<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what is a negative keyword and how can they benefit your ad? Let’s say you own an independent bakery and begin creating your first Google Ad campaign. A common mistake that business\u2019 make is:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Bidding on obvious or very popular keywords like ‘Cake’<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- A user is looking for cake recipes, and so searches for ‘homemade cake recipe’<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Your cake shop ad appears, alongside a range of cake recipes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- The user clicks on your ad, using your budget, without any intention of buying from you. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This search marketing feature focuses on keywords related to intent, but not the kind you want people to use when searching for your link. Instead, you need to think about how to exclude<\/em> your ad.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are Negative Keywords?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let’s delve into this: what are negative keywords and why are they important?<\/em> Negative keywords allow you to create a list of trigger words and phrases which you don’t want to be associated with your website when users search for them.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou start by selecting a specific negative keyword or phrase and then assigning a matching type to this. The following can be used as a guide when applying negative keywords AdWords to your Google ad:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Apply [Brackets] for an exact match<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- Apply “quotations” for phrases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- Entering keywords without any additional symbols for broad match<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- Apply +plus symbol for broad match modifier <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
By using a combination of these formulas you can create a highly-effective marketing method for your Google Ad. Negative keyword AdWords can make a huge difference in budget terms for your ad, so make sure to choose strategically and effectively!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nDifferent Types of Keywords in Google Ad<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Choosing](\"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Negative-Keywords-List-1024x726.png\")
Choosing Negative Keywords<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Choosing high-quality, relevant keywords will increase the number of valid views on your Google ad. When someone browses Google, you really need to think about their intent: after all, you don’t want your ad to show up for just anyone, or it will destroy your budget!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo you need to choose from a variety of keywords to improve your performance, as well as lower your costs. We here at ClickCease recommend including a healthy mixture of the following different types of keywords:
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNegative keywords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Applying negative keywords can help you avoid unnecessary costs as a result of accidental clicks. Rather than creating a list of keywords relevant to your ad, you choose irrelevant keywords that you want to exclude. Meaning that, if your Google ad is promoting a \u201cnew, elegant ring\u201d from your jewellery collection, then you won’t appear for searches in \u201ckids swimming rubber ring\u201d – because these aren’t the same type of product.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nRegular keywords
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nHow are negative keywords different from other keywords? All ad campaigns need to use high-quality, relevant keywords to reach their target audience effectively. By choosing a list of keywords and phrases which represent your ad, users will be much more likely to click through and buy – and therefore, you save your budget. Selecting keywords that actually describe your ad and product targets quality traffic. You might also want to think about a creative bidding strategy for your campaign<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNegative keywords have two different types, Campaign-Level and Ad-Group.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nCampaign level keywords
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nCampaigns are more general and focus on a single phrase you wish to exclude from your ad. For example, with the bakery example, if you removed ‘cake recipes’ from your search, it would be classed as one campaign – minus that keyword. You\u2019ll probably have several campaigns running at once, but each campaign will only include a single negative campaign-level keyword.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nAd Group keywords
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nOn the other hand, Ad groups focus on more specific keywords you don’t <\/em>want to show up for. So for your independent baker ad, you could include a negative list of:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Chocolate cake recipes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Banana Bread Cake<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Homemade sponge cake <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can add as many ad group keywords as you wish as an effective way of avoiding irrelevant clicks and keeping down your costs.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Create Your Own Negative Keywords List<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a quick overview for creating your own negative keywords list.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nFirstly, remember that keywords should always align with your business goals. Create a strategy to outline the purpose of your ad, your target audience, and all intentions. When you understand what your ad is all about, you can then accurately choose the searches you don’t want to show up for. Negative keywords can help advertisers better target their ads by only attracting a genuine, relevant interest to their link, with a high likelihood of converters to buyers.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo get started, find a list of negative keywords that every campaign should include online. You can then add your own personalized keywords which are most relevant (or should we say, irrelevant) to your campaign. Make sure to keep an eye out for any keywords that could work well for your Google ad, and make a note of those for your regular, non-negative keywords AdWords campaign.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo optimize your ad fully, you should take some time to analyze your current and past searches for your ad. Check out the search terms report, and you\u2019ll be able to identify which keywords people search to find your campaign, then look at which keywords are converting and which aren\u2019t. By picking up on which phrases aren’t a success, you have more of an idea of what to add to your negative keyword list.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nLet’s Wrap it Up!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bidding on a mixture of both regular and negative keywords can make all the difference for the success of your Google and, both in terms of performance and budget-saving. However, our absolute top tip is that you should spend time analyzing your business goals and outlining your target audience before <\/em>setting up your campaign. When done right, AdWords\u2019 negative keywords can save you thousands<\/em> by avoiding unnecessary, budget-wasting clicks.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nLike any good thing, there\u2019s always a downside: successful PPC campaigns and its popularity among marketers means there\u2019s a growing risk of fraudulent activity<\/a>: fraudsters have been known to exhaust a link, clicking time and time again to destroy an ad\u2019s budget, which also results in invalid information when analyzing an ad\u2019s campaign.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Apply +plus symbol for broad match modifier <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Entering keywords without any additional symbols for broad match<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Apply “quotations” for phrases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Apply [Brackets] for an exact match<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- The user clicks on your ad, using your budget, without any intention of buying from you. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Your cake shop ad appears, alongside a range of cake recipes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- A user is looking for cake recipes, and so searches for ‘homemade cake recipe’<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n