6 Negative Keyword Example Types to Use in 2025

Ever checked your Google Ads search terms report and wondered why you're paying for clicks on 'marketing agency jobs' when you're selling marketing software? You're not alone. Wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks is the silent killer of PPC campaigns, silently draining your budget, tanking your conversion rates, and leaving you scratching your head.

The fix is simpler than you think: negative keywords. These are the gatekeepers of your ad account, telling Google exactly which searches not to show your ads for. Getting this right is a fundamental part of optimizing your Google Ads campaigns and making sure your budget goes toward clicks that actually matter.

This guide skips the fluff and gets straight to the point. We're breaking down 6 essential negative keyword example types with real-world scenarios, from broad match exclusions to blocking job-seekers and bargain-hunters. You'll learn exactly how to stop irrelevant traffic in its tracks, attract higher-quality clicks, and finally make your ad spend work smarter, not harder. Let's dive in and plug those budget leaks.

1. Broad Match Negative Keywords

Broad match negative keywords are your first line of defense against irrelevant ad spend. Think of them as the bouncers for your Google Ads campaigns. They're the default negative match type and the most flexible, blocking your ads from showing when all the words in your negative keyword phrase appear in a search query, no matter what order they’re in.

This wide-net approach is perfect for quickly filtering out large swaths of unqualified traffic without getting bogged down in tiny details. If you're selling high-end "luxury watches," you definitely don't want to show up for searches like "cheap replica watches" or "watches cheap replica." Adding cheap replica as a broad match negative keyword example handles both. It tells Google, "If 'cheap' and 'replica' are both in the search, I'm out."

Strategic Breakdown and Analysis

The power of broad match negatives lies in their efficiency. You don't have to predict every single variation of an irrelevant search.

• For an E-commerce Store: A company selling premium leather boots can add the negative keyword used boots for sale. This blocks searches like "sale on used boots" and "used leather boots for sale cheap," protecting their brand image and budget.
• For a B2B SaaS Company: If you offer a sophisticated project management tool, you might add free trial unlimited. This prevents your ads from appearing for users looking for a completely free, unrestricted tool, who likely have no intention of ever becoming paying customers.
• For a Law Firm: A personal injury firm could add pro bono free legal to filter out searchers who cannot pay for services, allowing the firm to focus its ad budget on attracting profitable clients.

Key Takeaway: Use broad match negatives to exclude entire concepts and user intents that are clearly misaligned with your product or service. This is your high-level filter to remove the most obvious budget-wasters first.

To help you get a quick handle on this, here's a summary of how broad match negative keywords function.

As the infographic highlights, the key is that all terms must be present for the ad to be blocked, giving you a mix of control and flexibility. This is just one of several keyword match types you'll encounter. For a deeper dive, you can learn more about the different Google Ads keyword match types on keywordme.io.

Actionable Tips and Best Practices

To get the most out of broad match negatives, start by reviewing your search terms report for common irrelevant themes. If you see multiple search queries containing words like "free," "jobs," or "DIY," you've found your first candidates for a broad match negative keyword list.

2. Phrase Match Negative Keywords

If broad match negatives are the bouncers, phrase match negative keywords are the meticulous guest list checkers. They give you more control by blocking your ads when a search query contains your exact negative keyword phrase, in the exact same order. Additional words can appear before or after the phrase, but the core sequence must remain intact for the ad to be blocked.

This targeted approach is crucial when the order of words completely changes the user's intent. For instance, if you sell premium software, you want to block searches for "free download". This prevents your ad from showing on "photo editor free download" but would still allow it for a query like "download your free trial of our photo editor," where "free" and "download" are separated. The specific order is what signals an unqualified search.

Strategic Breakdown and Analysis

The precision of phrase match is its greatest strength. It allows you to surgically remove specific, problematic search patterns without accidentally blocking potentially valuable, related queries.

• For an E-commerce Store: An electronics retailer selling new products can add the negative keyword "repair services". This stops their product ads from appearing for searches like "local iPhone repair services" but won't block a relevant query like "repair options for new electronics."
• For a B2B SaaS Company: An online course platform can add "pirated courses" as a phrase match negative. This effectively blocks searches like "where to find pirated courses online," protecting their intellectual property and ensuring they only attract users willing to pay for legitimate content.
• For a Hotel Chain: A mid-range hotel group could use "low budget" to filter out searches for "low budget hostels in Europe." This is a perfect negative keyword example because it lets them still appear for "budget friendly family hotels," where the intent aligns better with their offerings.

