PPC Negative Keywords: What are they?
Negative keywords are an extremely valuable tool that can be used to increase account performance by improving overall traffic quality. Done correctly, negative keyword optimization can remove the need to restrict high volume/spend keywords through match type modification or day-parting & prevent internal competition of similar keywords.
When you add a negative keyword to an ad group or a campaign, your PPC ads will not show when searchers use them. Negative keywords help eliminate unqualified traffic, and as a result, can help you attain your desired ROI, lower your CPC, and connect with more targeted searchers.
How do Paid Search Negative Keywords Work?
Since this is a 101, we will focus on the search engine with the most market share: Google.
Negative keywords in Google operate the same as positive keywords, with the ability to modify each negative keywords match type to fit your specific application. There are three negative match types available in Google Adwords PPC: Broad, Phrase, and Exact.
Broad match prevents your ads to be served on similar or relevant terms as determined by Google. Broad Match blocks singular or plural terms, synonyms, and relevant keyword variations.
Phrase match stops your ads from being served on terms which do not contain the exact keyword phrase. It also blocks terms containing the phrase, but does not block singular term variations.
Exact match does not allow your ads to be served for the exact term you have indicated. Multiple variations of the term may be required.
Negative Keyword Tips!
Be sure to consider any possible detrimental effects that a broad matched negative keyword may have on your account performance, i.e. unintentionally blocking qualified search queries.
Negative keywords can be added to an account on both the campaigns & ad group level.
If the terms within a given ad group apply to similar content, It is common that broad match terms across ad group can be served on the same term. Therefore, adding negatives at the campaign level can save you from repeat action.
About Pan Galactic
Pan Galactic is an SEM Agency in St. Louis, Missouri. We also serve many clients as their primary SEO firm.
We are renaissance Search Marketers who also have experience in email marketing, display advertising, and paid search. This broad background enables us to create unified strategies for brands across all digital channels and use data from one channel to inform decisions in another. Our past work runs the gamut from small, local businesses to household brand names like Dell Computers, Shasta, Purina, Botox, Columbia Sportswear, Kotex, and Coach.
Pan Galactic has cultivated relationships with the major search engines and Social Networks. Our staff has been a beta tester for the Bing interface, Google’s Agency Land Search Marketing education portal, as well as numerous social media analytics platforms. We are also certified in the use of Google’s Adwords PPC marketing program, Google Analytics, and proficient with paid advertising on various Social Media networks.
Because of our experience with digital marketing, Pan Galactic’s staff has been asked to speak at several local conferences and has been asked to blog for Searchfuel, Trada, Hubspot, Social Fresh, and Marketing Profs.