How do I add negative keywords to my ad group or campaign?

The short answer is that you start by clicking on Plus, then add your negative keywords to the negative keyword list. You should add these keywords as broad match, not exact match, so your ads won’t show up if anyone uses any variation containing that word.

Full Explanation

Adding negative keywords helps prevent your ads from appearing in searches that are irrelevant to your campaign. When you add a negative keyword, you are telling the system not to show your ad if that word appears in the search. To do this effectively, it’s important to add the negative keywords as broad matches rather than exact matches. This means that the ad will be blocked from searches containing the word in any combination, not just the exact phrase.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

First, click on the Plus button to begin adding negative keywords.
Next, add your selected keywords to the negative keyword list.
If prompted, click on the option to add the negative keywords to the negative keyword list specifically.
Scroll down and click Save to ensure your changes are applied.
Make sure to add the word in broad match format instead of exact match. This prevents your ad from showing if the keyword appears in any form during a search.

Real Examples

If you add the word as an exact match, the ad will only be blocked if the exact phrase is typed into the search bar. However, by adding just the word itself as a broad match, your ad will not show up if anyone types a phrase containing that word in any order or combination.

Common Mistakes

Adding negative keywords as exact matches, which restricts the block to only exact phrase searches and allows close variations through.
Failing to save after adding the keywords, which means the negative keywords won’t take effect.
Not using the negative keyword list option and inadvertently adding keywords as positive keywords.

FAQs

Q: Why should I add negative keywords as broad match?
Adding negative keywords as broad match increases the chances your ad won’t appear for any variations containing that keyword, not just exact matches.

Q: What happens if I add negative keywords as exact match?
Your ads will only be blocked if the exact phrase is searched, allowing other variations to trigger your ads.

Q: Where should I add negative keywords?
You should add negative keywords to the negative keyword list associated with your ad group or campaign.

Key Takeaways

Always add negative keywords by clicking Plus and selecting the negative keyword list.
Add keywords as broad match to block any search containing the word, not only exact phrases.
Remember to scroll down and save your entries to activate the negative keywords.
Proper use of negative keywords helps improve ad relevance and avoid wasted spend on unwanted searches.