Key Takeaway: Use phrase match negatives when word order is critical to defining user intent. This match type is ideal for protecting your brand, excluding specific service requests, and avoiding users looking for free or illegitimate versions of your product.

This level of control is essential for refining campaign performance beyond the initial broad exclusions. It helps you target users with much higher commercial intent.

Actionable Tips and Best Practices

To effectively leverage phrase match negatives, dive into your search terms report and look for patterns where word order defines irrelevance. If you're a brand, adding "[brand name] complaints" or "[brand name] reviews" can shield your conversion-focused campaigns from users in a research or troubleshooting mindset. Combine these with broad match negatives for a robust, multi-layered defense against wasted ad spend.

3. Exact Match Negative Keywords

Exact match negative keywords are your precision tool, the scalpel in your Google Ads surgical kit. They offer the most control, blocking your ads only when a search query perfectly matches your negative keyword, including close variants like misspellings or plurals. This is the most restrictive negative match type, ideal for when you need to eliminate a very specific, high-volume, and irrelevant search term without affecting related, valuable queries.

Think of it this way: if you're a software company and add [jobs] as an exact match negative keyword, your ad will be blocked for the search query "jobs" but will still be eligible to show for searches like "software development jobs" or "jobs using our software." This surgical precision is a powerful negative keyword example that prevents you from accidentally filtering out qualified traffic, a common risk with broader match types.

Strategic Breakdown and Analysis

The true power of exact match negatives is in their ability to make micro-adjustments that have a major impact on campaign efficiency and budget allocation.

• For a B2C Brand: A popular shoe brand might add [competitor name] as an exact match negative. This stops them from paying for clicks from users specifically searching only for their competitor, while still allowing their ads to appear on broader searches like "best running shoes" where both brands might be considered.
• For a SaaS Provider: A company offering a premium accounting tool could add the negative keyword [free]. This specifically blocks the single-word query "free" from triggering their ads, preventing budget waste on users with zero intent to purchase, while still showing for valuable long-tail searches like "free trial for accounting software."
• For an Education Provider: A university promoting its MBA program might identify "Wikipedia" as a common but irrelevant term in their search query reports. By adding [wikipedia], they exclude purely informational, non-commercial searches from users who are just researching the term, not looking to enroll.

Key Takeaway: Use exact match negatives to surgically remove specific, high-volume, low-intent search queries that you’ve identified in your search terms report. This is your go-to for eliminating known budget drainers without collateral damage.

Actionable Tips and Best Practices

To effectively leverage exact match negatives, dive deep into your search terms report. Look for single-word queries or very specific phrases that consistently drive clicks but result in zero conversions. These are your prime candidates.

Start by identifying brand names of direct competitors, common informational terms (like "reviews," "wiki," "jobs"), and any other specific queries that are definitively outside your target audience's intent. Applying these as exact match negatives is a quick win for improving your campaign's ROI.

4. Job-Related Negative Keywords

Unless you're actively recruiting, showing your ads to job seekers is one of the fastest ways to burn through your advertising budget. Job-related negative keywords are crucial for shielding your campaigns from people looking for employment opportunities, not your products or services. This is a common and costly oversight for many well-known brands that attract a high volume of career-related searches.

These searches often include your brand name or industry-specific terms, making them look like qualified traffic at first glance. For example, a marketing agency bidding on "digital marketing services" might accidentally attract clicks from searches like "digital marketing services jobs." Adding negative keywords like jobs, careers, and hiring ensures your ads are reserved for potential clients, not potential employees.

Strategic Breakdown and Analysis

The primary goal here is to separate commercial intent from career-seeking intent. Failing to do so wastes money and skews your conversion data with irrelevant clicks from job applicants.

