Last Updated on April 21, 2025
When running a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, every click costs money, so naturally, you want every click to count. That’s where negative keywords come in.
Negative keywords are terms you intentionally exclude from triggering your ads. They prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches, helping you target only the users most likely to convert.
Why does this matter? Showing up for the wrong search queries wastes your ad budget, skews your data, lowers your click-through rate (CTR), and can hurt your overall campaign performance.
Here’s the good news: there’s a simple symbol that can help you avoid this costly mistake. It’s tiny, often overlooked, and surprisingly powerful in the world of PPC.
Let’s talk about the minus sign (–), the symbol that quietly saves money in ads.
What Are Negative Keywords?
In the context of Google Ads and other PPC platforms like Microsoft Ads, negative keywords are specific words or phrases you tell the platform to exclude when triggering your ads. If someone’s search query includes a negative keyword you’ve added, your ad won’t appear.
Advertisers use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic and avoid spending money on clicks that are unlikely to convert. This lets them fine-tune their audience targeting, improve their click-through rates, and ultimately boost their return on ad spend (ROAS).
Example:
Imagine you’re selling a premium software tool. You might want to exclude the word “free” from triggering your ad, because someone searching for “free software” probably isn’t interested in a paid solution.
So, by adding “–free” as a negative keyword, you ensure your ad doesn’t appear for that search, saving your budget for users who are more likely to buy.
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The Symbol for Negative Keywords
When adding negative keywords to your PPC campaigns, there’s a straightforward symbol you need to remember: the minus sign (–).
Placing a minus sign directly in front of a word tells the platform not to show your ad if that word appears in a user’s search query. It’s a quick, effective way to fine-tune your targeting and avoid wasting your budget on irrelevant clicks.
Example:
If you’re selling high-end software and want to avoid users looking for freebies, you’d add:
–free
This tells Google Ads (or any PPC platform) to exclude any searches that include the word “free.”
This tiny symbol might seem insignificant, but in the world of paid advertising, it’s a powerful filter that can significantly improve campaign performance.
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How to Use the Minus Symbol in Campaigns
Adding negative keywords to your campaigns is straightforward, but doing it correctly ensures you get the most value from every ad dollar spent. Here’s how to use the minus sign (–) effectively in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads:
In Google Ads:
- Go to your Campaign or Ad Group settings.
- Click on “Keywords” in the left menu.
- Scroll to the “Negative Keywords” tab.
- Click “Add Negative Keywords”.
- Add keywords with a minus sign or type the words (Google automatically applies the exclusion).
- Example: sqlCopyEdit
–free –cheap –job
- Example: sqlCopyEdit
In Microsoft Ads (Bing Ads):
- Navigate to the campaign or ad group.
- Click on “Keywords”, then go to the Negative Keywords tab.
- Choose whether to apply at the campaign or ad group level.
- Enter the negative keywords without manually typing the minus sign—Bing handles it.
Tip:
You can upload a list of negative keywords in bulk, which is especially helpful for more extensive campaigns or agencies managing multiple clients.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
While adding negative keywords is a smart strategy, doing it incorrectly can harm your campaigns. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:
1. Going Too Broad
Using overly broad negative keywords can block valuable traffic. For example, excluding “free” might also prevent your ad from showing on searches like “free trial for [your product],” which could still be relevant.
2. Misusing Match Types
Just like regular keywords, negative keywords have match types:
- Broad Match (default)
- Phrase Match (
"keyword") - Exact Match (
[keyword])
Using the wrong match type can either over-filter or under-filter search traffic.
3. Forgetting to Review Search Terms
If you don’t regularly check your search terms report, you may miss new irrelevant queries that are wasting your budget.
4. Duplicating Keywords
Adding the same negative keyword at both campaign and ad group levels can create conflicts or unnecessary clutter.
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Bonus: Tips for Building a Negative Keyword List
Creating a strong negative keyword list is not just a one-time task—it’s an ongoing strategy. Here are some pro tips to help you build and refine your list:
1. Start with Your Search Terms Report
Use Google Ads’ Search Terms Report to identify irrelevant queries that triggered your ads. Add those terms as negatives to avoid repeating the same mistake.
2. Think Like Your Customer—And the Wrong Customer
Consider who isn’t your target. Are people searching for jobs, free products, or DIY solutions? Add words like:
jobcareerfreecheapDIY
3. Use Negative Keyword Tools
Tools like:
- Google’s Keyword Planner
- SEMrush or Ahrefs
- NegativeKeywordTool.io
can help generate ideas based on common search patterns.
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4. Categorize by Intent
Create negative keyword themes:
- Price-related: free, cheap, low-cost
- Career-related: job, hiring, resume
- Geographic (if you’re geo-targeted): names of unrelated cities or countries
5. Regularly Update Your List
Revisit and expand your list every month or after major campaign updates. Search behavior changes, and your list should evolve with it.
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Conclusion
Negative keywords may seem like a small detail in your PPC campaigns, but they play a massive role in keeping your targeting tight, your clicks relevant, and your budget well-spent.
By using a simple minus symbol (–) in front of keywords you want to exclude, you can prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches, which means less wasted ad spend and better ROI.
Whether managing one campaign or dozens, refining your negative keyword list is a habit that pays off over time.
Take Action:
- Review your search term reports today.
- Add at least 5 new negative keywords based on irrelevant queries.
- Bookmark this guide and revisit it on a monthly basis.
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FAQs
A negative keyword prevents your ad from showing when a specific word or phrase is included in a user’s search query. It helps filter out irrelevant traffic and save on ad spend.
The minus sign (–) is used to indicate a negative keyword. For example, typing–free tells the ad platform not to show your ad when someone searches for anything including “free.”
You can add negative keywords under the Keywords section at the campaign or ad group level. There’s also an option to create negative keyword lists and apply them across multiple campaigns.
– Broad Match: Blocks queries containing your keyword in any order.
– Phrase Match: Blocks searches with your keyword in the exact phrase and order (use quotes: “keyword”).
– Exact Match: Blocks only the exact search term (use brackets: [keyword]).
Yes, but their impact is different. Negative keywords are more effective for Search campaigns, while exclusions, such as placements, topics, or audiences, may be more effective for display or YouTube.
Ideally, every 2–4 weeks, especially if running high-traffic campaigns. Review your search terms report and add any irrelevant or non-converting keywords to your list.
