Understanding What Is An Example Of A Negative Keyword In Google Ads? And How IT Saves Your Budget

It's 11:47 PM on a Tuesday, and Sarah's staring at her Google Ads dashboard with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her "premium leather handbags" campaign has burned through $3,200 this month, but sales are barely covering ad costs. The click-through rate looks decent at 4.2%, so what's going wrong?

She clicks into the search terms report—and there it is. The truth hiding in plain sight.

"Free leather handbag patterns." "How to repair leather handbags." "Leather handbag wholesale suppliers." "Cheap knockoff designer bags." Her ads have been showing for hundreds of searches that have absolutely nothing to do with people ready to buy premium handbags. She's been paying $2.80 per click for tire-kickers, DIY enthusiasts, and bargain hunters who were never going to convert.

This scenario plays out thousands of times every day across Google Ads accounts. Advertisers launch campaigns targeting valuable keywords, but without proper negative keywords—terms that prevent your ads from showing for specific searches—they end up paying for traffic that will never convert. It's like opening a luxury boutique but forgetting to lock the back door, so people wander in looking for the bathroom, asking for directions, or just killing time.

The frustrating part? Most of this waste is completely preventable.

Negative keywords are the most underutilized tool in Google Ads, yet they're often the difference between profitable campaigns and budget black holes. While everyone obsesses over finding the perfect keywords to target, the real money gets saved—and made—by knowing which searches to exclude. A single well-placed negative keyword can eliminate hundreds of dollars in wasted spend overnight.

This guide exists to be your definitive reference for understanding negative keywords through real, actionable examples. Whether you're a marketer managing your first campaign, a freelancer optimizing client accounts, or an agency owner training your team, you'll walk away knowing exactly what negative keywords are, how they work at the auction level, and most importantly—which specific terms you should be excluding right now based on your business model.

We're going to break down real-world negative keyword examples across e-commerce, service businesses, and B2B companies. You'll see the most common categories that apply universally, learn how to identify negative keywords from your own search terms data, and discover advanced strategies that separate amateur campaigns from professionally optimized accounts. By the end, you'll have a systematic approach to negative keyword management that prevents waste before it happens.

But before we dive into specific examples and implementation tactics, we need to establish exactly what negative keywords are and how they function within Google's auction system. Because understanding the mechanics changes everything about how you use them.

TL;DR: Negative keywords are search terms you add to campaigns to prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant queries. They work by excluding your ad from the auction entirely when someone searches for those terms. Common examples include "free," "cheap," "jobs," "DIY," and competitor names. Implementing negative keywords improves conversion rates, reduces cost per click, and prevents budget waste on unqualified traffic. This guide provides industry-specific examples, identification strategies, and advanced implementation tactics for marketers, freelancers, and agency owners managing Google Ads campaigns.

Decoding Negative Keywords: The Foundation Every Advertiser Needs

Here's what most Google Ads guides won't tell you: negative keywords don't just filter out bad traffic. They fundamentally change how your ads compete in Google's auction system—before a single penny leaves your account.

Think of Google's ad auction like a high-stakes poker game. Every time someone searches, Google decides which advertisers get to play that hand. Positive keywords are your way of saying "I want in on this game." Negative keywords? They're your way of folding before the cards are even dealt. You're not just declining to bid—you're removing yourself from the auction entirely.

A negative keyword is a term or phrase you add to your Google Ads campaigns to prevent your ads from showing when someone's search includes that term. Simple enough. But here's where it gets interesting: this happens at the auction level, not the ad rank level. Your ad never enters the competition. Google's algorithm sees your negative keyword, matches it against the search query, and your ad is immediately disqualified from that specific auction.

This matters because it means negative keywords don't affect your Quality Score, don't influence your average position, and don't show up in any performance metrics. They're invisible guardians that work silently in the background, protecting your budget from irrelevant searches before any damage occurs.

Let's say you sell premium leather handbags and you've added "cheap" as a negative keyword. When someone searches for "cheap leather handbags," Google's system checks your negative keyword list, finds the match, and your ad never participates in that auction. You don't pay. You don't show. You don't exist for that searcher. Meanwhile, your competitor who hasn't added "cheap" as a negative pays $3.50 for a click from someone who will never buy a $400 handbag.

The Three Negative Match Types Explained

Here's where negative keywords get tricky—and where most advertisers make expensive mistakes. Negative match types work differently than positive keyword match types, and understanding this difference is crucial.

Negative broad match is the most commonly used, but it's also the most misunderstood. When you add "free shoes" as a negative broad match, your ad won't show for any search that contains both "free" AND "shoes" in any order. So "free running shoes," "shoes free shipping," and "get free shoes" would all be blocked. But—and this is critical—"free" by itself or "shoes" by itself would still trigger your ads. Both terms must appear in the search query for the exclusion to kick in.

