Google Ads glossary

What Is Negative Keywords?

Definition

Negative keywords are terms that prevent ads from showing for searches containing or matching unwanted language.

How Negative Keywords Works

They can be added at campaign, ad-group or shared-list level and use negative broad, phrase or exact matching rules.

A Simple Example

A company that installs new windows might exclude searches containing “jobs,” “free” or “DIY” when those searches consistently fail to produce customers.

Why Negative Keywords Matters

Negatives protect budget from clearly irrelevant demand and help keep traffic aligned with what the business sells.

Common Misreading

Overly broad negatives can block valuable searches. Check the exact language and scope before applying a large shared list.

Go deeper

Continue with the practical guide

The glossary gives you the definition. The guide covers the decisions and implementation in more depth.

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