Every marketer wants to make the most out of every peso spent on digital ads. But what if a large chunk of that budget is being wasted on clicks that will never convert? It’s a common scenario—ads appear for irrelevant searches, people click out of curiosity, and you pay for traffic that brings no results. This is where negative keywords become your most powerful defense.
Negative keywords tell Google which search terms you don’t want your ads to appear for. They filter out unqualified traffic and keep your campaign focused on users who are more likely to buy, subscribe, or inquire.
For businesses in the Philippines where ad competition is rising and budgets are tight, mastering this strategy can make a big difference. Whether you’re an SME, an e-commerce store, or working with an SEO agency that understands the SEO price in the Philippines, learning how to use negative keywords effectively can stretch your ad spend and deliver better returns.
In this article, we’ll unpack what negative keywords are, why they matter, and how to use them strategically to eliminate waste and attract only the right audience.
1. What Are Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords are words or phrases that prevent your ads from showing up for unrelated or low-intent searches. When someone searches for a term containing your negative keyword, your ad won’t appear.
For example, if you sell luxury watches and add “cheap” as a negative keyword, your ads won’t show for searches like “cheap watches” or “affordable watches.” This ensures your ads are only shown to users with relevant buying intent.
In short, negative keywords are filters that save you from paying for the wrong audience.
Representative example: A Manila-based online furniture brand noticed that many of its paid clicks came from searches like “DIY furniture ideas.” By adding “DIY” as a negative keyword, they cut wasted clicks by 30% and increased conversions.
2. Why Negative Keywords Matter
Without a proper negative keyword strategy, even the most well-crafted ads can underperform. You might get plenty of clicks—but from people who have no interest in what you’re selling.
Using negative keywords improves:
- Cost-efficiency: You stop paying for irrelevant traffic.
- Click-through rate (CTR): Your ad impressions become more targeted.
- Conversion rate: More qualified leads mean better results.
- Ad ranking: Google rewards ads with higher relevance.
Representative example: A Cebu-based travel agency reduced ad costs by ₱25,000 per month after adding “jobs,” “careers,” and “internship” as negative keywords—terms previously triggered by people looking for employment, not tour packages.
3. How Google Uses Negative Keywords
When you add negative keywords to your Google Ads campaign, Google excludes your ads from appearing in searches containing those terms. Negative keywords work differently depending on the match type you choose:
- Broad match negative: Blocks your ad if all words appear in the search, regardless of order.
- Phrase match negative: Blocks your ad if the search includes the exact phrase in order.
- Exact match negative: Blocks your ad only if the search matches the keyword exactly.
Example: If your negative keyword is “free shipping”, your ad will not show up for “store with free shipping.” But if someone searches “shipping store,” your ad might still appear.
4. Common Negative Keyword Categories
Every industry has its own set of irrelevant terms, but some categories are universal. Start by excluding keywords related to:
- Job seekers: “Hiring,” “vacancy,” “internship.”
- Research intent: “Examples,” “ideas,” “samples.”
- Free content: “Download,” “template,” “free.”
- Education: “Course,” “training,” “tutorial.”
- Competitors: Brand names that don’t convert for you.
Representative example: A Davao-based law firm realized their ads were showing for “law courses in the Philippines.” By adding “course” and “training” as negative keywords, they improved lead quality and lowered bounce rates.
5. Identifying Wasted Spend in Campaigns
Before building your negative keyword list, review your current campaign data. The Search Terms Report in Google Ads shows you exactly what users typed before clicking your ad.
From there, identify terms that:
- Bring high clicks but zero conversions.
- Are unrelated to your product or service.
- Indicate research intent rather than purchase intent.
Representative example: A Baguio-based skincare brand found they were paying for clicks from searches like “DIY skincare at home.” Adding “DIY” and “homemade” as negative keywords reduced wasted spend by 20% in one week.
6. Building Your Negative Keyword List
Creating an effective list requires research, testing, and refinement. Start with these steps:
- Review your analytics: Identify underperforming search terms.
- Brainstorm intent: Think about what your ideal customer wouldn’t search for.
- Categorize keywords: Group by theme (price, education, job, DIY, location, etc.).
- Use keyword tools: SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Keyword Planner can suggest related terms.
Representative example: A Quezon City catering company built a negative keyword list that included “recipes,” “how to cook,” and “homemade.” The change doubled their ad click-to-inquiry ratio.
7. Segmenting Negative Keywords by Campaign or Ad Group
Negative keywords can be applied at either the campaign or ad group level.
- Campaign-level negatives: Block the keyword across all ads.
- Ad group-level negatives: Apply to specific ads only.
For example, a real estate company running both “For Sale” and “For Rent” campaigns can exclude “rent” in the “sale” campaign while keeping it active for the rental ad group.
Representative example: A Pampanga construction firm applied campaign-level negatives for “architecture jobs” and “engineering careers” across all campaigns, saving over ₱10,000 monthly in irrelevant clicks.
8. Negative Keyword Research Tools
Several free and paid tools can streamline your research:
- Google Search Terms Report: Primary source for identifying wasted clicks.
- Ubersuggest: Discover related terms users search for.
- SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool: Filter out irrelevant variations.
- Keyword Planner: Helps visualize intent and volume.
Representative example: A Manila education platform used SEMrush to identify that the keyword “scholarship” was driving irrelevant traffic. After exclusion, their conversion rate improved by 45%.
