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Glossary · Targeting

What is Negative keywords?

Definition

Negative keywords are terms you exclude so your ads do not show for them. They are the main tool for stopping wasted spend in search campaigns, filtering out searches that are irrelevant, unqualified, or looking for something you do not sell, such as free versions, jobs or competitor support pages.

What to know

The source of good negatives is the search terms report, which shows the actual queries that triggered your ads rather than the keywords you bid on. Reviewing it regularly is the single highest-return maintenance task in a search account.

Match types apply to negatives too. A broad negative can silently block far more traffic than intended, so it is worth checking impression volume after adding one.

Related terms

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