Why should I put the names of nearby cities or cities that I might expand to in the future on the negative keyword of the exact campaign that I’m running, instead of in a negative keyword list?

Short Answer: You should put the names of nearby or future cities as negative keywords directly on the campaign level rather than in a negative keyword list because when you create a new campaign for that city later, you may forget you excluded it from the entire account. Managing these negative keywords at the campaign level helps prevent such oversights.

Full Explanation

When running advertising campaigns that target specific cities, it is common to exclude certain nearby cities or future expansion cities from your current campaign to avoid overlap or confusion. If these city names are placed only in a negative keyword list applied at the account level, there is a risk of forgetting to remove or adjust these negatives when launching a new campaign targeted at one of those excluded cities. This can inadvertently block your ads from running where you want them to.

By placing the negative keywords on the campaign level itself, you ensure that exclusions are tied specifically to each individual campaign’s context. This organization reduces the chance of accidental exclusion of cities in newly created campaigns since the negatives won’t carry over automatically as global restrictions do.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Identify nearby or future target cities you want to exclude in your current campaign.
2. Add those city names as negative keywords directly on the campaign level for the exact campaign running.
3. When a new campaign is launched for one of these excluded cities, those campaign-level negatives won’t apply automatically.
4. Review and manage negative keywords individually for each campaign to ensure appropriate targeting without overlap.

Real Examples

Suppose you have a campaign targeting City A but exclude City B by adding its name as a negative keyword at the campaign level. Later, when you launch a campaign specifically for City B, the negative keyword from the City A campaign will not interfere, because it was only applied to the original campaign.

If the negative keyword for City B had been added to a global negative keyword list instead, you might accidentally block your new campaign targeting City B from running efficiently, simply because you forgot to adjust the global list.

Common Mistakes

• Placing city negatives only in a global negative keyword list and forgetting to update it when launching new campaigns for those cities.
• Using campaign-level negatives inconsistently, leading to confusion about where exclusions apply.
• Failing to review negative keywords regularly to ensure they align with campaign goals and geographic targets.

FAQs

Q: Why not always use a negative keyword list?
Because negative keyword lists apply broadly across the account, they can unintentionally block ads in new campaigns if not updated correctly.

Q: How does managing negatives on the campaign level help?
It keeps city exclusions tied specifically to each campaign, reducing the risk of accidentally blocking ads in new targeted campaigns.

Q: Should I ever use negative keyword lists?
Yes, but when dealing with city-specific negatives related to future campaigns or nearby areas, it’s better to manage them at the campaign level.

Key Takeaways

• Put names of nearby or future cities as negative keywords at the campaign level, not in account-wide lists.
• This approach prevents accidental omissions when launching new campaigns for these cities.
• Campaign-level management of negatives ensures clearer, more precise targeting control.
• Regular review of negatives is essential to maintain effective campaign performance.