# What are Negative Keywords? How to Stop Wasting PPC Budget > Negative keywords prevent your ads from appearing for irrelevant searches. This guide explains how to find and manage them effectively. Source: https://elitedigitalagency.io/blog/what-is-negative-keywords-ppc/ Format: Markdown mirror of the HTML page (text/markdown). Content is identical; the canonical, citable version is the HTML source URL above. --- PPC & Paid Media # What are Negative Keywords? How to Stop Wasting PPC Budget Negative keywords prevent your ads from appearing for irrelevant searches. This guide explains how to find and manage them effectively. By Kaiser Khan · 16 June 2026 · 7 min read Last verified: 16 June 2026 negative keywords PPCnegative keywords Google Adsstop wasting ad spendnegative keyword list Direct Answer Negative keywords are words or phrases that prevent your Google Ads from appearing when those terms are included in a search query. Adding 'free' as a negative keyword, for example, prevents your ads from appearing when someone searches 'free digital marketing software' — eliminating an irrelevant click that would never convert. Negative keywords are one of the most impactful optimisation levers in Google Ads — they reduce wasted spend on non-converting traffic, improve average Quality Score by making your ads more relevant to remaining impressions, and lower cost-per-acquisition. Negative keywords are systematically underutilised by most Google Ads accounts. New campaigns launched without negative keywords will typically spend 20-40% of their initial budget on irrelevant searches before the algorithm self-optimises. Proactive negative keyword management — before launch and continuously throughout the campaign — significantly improves campaign efficiency from day one. ## How to find and add negative keywords - Search Term Report — the primary source; review every week, add irrelevant queries as negatives - Keyword brainstorming — think about what adjacent searches your keywords might trigger; add obvious irrelevant terms before launch - Negative keyword lists — create shared lists (e.g. 'irrelevant intent terms', 'competitor names') applied across multiple campaigns - Campaign-level vs ad group level — broad exclusions at campaign level; more targeted exclusions at ad group level - Match types matter — negative broad match excludes any query containing the term; negative exact match only excludes exact queries - Common negatives: 'free', 'cheap', 'jobs', 'salary', 'how to', 'DIY' depending on campaign objectives PPC account audit and optimisation How often should I review the Search Term Report? For active campaigns, review the Search Term Report at least weekly — more frequently in the first month of a new campaign. Newly launched campaigns especially need aggressive negative keyword management as the algorithm is still learning targeting patterns. Set a weekly calendar reminder to review new search terms, add irrelevant terms as negatives, and note any surprisingly relevant terms that indicate new keyword opportunities. Accumulated unmanaged search terms in a new account can waste thousands of pounds in the first few months. Can negative keywords be too aggressive? Yes — over-aggressive negative keyword lists can exclude legitimate potential customers. Adding 'review' as a negative keyword might seem sensible (excluding searchers looking for reviews) but will also exclude 'our service review' or research-phase queries that sometimes convert. Test the impact of significant negative additions — if impressions drop dramatically without a proportional improvement in CTR and conversion rate, some negatives may be too broad. Negative keyword management requires judgment, not just adding anything that sounds off-topic. ### Ready to improve your PPC? Get a free consultation from our expert team. Talk to us ### What to do next ### Tags negative keywords PPCnegative keywords Google Adsstop wasting ad spendnegative keyword list KK Kaiser Khan Founder & Director · Elite Digital Agency Kaiser Khan is the founder of Elite Digital Agency (Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd). He specialises in SEO, Answer Engine Optimisation, and AI search strategy for UK businesses and charities. Author page · mrkaiserkhan.com ↗ Keep reading ## Related articles PPC & Paid Media ### What is Lead Generation PPC? Using Paid Search to Fill the Sales Pipeline 8 min read · Kaiser Khan PPC & Paid Media ### What are Google Ads Extensions? Ad Assets That Boost Performance 7 min read · Kaiser Khan PPC & Paid Media ### What is a Responsive Search Ad? Google's AI-Powered Ad Format 7 min read · Kaiser Khan Want expert help with your digital marketing? Our team of SEO, AEO, and performance specialists are ready to review your strategy. Get a free consultation See our services