You may have accessed Google in order to answer a question, only to get a different result.
You’ve probably seen what happens when you don’t use negative keywords.
When you are a digital marketing professional, it’s important to use negative keywords so that the right people see your ads at the right time.
If you don’t do this, your ads will be seen by anyone who searches for something that even remotely resembles your keyword. This can lead to wasted advertising dollars on people with no interest in your product.
Our Rock Content team created this guide to help you improve your SEO strategy and correct this problem.
What are negative keywords?
Negative keywords are words that seem to relate to the topic of your article but don’t.
Let’s say, for example, that you run a website where hobbyists can buy crystals and geodes.
You can place Google ads using the search term Red Rocks.
If a person searches for information about attending a concert in the famous theater of Colorado and you only sell red rocks, they will be disappointed.
You’ve wasted your click.
Here’s how negative keywords are used.
They not only help people find the information they want to know about a particular topic but also differentiate between those topics that are niche and those that are more specific.
Preventing your pay-per-click ad from appearing for users who aren’t searching for what is on your website will also help minimize the instances of low page time.
Why are negative keywords used?
Negative keywords are used to prevent the search engine from displaying results that cover different topics.
We showed above that someone interested in Red Rocks Amphitheater, located in Colorado, probably won’t be buying scarlet-hued Geodes.
They could… but we digress.
You can improve the overall search intention if you add a list of negative keywords in your Google AdWords. This will make it easier for search engines to show your ads for certain searches.
You can also use the negative keyword Red Rocks Amphitheater in the same case.
Your ad won’t appear if someone types red rock. It will show up for Red Rock and other options.
What are we trying to say?
Negative Keywords are designed to help you drill down to your audience and reach while reducing ad waste and streamlining the pay-per-click process.
Negative Broad Match Keywords
A negative broad match is the default when using this method to eliminate keywords.
This will essentially hide your ad when someone searches for a query that includes all of your keywords.
If they choose to leave out one or more, your ad still appears.
Negative Phrase Match Keywords
If you use a negative phrase match, your paid advertisement will not appear if someone searches for the exact words in that order. This is true even if other words are added.
In our example, the negative phrase match keyword for Red Rocks Amphitheater is still blocked when the search query is Red Rocks Amphitheater located in Colorado.
Negative Exact Match Keywords
If you add a phrase to your negative exact match keywords, it will prevent your ads from appearing when someone searches with the actual words and in the same order without any additional terms.
If you have a similar offer or if your brand name is close to another competitor’s, this is an excellent option.