• For a Technology Company: A software firm can add a comprehensive list of job-related negatives like jobs, careers, employment, hiring, positions, vacancies, and apply now. This is a great negative keyword example that prevents ads from showing to developers or salespeople looking for their next role at the company.
• For a Retail Brand: A popular clothing store should exclude branded job searches. Adding negative phrase match keywords like "[brand name] jobs" and "[brand name] careers" is essential. This stops them from paying for clicks from people searching specifically for employment at their stores, who have zero intent to make a purchase.
• For a Healthcare Provider: A hospital system running ads for its specialized medical services should add terms like nurse jobs, doctor positions, and medical careers. This filters out medical professionals looking for employment, focusing the budget on reaching patients in need of care.

Key Takeaway: Proactively block all job-seeking terminology. This is not a one-time setup; regularly review your search terms report for new variations like "internship," "resume," or "salary" that indicate employment interest.

Actionable Tips and Best Practices

To effectively implement job-related negative keywords, create a dedicated negative keyword list in your Google Ads account and apply it to all relevant campaigns. This saves you from having to add the same keywords to each campaign individually.

Start with a foundational list of single-word negatives: jobs, careers, hiring, employment, positions, vacancies, recruitment, apply, CV, and resume. Then, expand it with phrase match variations that include your brand name, such as "[your company] jobs" or "[your company] application". Finally, review this list quarterly to catch new search trends or terminology introduced by emerging job platforms.

5. Free/Cheap/Discount-Seeking Negative Keywords

Protecting your brand’s perceived value is just as important as protecting your ad budget. Adding price-sensitive negative keywords is your best defense against attracting users whose primary motivation is finding the lowest possible price, especially when your offerings are positioned as premium or value-driven rather than cheap. These keywords filter out bargain hunters who are unlikely to convert at your standard price points.

If you sell a high-end software suite, you don't want clicks from searches like "free alternative to [your software]" or "[your software] cracked download." By adding negative keywords like free, cracked, and torrent, you immediately disqualify traffic that has zero intent of ever paying. This is a crucial negative keyword example for preserving profitability and focusing on leads who appreciate the value you provide.

Strategic Breakdown and Analysis

The core strategy here is to align ad spend with user intent. Clicks from users seeking a freebie for a paid product are wasted clicks. By proactively excluding them, you improve conversion rates and protect your brand from being associated with low-quality or illicit downloads.

• For a Premium SaaS Company: An enterprise CRM provider should exclude free forever plan, open source, and nulled. This ensures their ads are shown to businesses researching robust, paid solutions, not individuals looking for a no-cost tool.
• For a Luxury Hotel Brand: A five-star resort would add negative keywords like cheap hotels, budget accommodation, and hostel alternative. This filters out travelers looking for the lowest price, focusing the budget on guests willing to pay for a premium experience.
• For a Professional Service Provider: A marketing consultant could block terms like pro bono, volunteer, and unpaid internship. This prevents their ads from appearing for non-commercial inquiries, targeting clients who are serious about investing in professional services.

Key Takeaway: Use price-sensitive negative keywords to segment your audience at the search query level. This tactic pre-qualifies your traffic by ensuring your ads only reach users whose purchasing intent matches your pricing structure.

Actionable Tips and Best Practices

Start by brainstorming all the ways a user might search for a free or discounted version of what you offer. Think like a bargain hunter. Your list should include terms like free, cheap, discount, coupon, promo code, and sale. For software or digital products, expand this list to include words like cracked, pirated, keygen, and torrent.

Be careful with match types here. Adding "free" as a broad match negative could block valuable searches like "CRM with free shipping." Instead, use phrase match negatives like "free CRM" to maintain precision. Building a comprehensive list is a powerful starting point; you can find more inspiration and download ready-to-use lists to get ahead. To explore this further, you can get a comprehensive negative keyword list on keywordme.io. Remember to temporarily pause these negatives if you run a promotion where terms like "sale" or "discount" become relevant.

6. Competitor and Alternative Brand Negative Keywords

Using competitor brands as negative keywords is a strategic move to control where your budget is spent in the highly competitive landscape of PPC. While bidding on competitor terms can be a powerful "conquesting" strategy, adding them as negatives prevents your ads from showing for searches where intent is strongly tied to a rival, protecting you from costly, low-conversion clicks.

