When you add a negative keyword, are you adding it to the entire account or the specific group?

Short Answer: You can add a negative keyword at the account level, campaign level, or ad group level. The placement depends on your specific goals, whether you want to block the keyword from all campaigns, a single campaign, or only a particular ad group.

Full Explanation

Negative keywords can be applied at multiple levels within your advertising structure: the entire account, individual campaigns, or specific ad groups. Deciding where to add a negative keyword depends on your advertising strategy and the outcomes you want to achieve. If you want to exclude a keyword from every campaign you run, the account-level negative keyword is the right choice—it ensures that the keyword won’t trigger any of your ads across the board.

However, if you want the keyword to be blocked only within a certain campaign, without affecting other campaigns, you should add the negative keyword at the campaign level. This is useful when you might want to target the same keyword in different geographical areas or contexts. Lastly, if the keyword needs to be excluded only from a specific ad group (for example, blocking it in a residential ad group but allowing it in an automotive ad group), then applying the negative keyword at the ad group level provides precise control.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Determine your objective: decide if the negative keyword should be excluded from all campaigns, one campaign, or just one ad group.
2. If the keyword should never trigger any of your ads, add it at the account level.
3. If you want to block the keyword only in a certain campaign but keep it available in others, add it at the campaign level.
4. If exclusion is necessary only within a particular ad group, add the negative keyword there for targeted control.
5. Review your settings to ensure negative keywords align with your overall marketing goals.

Real Examples

Imagine you are running ads in Orlando but don’t want to block Tampa keywords at the account level because you plan campaigns targeting Tampa later. You would add negative keywords blocking Tampa only at the campaign level for Orlando. Conversely, if you have an ad group focused on automotive services and you don’t want a keyword to appear only in your residential ad group, you block it at the ad group level.

Common Mistakes

• Adding negative keywords at the wrong level, unintentionally blocking ads across multiple campaigns.
• Failing to adjust negative keywords as campaigns evolve, which can limit ad reach unnecessarily.
• Not reviewing negative keywords regularly and missing opportunities to refine targeting.

FAQs

Can I add the same negative keyword at multiple levels?

Yes, but applying it at the highest necessary level eliminates redundancy and makes management easier.

How do I decide whether to block a keyword at campaign or ad group level?

Consider whether the keyword should be restricted for the entire campaign or only for specific ad groups needing targeted control.

What happens if I add a negative keyword at the account and campaign levels simultaneously?

The keyword will be blocked at the account level, affecting all campaigns; the campaign-level setting in this case is redundant.

Key Takeaways

• Negative keywords can be set at account, campaign, or ad group levels depending on your targeting needs.
• Account-level blocking applies broadly to all campaigns, suitable for keywords you want to exclude entirely.
• Campaign-level blocking allows flexibility to block keywords only in specific campaigns, preserving use in others.
• Ad group-level blocking provides granular control for highly targeted keyword restriction.
• Choosing the right level to add negative keywords is important to optimize ad reach and maintain campaign effectiveness.