9. Updating Your Negative Keyword List Regularly
Consumer behavior changes over time, and so should your keyword strategy. Review your list at least once a month and remove any outdated terms that may now be relevant.
Steps for ongoing optimization:
- Check the Search Terms Report weekly.
- Add new negatives when trends shift.
- Reassess keyword performance per quarter.
Representative example: A Pasig-based logistics company found new irrelevant terms like “DIY delivery service” emerging after a few months. Regular audits helped them maintain ad efficiency.
10. The Relationship Between Negative Keywords and Quality Score
A refined negative keyword strategy doesn’t just save money—it also improves your Quality Score, Google’s measure of ad relevance and landing page quality.
When your ads match user intent better, CTR improves, and Google rewards you with higher placement and lower CPC.
Representative example: A Cebu SEO firm improved its Quality Score after filtering out irrelevant keywords related to “SEO tutorials.” With fewer wasted clicks, their ads reached more qualified business owners.
11. Advanced Strategies: Layering Intent Filters
You can go beyond basic exclusions by layering negative keywords based on intent. For instance:
- Add “how to” or “definition” for purely informational queries.
- Exclude “PDF,” “example,” or “template” for content seekers.
- Remove “cheap” or “free” if you’re targeting premium buyers.
Representative example: A boutique hotel in Siargao added “cheap” and “backpacker” as negatives. The result: fewer low-budget inquiries and more qualified bookings.
12. How to Combine Negative Keywords with SEO Insights
Your SEO data can inform your ad filters. Analyze organic search queries to understand what attracts irrelevant traffic. Those terms often make ideal candidates for your negative keyword list.
Working with an SEO agency familiar with the SEO price in the Philippines can help bridge this gap—using SEO analytics to refine paid campaigns. This unified approach ensures that both organic and paid traffic reach the right audience.
Representative example: A local Shopify merchant selling high-end furniture found that SEO analytics revealed many visitors searching “IKEA furniture alternatives.” They used that phrase as a targeting keyword while adding “IKEA” as a negative for paid ads to avoid confusion.
13. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many advertisers misuse negative keywords, hurting rather than helping campaign performance. Avoid these pitfalls:
- Overblocking: Too many negatives can limit reach.
- Ignoring match types: Not defining match type may exclude valuable searches.
- Forgetting regular updates: Old data leads to inefficiency.
- Not testing: Failing to measure before and after results.
Representative example: A Taguig-based online school accidentally excluded “training” globally, which blocked legitimate searches for their “corporate training programs.” Careful review corrected the issue and restored ad visibility.
14. Creating a Negative Keyword Library for Teams
If multiple people manage your ad accounts, create a shared library of negative keywords. This ensures consistency and prevents duplicate mistakes.
Google Ads allows you to apply shared negative keyword lists across campaigns, simplifying management.
Representative example: A nationwide automotive parts retailer used shared negative lists for all branch campaigns, ensuring they avoided irrelevant searches like “car jobs” or “DIY engine repair.”
15. The Cost Savings Impact of Negative Keywords
Even small improvements in ad relevance translate into major savings. Studies show that effective negative keyword management can cut wasted ad spend by 10–30%.
For small businesses in the Philippines, that could mean thousands of pesos saved monthly without reducing reach or results.
Representative example: A Makati dental clinic reduced its monthly ad cost by ₱12,000 after refining its negative keyword list—without lowering lead volume.
16. Monitoring Results and Iterating
The best campaigns are constantly evolving. Use data to guide your next decisions. Monitor performance metrics such as:
- CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- Conversion Rate
- Cost per Conversion
- Impression Share
When these numbers improve, you’ll know your negative keyword strategy is working.
Representative example: A Quezon City law firm saw its CTR jump from 2.8% to 4.1% after refining negatives. The same budget yielded 25% more inquiries.
17. How Negative Keywords Improve ROI
When your ads reach the right audience, every click counts more. Reducing wasted impressions and irrelevant traffic increases return on investment (ROI).
For agencies and in-house teams, negative keywords are the unsung heroes behind sustainable campaign profitability.
Representative example: A Manila SaaS company saved ₱30,000 in ad costs over two months by adding 20 high-volume negative keywords. Those savings were redirected to higher-performing campaigns.
18. Integrating Negative Keywords into a Larger Marketing Plan
Negative keywords aren’t a standalone fix—they’re part of a holistic marketing ecosystem. Integrate them with:
- SEO keyword planning
- Content strategy
- Conversion rate optimization
- Remarketing campaigns
A unified approach ensures your marketing budget targets only the audiences that matter most.
Representative example: A Davao travel site used data from its PPC negatives to refine blog content topics—focusing only on locations that converted well. This improved both organic and paid visibility.
Conclusion
Negative keywords might not sound glamorous, but they’re one of the most powerful tools in your digital marketing arsenal. They protect your ad budget, refine your targeting, and ensure your campaigns reach audiences that actually convert.
With careful research, regular monitoring, and collaboration between SEO and paid ad teams, you can stop wasting money on the wrong clicks and focus on generating meaningful results.
Working with professionals familiar with the SEO price in the Philippines ensures your campaigns are cost-efficient, well-optimized, and strategically aligned across all digital channels. With the right negative keyword strategy, every click counts—literally.
Because in digital marketing, success isn’t about getting more traffic—it’s about getting the right traffic.