This tactic is crucial for refining your audience and avoiding users who are not genuinely open to alternatives. For instance, if you're an iPhone seller, you don't want to pay for clicks from someone explicitly searching for a "Samsung Galaxy S24 review" or to "buy Google Pixel 8." By adding Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 8 as negative keywords, you filter out users who have already made up their minds, ensuring your ad spend is focused on those actively considering your products.

Strategic Breakdown and Analysis

The real value here is surgical precision. You get to decide exactly which competitive battlegrounds to enter and which to avoid, based on your budget, brand positioning, and campaign goals.

• For an E-commerce Store: A company like Nike might add Adidas Ultra Boost as a negative keyword. This blocks their ads from showing to a user laser-focused on a specific competitor's flagship product, a search that indicates very high brand loyalty and a low likelihood of converting.
• For a B2B SaaS Company: A platform like Salesforce could add negatives like HubSpot jobs or Oracle careers. This is a classic negative keyword example that prevents wasting budget on job seekers, not potential customers, who are using competitor brand names in their search.
• For a Local Service Business: A high-end local coffee shop could add the names of large chains like Starbucks menu or Dunkin' locations. This helps them avoid competing for customers seeking the convenience and familiarity of a major brand, allowing them to focus on users looking for a unique, premium experience.

Key Takeaway: Use competitor and alternative brand negatives to sidestep unwinnable battles and filter out users with strong allegiance to another brand. This preserves your budget for audiences who are either undecided or already looking for you.

To implement this effectively, you need a clear understanding of your market position and which competitive searches are worth pursuing. Sometimes, it's smarter to bow out of a fight you can't win. For a more comprehensive look at this tactic, you can learn more about how to approach competitor PPC keywords on keywordme.io.

Actionable Tips and Best Practices

To effectively manage competitor terms, start by listing your top five direct competitors and their main product lines. Use this list to build a foundational set of negative keywords, focusing on searches that signal clear intent for another brand. Combine competitor names with terms like "login," "support," "complaints," or "customer service" to immediately weed out existing customers of your rivals who are just looking for help.

Negative Keyword Types Comparison

Make Your Negative Keyword Strategy Effortless

We've covered a lot of ground, diving deep into the nitty-gritty of what makes a great negative keyword list. From broad match blockers to precise exact match exclusions, each negative keyword example we explored serves a single, powerful purpose: to protect your ad spend and laser-focus your campaigns on the people who are actually ready to convert.

You’ve seen how seemingly harmless search terms can drain your budget. Think about the "free template" searches hitting your premium software ads, or the "how to fix" queries triggering your product listings. These aren't just minor leaks; they're significant holes in your marketing bucket, and plugging them is non-negotiable for achieving a high ROAS.

Your Action Plan for Smarter Campaigns

The core takeaway is that a proactive negative keyword strategy is not a "set it and forget it" task. It’s a dynamic, ongoing process of refinement that separates the amateur advertiser from the seasoned pro. Mastering this skill transforms your campaigns from a blunt instrument into a surgical tool, carving out a highly relevant audience segment.

Here are the key principles to carry forward:

• Audit, Audit, Audit: Regularly schedule time to review your search term reports. This is where the gold is hidden. Look for patterns of irrelevance, not just one-off bad keywords.
• Think Like Your Customer (and Your Non-Customer): Anticipate the search journeys of different user types. Consider DIY enthusiasts, job seekers, students, and bargain hunters. Build lists to exclude these intents before you even launch.
• Leverage All Match Types: Don’t just rely on broad match negatives. Use phrase match to control word order and exact match for surgically removing specific, consistently problematic queries. Each match type is a different tool in your optimization toolkit.

Ultimately, every negative keyword example in this article highlights a fundamental truth of PPC: you pay for every click, so every click must count. By telling Google who not to show your ads to, you gain immense control over your campaign performance, leading to better Quality Scores, higher click-through rates, and, most importantly, more qualified leads and sales. This isn't just about saving money; it's about investing it more intelligently.

Building and maintaining these lists manually is a grind. That's why we built Keywordme. Our one-click Chrome plugin integrates directly with your Google Ads account, helping you find and add negative keywords 10x faster so you can stop wasting time in spreadsheets and start optimizing your profitability. Take control of your ad spend and discover a more efficient workflow at Keywordme.