Negative phrase match requires the exact phrase to appear in the search query in that specific order. If you add "free trial" as a negative phrase match, you'll block "sign up for free trial" and "free trial software," but you won't block "trial free version" or "free software trial" because the words aren't in the exact order. This gives you more precise control when you want to exclude specific phrases without casting too wide a net.

Negative exact match is the surgical option. It blocks only searches that match your negative keyword exactly, with nothing before or after. Add [free shoes] as a negative exact match, and you'll only block the search "free shoes"—nothing else. Not "free running shoes," not "get free shoes," just that exact two-word phrase. This is useful

Decoding Negative Keywords: The Foundation Every Advertiser Needs

Here's what most advertisers get wrong about negative keywords: they think of them as an afterthought, something to add when campaigns start bleeding money. But negative keywords aren't damage control—they're precision instruments that work at the most fundamental level of Google's advertising system.

A negative keyword is a term or phrase that prevents your ad from entering the auction for specific search queries. Notice I said "prevents from entering"—not "lowers your chances" or "reduces your bid." When someone searches for a term that matches your negative keyword, your ad doesn't compete at all. It's excluded before Google even calculates ad rank, before any auction happens, before a single penny could be spent.

Think of it like this: positive keywords are your invitation to the auction. Negative keywords are your "do not disturb" sign for auctions you don't want to attend.

Let's say you sell premium leather handbags starting at $400. You're targeting "leather handbags" as a broad match keyword. Without negative keywords, your ad could show for "cheap leather handbags," "free leather handbag patterns," or "leather handbag repair near me." Every one of those clicks costs you money, but none of those searchers are looking to buy a $400 handbag.

Add "cheap," "free," and "repair" as negative keywords, and your ad simply won't appear for those searches. Google's system checks the search query against your negative keywords before your ad ever enters the competition. You're not paying lower bids for irrelevant traffic—you're not paying anything at all because you're not showing up.

This is fundamentally different from other optimization tactics. Lowering bids still means you might show up and pay for clicks. Pausing keywords means you lose all traffic. Negative keywords give you surgical precision: keep the good traffic, eliminate the bad, all automatically at the auction level.

The Three Negative Match Types Explained

Here's where it gets interesting—and where most advertisers make expensive mistakes. Negative keywords use match types just like positive keywords, but they work completely differently. Understanding this difference is worth thousands in saved ad spend.

Negative broad match is the most commonly used, but it's also the most misunderstood. When you add "free" as a negative broad match keyword, your ad won't show if the search query contains all the words in your negative keyword, in any order. So "free leather handbags" gets blocked. "Leather handbags free shipping" gets blocked. But here's the twist: "free shipping on handbags" would still trigger your ad because it doesn't contain "leather" from your positive keyword phrase.

Negative phrase match requires the exact phrase to appear in the search query, in that specific order. Add "free shipping" as a negative phrase match, and you'll block "leather handbags free shipping" and "free shipping leather bags." But "leather bags with free delivery" would still show because the exact phrase "free shipping" doesn't appear in that order.

Negative exact match is the most restrictive—it only blocks searches that match your negative keyword exactly, with nothing before or after. Add [free shipping] as a negative exact match, and you'll only block the search "free shipping" by itself. "Free shipping handbags" would still trigger your ad.

The Three Negative Match Types Explained

Here's where things get interesting—and where most advertisers make their biggest mistakes. Negative keywords don't work the same way as regular keywords. At all.

When you add a positive keyword to your campaign, Google's matching has become increasingly flexible. Broad match keywords can trigger your ads for searches that don't even contain your exact terms. But negative keywords? They work in reverse, and they're far more literal than you might expect.

Understanding these differences isn't just technical trivia—it's the difference between accidentally blocking valuable traffic and surgically removing waste. Let's break down each negative match type with examples that show exactly what gets blocked and what still gets through.

Negative Broad Match: Your Blunt Instrument

Negative broad match is the default when you add a negative keyword, and it's more restrictive than you'd think. Your ad won't show if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, in any order, but it can still show if the search only contains some of the terms.

Let's say you add "free shoes" as a negative broad match keyword. Your ads will be blocked for searches like "free running shoes," "shoes that are free," and "get free shoes online." But here's the twist—your ads can still show for "free shipping on shoes" or "shoes with free returns" because these searches don't contain both "free" AND "shoes" as the core intent.

This is where advertisers get tripped up. They assume "free" as a negative broad match will block everything with "free" in it. It won't. You need both terms present for the exclusion to trigger.

Negative Phrase Match: The Precision Tool

Negative phrase match gives you more control by blocking searches that contain your exact phrase in that specific order. Add quotation marks around your negative keyword, and you're telling Google: "Block any search that includes these words together, in this sequence."

If you add "free shoes" as a negative phrase match, your ads won't show for "free shoes for kids," "best free shoes," or "free shoes online." The phrase "free shoes" appears in order, so they're blocked. But your ads can still show for "shoes with free shipping" or "free returns on shoes" because "free shoes" doesn't appear as a connected phrase.

