If you’re looking to improve your performance in a campaign, you’ll find an abundance of opportunities by using the right match types for the right situations. Knowing what not to target negative keywords is just as important.  

Today’s article on Negative Keywords Google Ads, I’ll show you the different types of negative keywords Google Ads has, how to use different negative match types, and how they work.  

 

Watch the video version of this article below:

Setting up your negative keywords in Google Ads

First things first, you can set up your negative keywords at the following levels: 

• Account level
• Campaign level
• Ad Group level

The simplest of the three options is managing all your negatives at the account level.   

In certain circumstances, I manage negative keywords at the ad group level, but this requires keeping a close eye on it if you do.

 

How negative keywords work

Pay attention to variables

Take note: Your negative keywords will not carry over to the singular or plural version of the same words.    

What I mean by this is if you broad negative the term “camera” it will not run for a search for camera. But a search for the term “cameras” (plural) will still run.

So when using negative keywords, Google Ads requires you to pay close attention to variables.

Display and video campaign

Negatives work differently in search campaigns vs how they work in display and video campaigns.  

 Some places where your ads appear on display and search might sometimes contain terms you excluded, so to be thorough, you can use site category options and content exclusions to be certain your ads are reaching the right audiences.  

 Also, with video and display, you have a limit of 5,000 negative keywords.

 

Types of negative keywords

• Broad
  
• Exact
• Phrase
  
• NOT – Broad match modifier

The types of negative keywords Google Ads allows are broad match, phrase match, and exact match.

The negative keyword match types work differently than they do when they are used in the positive. 

Make sure you’re adding synonyms, singular and plural versions, misspellings, and other close variations if you want to exclude them. If you don’t, you’ll have variants of what you’re trying to block still running.

Negative broad match

Your negative keywords in Google Ads will default to a broad match. Your ad won’t show if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, even if they are in a different order. Your ad might show up if the search contains only some of your keyword terms.

Example: running shoes

Negative phrase match

When you use negative phrase match, your ad is not going to show up if the search contains the exact keyword terms in the same order. The search can still include other words, but the ad won’t show if all the keyword terms are included in the search in the same order. 

The search might also include extra characters added to a word and the ad will show even when the rest of the keyword terms are included in the search in the same order.

Example: “running shoes”

Negative exact match

When you use negative exact match, your ad will not appear if the search contains the exact keyword, in the same order, without any additional words. It can still show if the search contains the keyword terms with additional words.

Example: [running shoes]

 

Symbols in negative keywords

When you add negative keywords, Google Ads allows you to use these symbols: 

• ampersands (&)
• accent marks (á) 
• and asterisks (*)
  

Note: 

• A period does not matter one way or the other. Google Ads will just disregard them.  
• Pluses (+) also are disregarded. If you use them in your negative keywords, Google ads will ignore them.  
• This is the opposite of broad match modifiers. I’ve seen many campaigns with people trying to broad match negative keywords without realizing they are not allowed in the negatives.
• Symbols are also disregarded so don’t use them. The symbols that are thrown out are  : , ! @ % ^ () = {} ; ~ ` <> ? \ |

 

Conclusion

Negative keywords in Google Ads are an opportunity for you to save money and get better results.

Google Ads negative keywords are your best friend and I want you to look at them as money makers.  

Keep a close eye on your campaign and keep these match types in mind when setting up your negatives and watch your campaigns perform better all around.