How to Use Negative Keywords the Right Way in Google Ads (2024 Guide)
In this guide, you’ll learn how to add fewer negative keywords while blocking more irrelevant searches. Not only that—you’ll also learn how to proactively block terms before they even show up in your reports.
This method will help you simplify account management and gain more control over your Google Ads performance.
Why Fewer Keywords Can Be Better
Many advertisers end up adding tons of exact match negative keywords—one by one—every time they see something irrelevant. This becomes hard to manage fast.
Instead, by adding more strategic, broader phrase or root-word-based negatives, you can:
- Stop more junk traffic
- Keep your account clean and efficient
- Reduce management time
Google Ads is designed to show your ads to as many people as possible. That means irrelevant impressions unless you take back control with smart negative keyword practices.
Real-World Example: Organic Dog Food Store
Let’s say you run an ecommerce site for organic dog food. Here are a few sample search terms you see:
- dog food recipes
- recipe for dog food
- homemade dog food
These aren’t relevant if you’re selling products—not publishing recipes.
Now, if you just block [dog food recipe] as an exact match negative, here’s what happens:
- Google will still show your ad for “recipes for dog food”
- Also for “dog food recipes homemade” or other variations
You’re only blocking that one exact term—not the intent.
How to Do It Better
Instead of adding exact match negatives every time, here’s what you should do:
✅ Add a phrase match negative keyword like “recipe” or “recipes”
That blocks any query that contains the word recipe, regardless of the phrase structure:
- “dog food recipes”
- “how to make dog food”
- “recipe for large breed food”
Now you’re covering all variations of the intent—not just a single search.
✅ Fewer keywords
✅ More coverage
✅ Easier management
Proactive Blocking = Smarter Strategy
This approach also allows you to proactively block unwanted traffic before it ever appears in your report.
Think ahead:
- If you don’t want job seekers: block “jobs”, “apply”, “resume”
- If you don’t want DIYers: block “how to”, “recipe”, “homemade”
- If you don’t want price hunters: block “free”, “cheap”, “discount”
The point is: block the theme, not just the symptom.
Final Thoughts
This is the right way to use negative keywords in Google Ads:
- Focus on phrase-based intent blockers
- Add fewer negatives, but make them more strategic
- Keep your account efficient, clean, and easier to scale
The more control you have, the better your results.
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