How to use negative keywords in PPC

Negative keywords are a powerful tool in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising that can help you target your ads more effectively and avoid wasting budget on irrelevant searches. By adding negative keywords to your ad group, you can ensure that your ads are only shown to users who are searching for relevant and targeted terms.

Benefits of Using Negative Keywords

1. Improved Relevance: By adding negative keywords, you can ensure that your ads are only shown to users who are searching for relevant and targeted terms. This can lead to higher click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall campaign performance.
2. Reduced Wasted Budget: Negative keywords can help you avoid wasting budget on irrelevant searches. By targeting only the most relevant searches, you can reduce the number of impressions and clicks on your ads, which can help you save money and increase your return on investment (ROI).
3. Increased Targeting: Negative keywords can help you target your ads more effectively by excluding irrelevant searches. This can help you reach a more targeted audience and increase the effectiveness of your campaigns.
4. Better Ad Placement: By targeting only the most relevant searches, you can improve the placement of your ads. This can help you increase your ad’s visibility and reach a more targeted audience.

Best Practices for Using Negative Keywords

1. Start with a Blank Slate: When starting a new campaign, it’s a good idea to start with a blank slate and add negative keywords as you go. This can help you avoid targeting irrelevant searches and improve the overall performance of your campaign.
2. Use Exact Match: When adding negative keywords, use the exact match option to ensure that the keyword is matched exactly. This can help you avoid matching irrelevant searches that contain similar words or phrases.
3. Use Broad Match: You can also use broad match to add negative keywords. This will match the keyword to any searches that contain the word or phrase, even if it’s not an exact match.
4. Use Phrase Match: Phrase match is another option for adding negative keywords. This will match the keyword to any searches that contain the exact phrase, but not necessarily in the exact order.
5. Test and Refine: Once you’ve added negative keywords, test your ad group’s performance and refine your negative keyword list as needed. You may need to add or remove negative keywords to optimize your ad group’s performance.
6. Use Negative Keywords in Ad Groups: Negative keywords should be used in ad groups, not at the campaign level. This can help you target your ads more effectively and improve the overall performance of your campaign.
7. Use Negative Keywords for Competitors: You can use negative keywords to exclude searches for your competitors. This can help you avoid targeting users who are searching for your competitor’s products or services.
8. Use Negative Keywords for Irrelevant Products: You can use negative keywords to exclude searches for irrelevant products or services. This can help you avoid targeting users who are searching for products or services that are not relevant to your business.

Examples of Negative Keywords

1. Irrelevant Products: If you’re selling shoes, you might add negative keywords like “clothing” or “apparel” to exclude searches for clothing or apparel that are not related to shoes.
2. Competitors: If you’re selling a specific product, you might add negative keywords like “competitor’s name” to exclude searches for your competitor’s products or services.
3. Broad or Generic Terms: If you’re selling a specific product, you might add negative keywords like “generic term” to exclude searches for broad or generic terms that are not relevant to your business.
4. Words or Phrases: You can also use negative keywords to exclude words or phrases that are not relevant to your business. For example, if you’re selling a specific type of software, you might add negative keywords like “free” or “trial” to exclude searches for free trials or free software.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not Using Negative Keywords: One of the most common mistakes is not using negative keywords at all. This can lead to wasted budget and irrelevant searches.
2. Using Too Few Negative Keywords: Using too few negative keywords can lead to irrelevant searches and wasted budget.
3. Not Testing and Refining: Not testing and refining your negative keyword list can lead to suboptimal performance and wasted budget.
4. Using Negative Keywords at the Campaign Level: Using negative keywords at the campaign level can lead to broad exclusions and wasted budget.
5. Not Using Exact Match: Not using exact match can lead to irrelevant searches and wasted budget.

Advanced Negative Keyword Strategies

1. Using Negative Keywords for Location-Based Searches: You can use negative keywords to exclude location-based searches that are not relevant to your business. For example, if you’re a local business, you might add negative keywords like “national” or “international” to exclude searches for national or international locations.
2. Using Negative Keywords for Device-Based Searches: You can use negative keywords to exclude device-based searches that are not relevant to your business. For example, if you’re a mobile app developer, you might add negative keywords like “desktop” or “laptop” to exclude searches for desktop or laptop devices.
3. Using Negative Keywords for Time-Based Searches: You can use negative keywords to exclude time-based searches that are not relevant to your business. For example, if you’re a business that operates during specific hours, you might add negative keywords like “24/7” or “weekends” to exclude searches for 24/7 or weekend services.

Conclusion

Negative keywords are a powerful tool in PPC advertising that can help you target your ads more effectively and avoid wasting budget on irrelevant searches. By following the best practices outlined in this guide, you can improve the relevance of your ads, reduce wasted budget, and increase the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns. Remember to start with a blank slate, use exact match, test and refine, and avoid common mistakes to get the most out of your negative keywords.