How Should I Handle Company Names in My Negative Keywords?

Short Answer: If your company name is a single word, exclude it directly as a negative keyword. For company names that are phrases, like “Fisher Plumbing,” use phrase match to exclude them. This approach ensures your existing keywords for running ads remain unaffected.

Full Explanation

When managing negative keywords, how you handle your company name depends on whether it’s a single word or a phrase. For single-word company names, you can exclude the word directly as a negative keyword without concerns. In contrast, if the company name consists of multiple words forming a phrase, such as “Fisher Plumbing,” you need to use phrase match to exclude it specifically in its entirety. This targeted exclusion prevents blocking unrelated keywords you may be advertising on.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Identify the company name type: Determine if it’s one word or a phrase.
Single-word company names: Add the single word as a negative keyword directly.
Phrase company names: Use phrase match (quotes) to exclude the entire phrase, e.g., “Fisher Plumbing.”
Review your keywords: Confirm that your existing ad keywords are not negatively affected by these exclusions.

Real Examples

For a company named “Fisher Plumbing,” adding negative keywords as a phrase match “Fisher Plumbing” ensures that only searches including that exact phrase will be excluded. This will not impact ads running on the individual keywords “Fisher” or “Plumbing” separately.

If your company name was something like “Plumbco,” which is a single word, you can exclude it simply by adding “Plumbco” to your negative keywords.

Common Mistakes

Excluding phrase company names as single words which may unintentionally block important keywords.
Failing to use phrase match for multi-word company names leading to over-broad negative keyword exclusion.
Not verifying that exclusions do not affect running ad keywords.

FAQs

Q: Why is it important to use phrase match for company names that are phrases?
A: Using phrase match ensures only the exact company name phrase is excluded, preventing accidental blocking of keywords containing parts of your company name.

Q: Can excluding company names in negative keywords affect my ad performance?
A: If done correctly—using phrase match for phrases and direct exclusion for single words—it should not negatively impact your running keywords or ad performance.

Key Takeaways

Exclude single-word company names directly as negative keywords.
Use phrase match when excluding multi-word company names to prevent over-exclusion.
Always ensure your negative keywords do not block your active ad keywords.