What Should I Do With Negative Keywords in My Campaign?

Short Answer: You should review your negative keywords regularly to ensure they use the correct match types. For example, broad match negatives like “how to” should instead be phrase match. Also, when excluding multi-word company names or phrases, always exclude them as phrase matches rather than broad matches to avoid unintended exclusions.

Full Explanation

Negative keywords are essential for refining your advertising campaigns by preventing your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. However, it’s not just about adding negative keywords; it’s equally important to use the right match types for those negatives and to review them frequently. Improper use of match types can either block too many searches or fail to block the unwanted ones. When broad negative matches like “how to” are used, they might unintentionally exclude a wide range of searches beyond the intended scope. Changing these to phrase match helps limit negative targeting specifically to the phrase you want excluded.

Similarly, if you’re excluding specific company names or other multi-word phrases, these should be entered as phrase matches. Using broad match for multiple words can result in broader exclusions than desired, potentially blocking searches that include only part of the phrase, hurting your campaign’s reach.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Regularly check your list of negative keywords to ensure they are still relevant to your campaign goals.
Verify that the match type assigned to each negative keyword is appropriate. For broad matches, consider whether phrase match might be better.
For multi-word negatives such as company names or specific phrases, set them as phrase match rather than broad match to prevent blocking too many unrelated searches.
Update your negative keywords accordingly to optimize your campaign reach while avoiding irrelevant traffic.

Real Examples

If your campaign includes the negative keyword “how to” as a broad match, it could exclude searches containing both “how” and “to” in unrelated contexts. Instead, setting “how to” as a phrase match limits the exclusion specifically to that exact phrase, avoiding unnecessarily blocking other relevant terms.

When excluding a company name composed of several words, excluding it as a broad match could block any search containing any of those individual words. Excluding it as a phrase match instead targets only searches containing the full company name in the exact order.

Common Mistakes

Using broad match negative keywords for multi-word phrases or company names, which causes overly broad exclusions.
Failing to review and update negative keywords regularly, leading to ineffective campaign optimization.
Ignoring the importance of match types and their specific effects on campaign targeting.

FAQs

Why is regular review of negative keywords important?
Regular reviews ensure your negative keywords remain relevant and appropriately matched, which helps maintain campaign efficiency and avoid lost opportunities.

What difference does the match type make for negative keywords?
The match type determines how broadly or narrowly a negative keyword blocks search queries. Phrase match restricts exclusions to exact phrases, while broad match can unintentionally exclude more searches.

Should company names always be phrase match in negative keywords?
Yes, excluding company names as phrase match helps block only searches with the full name and avoids excluding unrelated searches.

Key Takeaways

Always review your negative keywords regularly for relevance and accuracy.
Use phrase match for multi-word negatives like company names to avoid overly broad exclusion.
Convert broad match negatives like “how to” into phrase match to better control which queries are excluded.
Proper management of negative keywords improves campaign targeting and performance.