Understanding Google Ads match types becomes crucial here, because the interaction between positive and negative match types determines which searches actually trigger your ads. Many advertisers don't realize that a broad match positive keyword combined with phrase match negatives creates a specific traffic filtering pattern.

This match type is particularly useful for protecting branded terms. If you're running ads for "Nike shoes" but want to exclude discount-seekers, adding "cheap Nike shoes" as a negative phrase match blocks that specific phrase while still allowing "Nike shoes cheap" to potentially trigger your ads (though you'd probably want to block that too).

Negative Exact Match: The Surgical Strike

Negative exact match is the most precise option, blocking only searches that match your negative keyword exactly, with no additional words before, after, or in between. You indicate this by wrapping your negative keyword in brackets.

Real-World Negative Keyword Examples That Save Money

Theory is great, but let's get practical. The fastest way to understand negative keywords is seeing exactly which terms successful advertisers exclude—and why those exclusions matter for their bottom line.

Here's the thing: negative keywords aren't one-size-fits-all. What makes perfect sense to exclude for an e-commerce store selling premium products might be exactly what a service business wants to capture. Your business model, pricing strategy, and target audience determine which searches waste money versus which ones convert.

Let's break down real-world examples across three major business types, so you can immediately identify which patterns apply to your campaigns.

E-commerce Negative Keyword Examples

E-commerce businesses face a specific challenge: their products trigger searches from people at wildly different stages of intent. Someone searching "leather wallet" might be ready to buy, researching options, looking for repair services, or hunting for free patterns to make their own.

Price and Quality Modifiers: Terms like "free," "cheap," "discount," "wholesale," and "clearance" attract bargain hunters who won't convert on premium products. If you're selling $200 leather wallets, someone searching "cheap leather wallet" isn't your customer—they're looking for the $15 version on Amazon.

Information-Seeking Terms: Words like "review," "comparison," "vs," "best," and "alternative" indicate research mode, not buying mode. These searchers are valuable for content marketing, but they'll click your product ads, consume your budget, and bounce without purchasing.

DIY and Repair Terms: Searches containing "DIY," "how to make," "pattern," "repair," "fix," and "broken" come from people who want to solve their problem themselves, not buy your solution. An online electronics retailer excluding "broken iPhone screen" prevents paying for clicks from people looking for repair tutorials, not replacement phones.

Wrong Product Variations: If you sell women's shoes, "men's" becomes a negative keyword. If you only carry new items, "used," "refurbished," and "secondhand" should be excluded. Match your inventory reality to your ad visibility.

Service-Based Business Examples

Service businesses have different economics than e-commerce. You can't ship a plumbing repair to Alaska, and you can't serve someone who wants to DIY their own legal documents. Geographic and intent-based negatives become critical.

Geographic Exclusions: This is non-negotiable for local services. If you're a plumber in Austin, Texas, every other city and state name should be a negative keyword. "Dallas plumber," "Houston emergency plumbing," "California plumbing services"—all wasted clicks if you can't serve those areas. Even neighborhoods outside your service radius should be excluded.

DIY and Tutorial Terms: Service businesses get hammered by "how to" searches. Terms like "DIY," "yourself," "tutorial," "guide," "tips," and "instructions" attract people who want to learn, not hire. A roofing company excluding "how to repair roof yourself" prevents paying for clicks from weekend warriors watching YouTube videos.

Employment and Career Terms: "Jobs," "career

Putting It All Together: Your Negative Keyword Action Plan

You now have everything you need to stop wasting money on irrelevant clicks and start running tighter, more profitable Google Ads campaigns. The difference between advertisers who struggle with Google Ads and those who consistently hit their ROI targets often comes down to this single discipline: systematic negative keyword management.

Start with the universal categories we covered—price modifiers, job-related terms, DIY phrases, and geographic exclusions outside your service area. These alone can eliminate 20-30% of wasted spend in most accounts. Then dive into your search terms report weekly, looking for patterns rather than just individual problem queries. When you spot a red flag—high impressions with zero conversions, or terms that clearly indicate wrong intent—add those negatives immediately at the appropriate match type and campaign level.

Remember that negative keywords aren't a one-time setup task. They're an ongoing optimization discipline that compounds in value over time. Each negative keyword you add improves your campaign's signal quality, helps Google's algorithms learn faster, and ensures your budget focuses on prospects who actually match your business model. The accounts that perform best aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets—they're the ones with the cleanest traffic.

If you're managing multiple campaigns or working with clients, implement shared negative keyword lists organized by category. This single structural change will save you hours of repetitive work while ensuring consistent exclusions across your entire account. And don't forget to document your negative keyword decisions—six months from now, you'll want to remember why you excluded certain terms when reviewing campaign performance.

The real power of negative keywords isn't just in what they exclude—it's in how they sharpen your entire advertising strategy. When you're forced to think critically about which searches to block, you gain clarity about who your ideal customer actually is and what intent signals matter most. That clarity transforms everything from your ad copy to your landing pages to your bidding strategy.

Ready to take control of your Google Ads spend and eliminate waste before it happens?