would block everything. Think carefully.
  • Don’t add negatives without checking Search Terms Report: You might block converting searches you didn’t know existed.
  • Don’t ignore match types: Adding “free” as exact match [free] won’t block “free trial.” Use broad match for universal waste words.
  • Don’t add negatives at ad group level unless necessary: Campaign-level is easier to manage. Only use ad group level for unique negatives.

Real Example: How Negative Keywords Saved 40% on Ad Spend

Client: Dhaka-based SEO agency running Google Search ads for “SEO services Dhaka” and related keywords.

Before negative keywords:

  • Monthly ad spend: ৳2,00,000
  • Cost per conversion: ৳12,500
  • Wasted spend: ~40% (estimated from Search Terms Report audit)

Irrelevant searches found in Search Terms Report:

  • “SEO course Dhaka” (11 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “course” as negative
  • “free SEO tools” (23 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “free” as negative
  • “SEO jobs in Dhaka” (9 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “job” as negative
  • “how to do SEO myself” (14 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “how to” as negative phrase
  • “Fiverr SEO” (8 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “Fiverr” as negative
  • “SEO certificate online” (12 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “certificate” as negative
  • “SEO freelance” (17 clicks, 0 conversions) → add “freelance” as negative

Results after implementing negatives:

  • Monthly ad spend: ৳2,00,000 → ৳1,20,000 (saved ৳80,000)
  • Cost per conversion: ৳12,500 → ৳9,800 (down 21%)
  • Conversion rate: 3.2% → 4.1% (eliminated irrelevant clicks)
  • ROAS: 2.8x → 3.6x

Annual savings: ৳9,60,000 in wasted spend eliminated.

Want Rafirit Station to audit your Google Ads account for negative keyword opportunities? Our PPC specialists will analyze your Search Terms Report and build a custom negative keyword list. Book a free Google Ads audit today — we’ll show you where you’re leaking money.

Advanced Negative Keyword Strategies

Use Negative Keyword Lists for Shopping Campaigns

Google Shopping doesn’t use keywords you choose — it uses your product feed. But you CAN add negative keywords to Shopping campaigns. Essential for blocking searches for products you don’t carry (“used iPhone 14” when you sell new only).

Apply Negatives to Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max campaigns now support negative keywords (previously didn’t). Check and add them — PMax can show on irrelevant searches without them.

Use Negative Keyword Mining with Scripts

For large accounts (100+ keywords), Google Ads scripts can automatically find and add negative keywords based on performance thresholds.

Example script condition: If any search term has >10 clicks with zero conversions and <1% CTR, automatically add as negative keyword. Requires some technical knowledge.

Combine Negatives with Audience Targeting

Layer negative keywords with audience targeting (observation mode). See which audiences trigger irrelevant searches most often. Double down negatives there.

Need advanced negative keyword management? Rafirit Station’s full-service Google Ads management includes weekly Search Term Report analysis, automated negative keyword scripts, and custom negative keyword lists for each campaign. Get a free PPC audit.

Common Negative Keyword Mistakes (Avoid These)

  • Adding negatives without reviewing Search Terms Report: You might block profitable keywords. Always check conversion data first.
  • Using only exact match negatives: [free] won’t block “free trial” or “free shipping.” Use broad match for universal waste words.
  • Neglecting Shopping campaigns: Shopping campaigns also need negatives (especially for irrelevant product searches).
  • Never updating your list: New irrelevant searches appear every week as Google expands match types. Review weekly.
  • Adding negatives at ad group level unnecessarily: Campaign-level is easier to manage. Only use ad group level for unique cases.
  • Forgetting to export your list: If your Google Ads account gets disabled or you switch managers, you’ll lose your negative keyword history. Back it up monthly.

Negative Keyword Template (Copy-Paste to Start)

# Universal Negatives (Add to account-level list)
free
cheap
discount
coupon
promo code
bargain
deal
clearance
sale
how to
tutorial
guide
learn
training
course
DIY
job
work
career
employment
hiring
salary
freelance
PDF
download
dummy
test
demo
used
rental
second hand
refurbished
pre-owned
old

# Location Negatives (if you don't serve these markets)
USA
UK
Canada
Australia
India
Pakistan

# Intent Negatives (adjust based on your industry)
"free trial"
"no obligation"
"money back guarantee"
"free shipping"
"free delivery"
"cheap services"
"low cost"

Frequently Asked Questions

How many negative keywords should I have?

For a medium-sized account (10-50 campaigns), 500-5,000 negative keywords is normal. There’s no maximum. Add any irrelevant search term you find. Quality over quantity — one broad negative can block thousands of irrelevant searches.

Can negative keywords block my own brand searches?

Unlikely unless you add your brand name as a negative keyword (don’t do this). But adding “free” or “cheap” could block your brand searches if… “free” is in your brand name. Test before adding broadly.

Do negative keywords affect Quality Score?

Indirectly — yes. By eliminating irrelevant clicks, your CTR, conversion rate, and relevance all improve. This increases Quality Score, lowering your cost per click and improving ad rank.

Can I use negative keywords with Broad Match?

Absolutely required. Broad match is dangerous without extensive negative keyword lists. Never run broad match campaigns without first building a comprehensive negative keyword library.

How often should I update negative keywords?

Weekly review for campaigns spending ৳1,00,000+/month. Monthly for smaller accounts. After major campaign expansions (new keywords, new match types), review daily for first week.

Final Thoughts

Negative keywords are not optional — they’re essential. Every Google Ads account without comprehensive negative keywords is bleeding budget. Up to 50% of clicks may be irrelevant.

Your next step (today):

  1. Sign in to Google Ads
  2. Go to Campaigns → Keywords → Search Terms
  3. Filter by “Conversions = 0” and “Clicks > 5”
  4. Review each irrelevant search term
  5. Add them as negative keywords
  6. Export your current list for backup
  7. Create an account-level universal negative list

Don’t have time to manage negative keywords yourself? Rafirit Station’s Google Ads team does this weekly — finding wasted spend and adding negatives before you lose money.

👉 Get a free Google Ads audit →
👉 See our PPC management packages →
👉 Combine Google Ads with SEO and Social →
👉 Track your ad spend with proper analytics →
👉 Book a free strategy call →

Every taka you save on wasted clicks is extra profit. Start saving today.

Want a free Negative Keyword Template + Search Terms Tracker? Drop “NEGATIVE” in the comments — I’ll send you a Google Sheets template with pre-built negative keyword lists by industry and a Search Terms Report tracker.