Why should I add ‘cost’ as a negative keyword?

Short Answer: Adding ‘cost’ as a negative keyword prevents your ads from appearing when potential customers include the word ‘cost’ in their search. This helps avoid showing ads to price shoppers who may not be the ideal clients for your business.

Full Explanation

When you add ‘cost’ as a negative keyword, it means your advertisements will not display if someone searches for a term that includes the word ‘cost’. This is important because the presence of ‘cost’ usually signals that the person is focused on price comparisons and looking for the cheapest option. Such users are often more interested in how much something costs rather than the quality or specific services your business offers.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

  1. Identify keywords relevant to your business.
  2. Add ‘cost’ as a negative keyword within your ad campaign settings.
  3. Exclude all search queries containing the word ‘cost’ from triggering your ads.
  4. This helps to filter out potential clients who are primarily price shopping.
  5. Your ads then target audiences more likely to be interested in your services beyond just pricing.

Real Examples

If someone searches for “service cost” or “product cost,” your ads won’t show because you have excluded “cost” as a keyword. This approach ensures your marketing budget focuses on attracting clients who value your offerings rather than just the lowest price.

Common Mistakes

  • Not adding ‘cost’ as a negative keyword and attracting mostly price-sensitive leads.
  • Assuming all searchers using ‘cost’ are good leads, which can waste advertising spend.
  • Ignoring the impact of negative keywords on refining your target audience.

FAQs

Q: Will adding ‘cost’ as a negative keyword reduce my ad visibility?
Yes, but this is intentional to focus on higher-quality leads rather than price shoppers.

Q: Can I apply this to any campaign?
Yes, any ad where you want to avoid price-conscious searchers can benefit from adding ‘cost’ as a negative keyword.

Key Takeaways

  • Adding ‘cost’ as a negative keyword blocks ads for searches focused on price.
  • This strategy helps attract potential clients who value your service beyond just cost.
  • It optimizes ad spend by filtering out price shopping audiences.