The £500 in this headline is not a typical saving or a guaranteed result. It is a reminder to check the account’s own figures: identify spend on irrelevant searches, then decide whether excluding those queries is appropriate. Negative keywords can control targeting, but adding them without checking intent can block potential customers too.
How negative keywords work in Google Ads
A negative keyword tells Google Ads not to show an ad when a search includes a term or phrase that meets the selected negative match type. For example, a business selling paid professional training may want to exclude searches for “free course” if those searches consistently indicate people looking for a no-cost alternative.
Negative keywords can be added to individual campaigns or ad groups. Google also offers shared negative keyword lists that can be applied to multiple campaigns, and account-level negative keywords for exclusions across relevant campaign inventory. Google’s guide to negative keywords explains the available options.
Negative match types work differently from positive keyword match types:
- Broad negative: blocks a search when it contains all the negative keyword’s terms, in any order.
- Phrase negative: blocks a search when the terms appear in the same order, even if the search includes additional words.
- Exact negative: blocks the specific search phrase without additional words.
Negative keywords do not automatically cover close variants in the same way as positive keywords. Check for relevant singulars, plurals and synonyms separately. Take care with broad negatives: excluding a general word may block valuable searches that contain it alongside buying intent.
Common sources of wasted ad spend
The Search terms report can reveal searches that triggered ads. It is a useful starting point, but Google says it shows searches used by a significant number of people, not necessarily every search. Use the report alongside conversion and cost data, rather than treating a single click as proof that a term should be excluded. See Google’s guide to the Search terms report.
Common categories worth reviewing include:
- Jobs and careers: “jobs”, “careers”, “vacancies” and “salary” may be irrelevant to a business seeking customers. They may be valuable, however, to a recruiter or training provider.
- Courses and training: searches for “course”, “training” or “qualification” can indicate research or education intent rather than a purchase. Check the actual query and offering before excluding.
- Free and cheap: “free” may be poor fit for a premium product, but can be relevant for a free consultation, sample or estimate. “Cheap” and “budget” also need context.
- How-to and DIY: terms such as “how to”, “tutorial”, “template” and “DIY” may attract people looking for instructions rather than a paid service.
- Competitor names: on non-brand campaigns, competitor searches may be worth separating or excluding if they consume budget without producing useful results. Do not add competitor names as account-wide negatives if you run a dedicated competitor campaign.
- Irrelevant locations: a local business may find clicks from areas it does not serve. Review location-related queries carefully, especially when your campaign targets a specific service area.
A practical Google Ads negative keyword list by campaign type
The following suggestions are starting points, not a universal blocklist. Check each term against your offer, campaign structure and search data before applying it. A google ads negative keyword list should filter out unhelpful intent without excluding potential customers.
| Campaign type | Search terms to review | Apply only when… |
|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce | jobs, careers, vacancies, course, tutorial, instructions, repair, second-hand, used, free | You do not sell employment, education, repair services, used products or free versions of the item. |
| Lead generation | jobs, salary, CV, course, definition, template, DIY, free | You are not recruiting, providing training or deliberately using free resources to attract leads. |
| Local services | jobs, careers, course, DIY, tutorial, plus specific towns or regions | You do not offer employment or training, and the locations are genuinely outside your service area. |
A word on its own is not always enough context. A retailer might exclude “repair” if it only sells new products, while a repair business should not. A lead-generation company may want “free” searches if it offers a free consultation. Add negatives at the narrowest sensible level: an ad group or campaign exclusion is often safer than an account-wide rule.
Be especially cautious with locations. Someone searching for “plumber in Reading” may be based outside Reading but looking for a service there. Before excluding place names, confirm that the location is outside your service area and that the query is not commercially relevant.
How to review the Search terms report
A regular review helps catch irrelevant traffic and spot changes in search behaviour. For a new campaign or one using broad targeting, review the report weekly while enough new search data is accumulating. For a stable campaign, a fortnightly or monthly review may be practical. The appropriate frequency depends on traffic volume, budget and how quickly the business needs to respond.
For each query, check:
- Relevance: Does the search relate to a product or service you actually offer?
- Intent: Does it suggest buying, hiring or enquiring, or research, employment or DIY?
- Performance: Has the query generated a conversion? What did it cost, and does that cost make sense against its value?
- Scope: Should the exclusion apply to one ad group, one campaign, several campaigns or the whole account?
- Match type: Will a broad, phrase or exact negative block the unwanted searches without cutting off useful ones?
Google can add a negative directly from the Search terms report. In Search campaigns, this may add the query as an exact negative by default, so check the match type before saving. Google’s instructions for finding negative keyword ideas explain how to review and add terms.
Campaign negatives, shared lists and account-level exclusions
Use campaign-level negatives when a search is unsuitable for one campaign but could be relevant elsewhere. For example, a retailer could exclude a product category from one Shopping campaign while advertising it in another.
Use shared negative keyword lists for exclusions that should apply consistently to several selected campaigns. These lists are managed centrally, so a change can update multiple linked campaigns. They are useful for recurring irrelevant categories, but each campaign’s offer should still be considered before a list is applied.
Account-level negative keywords are broader. Google provides an account-level option for applicable search and shopping inventory, helping advertisers manage exclusions across relevant campaigns. Because these exclusions can affect multiple campaign types, reserve them for terms that are genuinely irrelevant throughout the account. Google’s account-level negative keyword guidance covers how the feature works. For details on shared lists, see Google’s guide to negative keyword lists.
Before changing account-wide exclusions, check that the list will not interfere with brand, recruitment, product or regional campaigns. Keep a record of why terms were added, and review the list when the business introduces a new product or service.
Estimate what irrelevant searches are costing
A negative keyword is not a saving by itself. It prevents future eligible ads from showing for matching searches; it does not refund past spend or guarantee that the same budget will convert elsewhere.
To assess potential wasted ad spend google ads, compare the cost of clearly irrelevant searches with their conversions and business value. If a query has spent money without producing a useful result, it may deserve review. But conversion delays, low search volume and tracking issues can make early conclusions unreliable. Check conversion tracking and lead quality before making large changes.
The £500 figure should therefore be treated as a prompt to investigate, not an assumed monthly loss. Use your own Search terms report and account data to establish whether the spend is avoidable.
Find and fix wasted spend in your account
A useful negative keyword process combines search-term analysis, campaign knowledge and careful match-type choices. Review terms regularly, apply exclusions at the right level and revisit them when your offer or targeting changes. That keeps the list relevant without unnecessarily restricting reach.
London PPC Agency uses a data-driven approach to campaign optimisation. If you suspect irrelevant searches are draining your budget, request a free PPC audit to review targeting, search terms and other opportunities to improve account performance. Learn more about the agency’s PPC management services.
