Negative keywords for service businesses in Google Ads
By Lee ·
Every click on a search that was never going to become a customer costs money. Negative keywords tell Google Ads which searches to leave out. For service businesses, a good negative list often makes the difference between paying for curiosity and paying for enquiries.
How negative keywords work
A negative keyword blocks your ad from showing when a search contains that term. There are three match types:
| Negative match type | Blocks | Example negative | Blocks "cheap plumber jobs perth"? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad (default) | Searches containing all the words, in any order | plumber jobs |
Yes |
| Phrase | Searches containing the words in that order | "plumber jobs" |
Yes |
| Exact | Only that exact search | [plumber jobs] |
No |
One important difference from normal keywords: negative keywords don't match close variants. A negative for job won't block jobs. Add plurals, synonyms and alternative phrasings separately. Google does handle capitalisation and common misspellings for you.
Where to find negative keywords
The search terms report
This is the main source. It shows the searches that actually triggered your ads. Sort by cost and look for searches that:
- Are for something you don't offer
- Come from people looking for work, training or information
- Mention places you don't serve
- Are about DIY, free or second-hand versions
You can add a search term as a negative directly from the report. Google adds it as negative exact match by default, so change it to phrase or broad if you want to block similar searches too.
Your own knowledge
Before the report has much data, write down what you don't do. A residential electrician who doesn't do commercial work, or a dentist who doesn't offer a particular treatment, can exclude those from day one.
A starter list for service businesses
Adjust this to your services. Some words may be valuable for your business, so check before adding them.
- Employment: jobs, job, careers, salary, apprenticeship, hiring, vacancies
- Training: course, courses, training, certificate, qualification, how to become
- DIY: diy, how to, tutorial, yourself, video
- Free and second-hand: free, template, second hand, used (only if you don't offer budget options)
- Wrong intent: definition, meaning, history, wiki
- Locations: suburbs, cities or regions you don't serve
- Services you don't offer
Don't add "cheap" or "cost" automatically. People asking about price may still be good customers.
Campaign level, ad group level or lists?
- Ad group level: use this to steer searches between your own ad groups, for example stopping a "repairs" ad group showing for "installation" searches.
- Campaign level: for searches that never suit that campaign.
- Negative keyword lists: for searches that never suit any campaign, such as jobs and training. Create the list once and apply it to each campaign. A list only works once it's attached to a campaign.
Avoid blocking good searches
Negative keywords can do harm when they're too broad. A broad negative of repair would block every repair search, including the ones you want.
Before adding a negative, check it against the keywords you're bidding on. Google Ads warns about some conflicts, but review your list after big changes and look for drops in impressions on important keywords.
Make it a routine
Review the search terms report regularly. Weekly suits a new or busy account, and monthly suits a stable one. New irrelevant searches appear all the time, especially with broad match keywords.
Frequently asked questions
Do negative keywords block plurals and misspellings?
They don't block close variants, so add plurals and synonyms separately. Google does account for capitalisation and common misspellings.
What match type should I use for negative keywords?
Phrase match suits most negatives, because it blocks the phrase wherever it appears in a search. Use exact match when you only want to block one specific search, and broad when the words could appear in any order.
How many negative keywords should I have?
There's no target number. Add what the search terms report and your services justify, and review the list for anything that's blocking searches you want.
Can negative keywords hurt my campaigns?
Yes, if they're too broad or conflict with the keywords you're bidding on. Check new negatives against your keyword list and watch for falls in impressions.
How Kleari can help
I set up and manage Google Ads for service businesses, including reviewing search terms, building negative keyword lists and checking conversion tracking. If you already run ads, an account review can show how much spend is going on searches that don't suit your business.
See Google Ads management, or read why Google Ads might not be getting leads.