What am I blethering on about? Negative keywords.

So, what are negative keywords?

According to Google:

“Negative keywords are a core component of a successful keyword list. Adding a negative keyword to your ad group or campaign means that your ads won’t show for search queries containing that term. By filtering out unwanted impressions, negative keywords can help you reach the most appropriate prospects, reduce your cost-per-click (CPC), and increase your ROI.”

Still not sure? Let’s imagine that you sell iPods. Therefore, you’re bidding on terms like iPod, the various models and colours and so on. However, you don’t give them away for free. By including ‘free’ as negative match, you’re ads will not show for searches such as ‘free iPod’.

Sounds sensible, right? And yet, I see many campaigns with either no negative keywords at all, or a woefully inadequate list.

The good news is, that sometimes – you can get away with it. Google applies a relevancy algorithm to every keyword in your campaign, which it compares to the keyword entered by the searcher.

Over time, Google will recognise that certain search terms do not illicit clicks and so over time, you will automatically stop appearing for these search terms. This does take time though, and in the meantime your campaigns will suffer.

However of course, this assumes that you don’t get clicks. If you get clicks your ads will continue to show, and you’ll be wasting money. Bad times.

So, I’m guessing you’re now sold on the need to include negative keywords – but how do you go about it?

Adding Negatives

You can add negative keywords either at a campaign or an adgroup level. Using the new interface, simply click on the campaign you want to add negatives to, then click on the keywords tab. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see a link for negative keywords. Here you can elect to add them either at the campaign, or ad group level.

As with the keywords you bid on you can elect to add them as negative broad, negative phrase or negative exact match:

Negative Broad – this will prevent your ads from showing if the keyword (or words) you select appear anywhere in the search query

e.g. If you negative broad match Van, your ads will not appear for any search queries which include the word van

Negative Phrase – this will prevent your ads from showing if the phrase you selected appears in the order you’ve entered it anywhere in the search query

e.g. If you negative phrase match van insurance, your ads will not appear for the search query ‘van insurance’ but will appear for search queries such as ‘insurance for van’

Negative Exact – this will only prevent your ads from showing for the precise phrase which you have selected.

e.g. If you negative exact match van insurance your ads will not appear for the search query ‘van insurance’ but will appear for search queries such as ‘insurance for van’ and ‘van insurance quote’

How to find negative keywords to add to your campaigns

Most you’ll be able to figure out all by yourself

The key question to ask yourself is what don’t you do? Think about products and services which are related to your sector, but you do not offer.

Also think about how you sell – for example if you don’t give things away free – you’ll need to add ‘free’ as negative match. Likewise if you don’t lease or hire you’ll need to add those. Conversely if you only lease or hire you’ll need to include ‘buy’ as negative match.

Other negatives worth considering include:

Job Seekers – consider including: career, careers, jobs, job, etc

Courses/Qualifications – classes, courses, qualifications etc

DIY – DIY, how to, etc

Repair – repair, repairs etc

Second Hand / Antiques - second hand, antique, antiques, etc

Software – software, freeware, downloads

Google’s keyword tool is also a great source, as it demonstrates the sort of searches which Google deem relevant to your selected keywords. Simply copy a representative chunk of your keywords into the keyword suggestion tool. Then go through the list of suggestions generated by the tool and include any irrelevant ones as negatives.

Likewise the search query report will tell you which search queries have elicited clicks. To run the report:

1. Click on the ‘reporting tab and select ‘reports’.
2. Click on create new report.
3. Select ‘Search Query Report’
4. Select adgroup from the drop down menu (for some reason this defaults to ad, but in my view the report’s much easier to use if it’s filtered by adgroup)
5. Select an appropriate length of time e.g. one month.
6. Hit ‘create report’ and Bob’s your Mother’s Brother

Most of the search queries will be relevant (hopefully!), but add any irrelevant ones as negatives.

I hope you’ve found this useful – if you’ve any tips of your own you’d care to share, please do so in the comments.

Image credit Fuyoh