When it comes to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, keywords are an essential component of any successful campaign. They help your ads to appear in search results when people search for specific terms related to your product or service. However, not all keywords are created equal. Negative keywords are a crucial tool that can help you to refine your PPC campaigns and avoid wasting money on irrelevant clicks. In this article, we will discuss How are negative keywords different from other keywords and why they are important for your PPC strategy.
What are Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords are a type of keyword that is used to prevent your ads from appearing for certain search terms. While regular keywords are used to trigger your ads to show for relevant search queries, negative keywords work in the opposite way by telling the search engine not to show your ads for particular keywords or phrases. Negative keywords are often used to exclude irrelevant or unprofitable searches and to improve the overall performance of a PPC campaign.
How Do Negative Keywords Work?
When you add negative keywords to your PPC campaign, you are essentially telling the search engine to exclude your ads from showing for searches that contain those keywords. For example, if you are selling high-end watches and don’t want your ads to appear for people searching for cheap watches, you can add “cheap” as a negative keyword. This will prevent your ads from showing for searches containing the word “cheap.”
How Are Negative Keywords Different From Other Keywords?
Negative keywords are different from regular keywords in a few key ways:
Purpose
The primary purpose of regular keywords is to trigger your ads to show for relevant search queries. Negative keywords, on the other hand, are used to exclude your ads from showing for specific search terms that are not relevant to your business.
Match Types
Regular keywords have different match types (exact, phrase, broad, and broad match modifier) that determine how closely the search query needs to match your keyword for your ads to appear. Negative keywords, on the other hand, only have two match types: negative exact match and negative phrase match.
Targeting
Regular keywords are used to target specific searches that are relevant to your business. Negative keywords are used to target searches that are not relevant to your business.
Why Are Negative Keywords Important?
Negative keywords are essential for improving the relevancy and quality of your ad campaigns. By excluding irrelevant searches, you can improve your click-through rate (CTR) and reduce your cost-per-click (CPC). Negative keywords can also help you to focus your ad spend on the most relevant searches for your business, improving your chances of reaching your target audience and achieving your advertising goals.
Examples of Negative Keywords
Here are some examples of negative keywords that you might use in your PPC campaigns:
Free
If you sell products or services that are not free, you may want to exclude searches that include the word “free.” This can help you to avoid clicks from people who are looking for freebies and are unlikely to make a purchase.
Cheap
If you sell high-end products or services, you may want to exclude searches that include the word “cheap.” This can help you to avoid clicks from people who are looking for budget options and are unlikely to be interested in your premium offerings.
Jobs
If you are not hiring, you may want to exclude searches that include the word “jobs.” This can help you to avoid clicks from people who are looking for job opportunities and are not interested in your products or services.
Reviews
If you don’t have a strong reputation online, you may want to exclude searches that include the word “reviews.” This can help you to avoid clicks from people who are looking for reviews of your business and are not likely to convert.
How to Find Negative Keywords
There are several ways to find negative keywords for your PPC campaigns:
Analyze search query reports
Search query reports show you the actual search terms that triggered your ads to show. By analyzing these reports, you can identify search terms that are not relevant to your business and add them as negative keywords.
Use keyword research tools
Keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help you to find negative keywords by showing you related search terms that you may want to exclude.
Monitor your campaigns regularly
By monitoring your campaigns regularly, you can identify search terms that are not performing well and exclude them as negative keywords.
Analyze competitor campaigns
Analyzing your competitors’ campaigns can give you insights into which search terms they are targeting and which ones they are excluding as negative keywords.
Best Practices for Using Negative Keywords
Here are some best practices for using negative keywords in your PPC campaigns:
Regularly review and update your negative keyword list
As your business evolves and your advertising goals change, you may need to add or remove negative keywords from your list.
Use negative keywords at the campaign and ad group level
By using negative keywords at the campaign and ad group level, you can ensure that your ads are only shown for the most relevant searches.
Use negative keyword match types
Negative keyword match types allow you to control which search terms your ads are excluded from. Using negative exact match or negative phrase match can help you to avoid excluding relevant searches.
Use negative keywords in conjunction with regular keywords
Negative keywords should be used in conjunction with regular keywords to ensure that your ads are shown for the most relevant searches.
Conclusion
Negative keywords are a powerful tool that can help you to refine your PPC campaigns and improve their overall performance. By excluding irrelevant searches, you can improve your CTR, reduce your CPC, and focus your ad spend on the most relevant searches for your business. By regularly reviewing and updating your negative keyword list, you can ensure that your ads are only shown to the most qualified and interested audience.