Negative keywords
Negative keywords are words or phrases that you exclude in Google Ads, so your ad does not appear for searches that contain them. That way you do not pay for clicks that never bring in a customer.
- 3 min read
What are negative keywords?
Negative keywords are the opposite of regular keywords. With a regular keyword you tell Google Ads when your ad may appear. With a negative keyword you say when it may not. If you add “vacature” (job vacancy) as a negative keyword, for example, your ad no longer appears for someone searching “vacature dakdekker”.
You can add negative keywords at ad group level, campaign level or in a shared list that you link to several campaigns. Match types exist here too: broad, phrase and exact. Unlike with regular keywords, negative keywords do not take synonyms or variants into account. If you want to exclude both “vacature” and “vacatures”, you add both.
Why negative keywords matter for your business
Without exclusions you pay for visitors who never bring you anything. Think of people looking for a job, wanting to take a course, wanting to buy materials or wanting to do it themselves. Those clicks cost just as much as the click of a real customer.
Negative keywords are therefore one of the quickest ways to make your budget more efficient. You lower your cost per enquiry without getting fewer enquiries, simply by cutting waste. Your click-through rate also rises, because your ad is only shown to people who really get something out of it. That helps your Quality Score.
How negative keywords work
Google compares every search with your keywords and your exclusions. If a negative keyword is in the search, your ad does not take part in the auction. That happens per search, in a fraction of a second.
An example. Say a business that fits window frames advertises on phrase match “kunststof kozijnen” (PVC window frames). In the search terms report the business sees, after a month, clicks on searches such as “kunststof kozijnen zelf plaatsen”, “kunststof kozijnen bouwmarkt”, “kunststof kozijnen schoonmaken”, “kunststof kozijnen vacature” and “kunststof kozijnen tweedehands”. Together they account for a good part of the budget, without a single enquiry.
The business makes a shared list of exclusions: zelf (DIY), bouwmarkt (DIY store), schoonmaken (cleaning), vacature (job vacancy), tweedehands (second-hand), gratis (free), cursus (course), opleiding (training) and handleiding (manual). The list is linked to all campaigns. The month after, that budget goes to searches such as “kunststof kozijnen laten plaatsen” and “kunststof kozijnen offerte” (having PVC window frames fitted, PVC window frames quote), which do bring in enquiries.
Do pay attention to the difference between match types for exclusions. A negative keyword on broad match blocks every search that contains that word, in any order. A negative keyword on phrase match blocks only if the words appear in that order. And a negative keyword on exact match blocks only precisely that search. That way you can exclude very precisely, without hitting good searches.
Commonly used exclusions for trade businesses are words around looking for work, learning, DIY, buying without installation and free. But every sector has its own list. An installer who does not do maintenance excludes maintenance. A roofer who does not work in a certain region excludes those place names.
Common mistakes with negative keywords
No exclusions at all. Especially with broad and phrase match, waste then mounts up quickly.
Excluding too broadly. Anyone who excludes “prijs” (price) because price comparison sites turn up also misses everyone searching “prijs dakrenovatie”. Those are often exactly the serious buyers.
Blocking your own keywords. A negative keyword that overlaps with a regular keyword silences that ad, without you getting a notification.
Setting it once and forgetting it. New searches keep coming. A list that is a year old no longer catches today’s waste.
How to tackle negative keywords
Before your campaign goes live, start with a base list. Think about what your customers are not searching for: jobs, training, free, DIY, buying parts and services you do not offer.
Then open the search terms report every week. Look at which searches got clicks and brought no enquiry. Exclude what clearly does not fit, and if you are unsure, wait until there is more data.
Work with shared lists, so your exclusions apply to all your campaigns at once. Use exclusions at ad group level to steer traffic to the right group, for example so that searches about roof insulation do not end up in your group about roof leaks.
Finally, check now and then that your exclusions are not blocking too much. In our daily check on all Google Ads accounts at 09:00 we also look at striking search terms, so waste does not keep running for weeks. Do you want to know how your account is doing? Read more about Search engine advertising.
Frequently asked questions
Don't see your question here? Call, WhatsApp or email us. You'll get an answer within one working day.
Which negative keywords should I always add?
For most trade businesses, words such as “vacature”, “opleiding”, “cursus”, “gratis”, “zelf”, “handleiding” and “tweedehands” (job vacancy, training, course, free, DIY, manual and second-hand) are a good start. Supplement that with services you do not offer and regions where you do not work. Then look in your search terms report at what else comes in.
How often should I update negative keywords?
For a new account preferably weekly, because many new searches appear then. Once the account runs stably, every two to four weeks is usually enough. Use the search terms report as your source.
Can negative keywords also do harm?
Yes, if you exclude too broadly or choose a word that also appears in valuable searches. Then you unknowingly block good clicks. So check that an exclusion does not clash with your own keywords.
What is Google Ads and how does it work?
Google Ads explained: how the auction system works, which campaign types there are and how you decide what a click is allowed to…
Local SEO: get more from your local visibility
Local SEO makes sure customers near you find you on Google and Google Maps.
Performance Max in 2025: more control and better results
In 2025, Performance Max gives you more control over keywords and placements.
Ready for more enquiries?
Choose where your growth should come from. A specialist picks it up within one working day.
Marketingkennersonline · reply within one working day