How to Find Negative Keywords for Your Google Ads Campaigns

Ready to cut the fat from your Google Ads campaigns? Let's talk about finding and excluding these wasteful keywords. Negative keywords are essentially your campaign's hidden weapon. They assist you in avoiding unnecessary clicks and saving your valuable ad budget for the queries that actually matter. Negative keywords help filter out terms that don’t match your business, so you can focus on getting in front of the right audience. This quick and easy guide will show you how to find and add negative keywords to your Google Ads campaigns!

How to Find Negative Keywords for Your Google Ads Campaigns:

Step 1: Access Search Terms Report

• Login to your Google Ads account

• Navigate to the Search Terms report, under the Insights and report dropdown (left-hand-side-menu)
  

Choose the right timeframe:

• Large accounts: Last 2 weeks

• Small accounts: Last 3 months

Step 2: Filter Search Terms that are not added as keywords or already excluded

1. Click on "Add filter"

2. Under Attributes, select "Added/Excluded"

3. Select "None" to show only unused search terms

   
   
   
   

Step 3: Find Non-Converting Terms

1. Click on "Add filter"

2. Select "All conv. < 0.5

   ➡️ The above filter will only show you search terms with 0 conversions
   

Step 4: Sort by Impression Volume

1. Click on the "Impressions" column header to sort results from the highest to lowest impressions ➡️ This will help you to identify the most wasteful search terms
   

Step 5: Identify Zero-Click Terms

1. Click on "Add filter"

2. Apply filter: "Clicks = 0"

   ➡️ This will help you to identify completely irrelevant search terms with a high number of impressions, 0 clicks and 0 conversions

   
   

⛔ Exclude Search terms with a high number of impressions, 0 clicks and 0 conversions

1. Select all wasterful search terms with the above conversions

2. Click on "Add as negative keyword"

3. You can exclude these terms at the: > Ad-group level > Campaign level > From the entire account or a selected campaigns via a Negative keyword list

Step 6: Identify non-performing Foreign Language Terms

1. Click the Search terms column to sort search terms alphabetically from Z to A

2. Identify non-English queries and exclude them as needed

✅ Negative Keywords Best Practices

• Use exact match for negative keywords when possible

• Apply negatives at the right level:

  • Campaign level

  • Ad group level

  • Negative keyword list

• Keep track of your negative keywords

• Review your Search terms report on a weekly and add negative keywords as needed

Frequently Asked Questions on Finding and Adding Negative Keywords for Google Ads Campaigns

How can I find negative keywords without historical data?

You can use Google Ads Keyword Planner:

1. Go to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner

2. Enter your primary keywords

3. Set your target location

4. Review suggested keywords

5. Identify irrelevant terms for exclusion

   
   

Pro Tip: While this method works, it's best to:

• Wait 2 weeks for most campaigns before making major decisions

• Consider reviewing after 1 week for high-budget campaigns ($200+/day)

• Remember: More budget = More data = Earlier optimization

How often should I review my negative keywords?

Frequency depends on campaign maturity:

For New Campaigns:

• Review weekly

• Focus on quick refinements

• Monitor carefully for irrelevant terms

For Established Campaigns:

• Review monthly or bi-monthly

• Stay current with search trends

• Maintain regular optimization

How many negative keywords should I add?

There's no fixed number, but consider:

• Add all relevant exclusions

• Start with a core list

• Expand based on:

  • Campaign performance

  • Search term analysis

  • Industry relevance

Can negative keywords improve my Quality Score?

Answer: Yes, through several mechanisms:

• Higher click-through rates

• Better ad relevance

• Improved landing page experience

• More targeted ad appearances

• Better predicted CTR

What are common mistakes to avoid with negative keywords?

1. Add Negative Keywords in Broad Match

   • This may cause blocking relevant traffic

   • It will also limit your campaigns' impressions

2. Never or rarely reviewing your Search terms report

   • Skipping regular reviews will allow wasteful search terms to pile up

   • Eventually, this will lead into lower CTR and higher CPA

3. Overlapping negative keywords

   • Avoid adding negative keywords which overlap with your existing keywords