How to Use Negative Keywords in Google Ads

Negative keywords are the secret weapon of any successful Google Ads campaign. By telling Google which searches you don't want to show up for, you stop wasting your hard-earned budget on irrelevant clicks and ensure your ads only reach people truly interested in your Australian small business.

Why Negative Keywords Matter

Imagine you run a high-end boutique furniture store in Brisbane. You might be bidding on the keyword "leather sofas." Without negative keywords, your ad could appear for searches like "cheap leather sofas," "free leather sofas," or "second hand leather sofas."

Every time someone looking for a bargain clicks your ad and leaves immediately because your prices are premium, you pay Google for that click. Negative keywords prevent this waste, improving your Click-Through Rate (CTR) and lowering your Cost Per Acquisition (CPA).

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Prerequisites

• An active Google Ads account.
• At least one active Search or Shopping campaign.
• Access to your Search Terms report (ideally with at least 7 days of data).

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Step 1: Access the Search Terms Report

The best way to find negative keywords is to see what people are actually typing into Google to find you.

• Log into your Google Ads account.
• In the left-hand menu, click on Campaigns, then select Insights and reports.
• Click on Search terms.

Step 2: Identify Irrelevant Traffic

Go through the list carefully. Look for words that indicate the user is looking for something you don't offer. Common culprits for Australian businesses include:

• Competitor names: Unless you have a specific strategy to target them.
• Location-based terms: If you only serve Brisbane, terms like "Sydney" or "Melbourne" should be excluded.
• Intent modifiers: "Free," "cheap," "jobs," "internship," "course," or "DIY."

Step 3: Select and Add Keywords Directly

If you find a specific term that is definitely not a match:

• Tick the box next to the search term.
• Click the Add as negative keyword button that appears in the blue bar at the top of the table.
• You will be prompted to add it to an Ad group, a Campaign, or a Negative keyword list.

Step 4: Understand Match Types for Negatives

This is where many business owners get tripped up. Negative match types work differently than positive ones:

• Negative Broad Match: Your ad won't show if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, even if they are in a different order. (e.g., negative leather sofa blocks sofa leather).
• Negative Phrase Match: Your ad won't show if the search contains the exact keyword phrase in the same order. (e.g., negative "leather sofa" blocks blue leather sofa but allows sofa made of leather).
• Negative Exact Match: Your ad won't show only if the search is the exact term, with no other words. (e.g., negative [leather sofa] only blocks that exact search).

Step 5: Create a Master Negative Keyword List

To save time, create a master list for "Standard Negatives" that apply to your whole account.

• Click Tools and Settings (the wrench icon) in the top menu.
• Under Shared Library, select Negative keyword lists.
• Click the blue plus (+) button.
• Name your list (e.g., "Standard Account Negatives") and paste your keywords (one per line).
• Click Save.

Step 6: Apply Your List to Campaigns

Creating the list doesn't activate it automatically.

• Click on the list name you just created.
• Click Apply to campaigns.
• Select all relevant campaigns and click Done.

Step 7: Research "Pre-emptive" Negatives

Don't wait to lose money before adding negatives. Think about common terms in your industry that don't apply.

• If you sell new cars, add used, second hand, wreckers.
• If you are a B2B consultant, add jobs, salary, resume, entry level.

Step 8: Use the Keyword Planner for Ideas

• Go to Tools and Settings > Planning > Keyword Planner.
• Type in your main keywords.
• Look at the suggestions Google provides. You will often find variations that are completely irrelevant—add these to your negative list immediately.

Step 9: Monitor Regularly

Negative keyword optimization isn't a "set and forget" task.

• Set a calendar reminder to check your Search Terms report once a week (for high-spend accounts) or once a month (for smaller budgets).
• Look for new trends. For example, a new competitor might enter the market, or a viral news story might cause a spike in irrelevant searches.

Step 10: Review for "Negative Conflicts"

Sometimes you might accidentally block a keyword that you are actually bidding on.

• Go to Recommendations in the left-hand menu.
• Look for an alert titled "Remove conflicting negative keywords."
• Google will show you if a negative keyword is preventing your ads from showing for a search term you actually want to target.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Over-optimising: Don't add so many negatives that you kill your traffic entirely. Start with the obvious "junk" terms.
• Ignoring Close Variations: Unlike positive keywords, negative keywords do not account for close variations (like plurals or misspellings). If you want to block "sofa" and "sofas," you must add both.
• Using Broad Match Negatives Unsafely: If you sell "Red Wine," and you add wine as a broad match negative, you will stop showing for everything. Be specific.

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Now that you've cleaned up your traffic, it's time to ensure your landing pages are converting those high-quality clicks. Check out our guide on Optimising Landing Pages for Australian Small Businesses.

If you'd like a professional audit of your Google Ads account to see where you might be wasting budget, the team at Local Marketing Group is here to help. Contact us today for a chat about your digital marketing strategy.