Negative Keywords
Terms you tell Google Ads to never show your ad for, even if they overlap with a keyword you're bidding on.
What it means
Negative keywords are searches you explicitly exclude from triggering your ad. You might bid on "shoes" but add "free" as a negative keyword so you don't pay for clicks from people looking for something you don't offer.
Why it matters
Without negative keywords, broad or phrase match keywords will keep pulling in irrelevant searches, and every one of those clicks costs money whether or not it was ever going to convert. A well-maintained negative keyword list is one of the simplest ways to stop wasted spend.
ask datanephew
What searches are wasting my budget right now?
Ask datanephew to pull search terms that got clicks but no conversions — those are your best candidates for new negative keywords.
How often should I be updating my negative keyword list?
Ask datanephew to check your search terms report periodically — new irrelevant terms tend to show up as your campaigns and match types evolve.