How search terms and negative keywords shape a Search campaign

Separate the keyword from the query

A keyword is a targeting input in the account. A search term is something a person searched. Those strings can differ, depending on matching behavior. Evaluating only the keyword list can miss the reason money went to unsuitable traffic.

Open the search terms report for the relevant campaign and date range. Read the terms alongside cost and available conversion data. The report does not disclose every query, so it is a useful sample of observed activity rather than a complete transcript.

Classify the intent before excluding it

Worked example · illustrative, not a client result

Consider a business that repairs garage doors but does not recruit installers or sell loose parts online.

A research phrase can precede a purchase. Read the offer and the observed inquiries before assuming that every informational query is waste. Also check whether the ad and landing page explain the service accurately.

Understand negative match types

For Search campaigns, negative broad match blocks a search containing all the negative’s terms, in any order. Negative phrase match requires the terms in that order. Negative exact match excludes that term sequence without additional words. These rules differ from positive keyword matching. See Google’s negative keyword documentation.

For example, the exact negative [garage door technician jobs] targets that specific query. A single-word negative jobs is wider and can exclude other searches containing that word. Before choosing the wider rule, write examples of searches it should and should not block.

Do not assume a negative automatically covers synonyms or singular and plural variants. Review the current matching rules and the actual terms that still appear.

Check the scope before saving

An ad-group negative affects a narrower part of the account than a campaign or account-level exclusion. A phrase that is unsuitable for one service may be valuable for another. For example, excluding installation throughout an account can harm a separate installation campaign.

1. Record the observed query and why it is unsuitable.
2. Choose the narrowest useful exclusion and its match type.
3. Check relevant queries that the rule might also block.
4. Confirm which campaigns or ad groups inherit the rule.
5. Save the change with its date and reason.

Judge the next result on useful traffic

After the change, check whether unsuitable terms and costs decline. Also check whether suitable inquiries continue. A higher click-through rate alone does not establish better business performance, and a lower click count can be expected when unwanted traffic disappears.

Keep other simultaneous changes in your review notes. If bids, budgets, ads and exclusions all change together, the next result will be harder to explain. Use clear conversion definitions before treating the report’s conversion count as qualified demand.

Continue learning