Keywords are the foundation of every successful Google Ads campaign. They determine when and where your ads appear, which means the right keyword strategy can directly influence your return on ad spend. However, effective keyword setup is not only about selecting the right terms. It is also about identifying the wrong ones, the search queries that waste budget and attract irrelevant traffic. These are managed through what are called negative keywords. This guide explains how to set up your Google keywords correctly and how to use negative keywords to improve performance and save money.
When someone searches on Google, the platform matches their search query with the keywords in your campaign. If there is a match, your ad can appear in the search results. Each keyword you choose should be closely related to your product, service, or customer intent. The closer the match, the higher your chances of attracting qualified leads. Google Ads offers different match types, which define how closely a search must align with your keyword:
Broad Match shows your ads for related searches, including synonyms or variations.
Example: running shoes may trigger ads for jogging sneakers.
Phrase Match shows your ads for searches that include the meaning of your keyword phrase.
Example: buy running shoes can match best running shoes for men.
Exact Match shows your ads only when the exact term or close variants are searched.
Example: running shoes for women
Selecting the right match type helps you control reach and relevance. Broad match increases visibility, while exact match ensures precision.
Follow these steps to set up keywords effectively:
1.Research your audience and intent
Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find the terms people use when searching for your product or service.
2.Group keywords by theme or intent
Create ad groups that align with specific categories or purposes such as mens shoes or running accessories. This improves ad relevance and Quality Score.
3.Add relevant keywords to your ad groups
Choose a mix of broad, phrase, and exact match keywords to balance reach and precision.
4.Write ads that match your keywords
Include main keywords in your ad headlines and descriptions to increase ad quality and click-through rate
5.Monitor performance and refine regularly
Review search term reports in Google Ads to see which queries are triggering your ads and whether they are generating conversions.
Negative keywords are words or phrases that prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. They help you filter out unqualified traffic, reduce wasted spend, and focus your budget on valuable clicks.
For example: If you sell premium running shoes, you might add free, cheap, or used as negative keywords. If you offer paid consulting services, you might exclude jobs or internships
This ensures your ads only appear to users who are actually looking for what you sell.
1.Review the Search Terms Report
Go to your Google Ads account, open your campaign, and check the search terms that triggered your ads. Identify any irrelevant or low-intent queries.
2.Add negative keywords at the right level
Campaign level applies to all ad groups in a campaign. Ad group level applies only to a specific group of ads.
3.Use match types for control
Just like normal keywords, negative keywords support match types broad, phrase, and exact to define how they are excluded.
4.Update regularly
Continue reviewing and refining your negative keyword list to maintain efficiency as new search trends appear.
In short, negative keywords help your campaigns become smarter and more efficient over time.
Strong keyword management is the difference between spending and scaling.
By combining well-researched target keywords with regularly updated negative keywords, you can reach the right customers, protect your budget, and maximize results from every campaign.
Google Ads success begins with knowing which searches to include and which to avoid.
If you want to learn exactly how to set up Google Ads step-by-step, check out our Paid Media Course by Ecomm Wave! Your roadmap to smarter campaigns and higher ROI.
Keywords are the foundation of every successful Google Ads campaign. They determine when and where your ads appear, which means the right keyword strategy can directly influence your return on ad spend. However, effective keyword setup is not only about selecting the right terms. It is also about identifying the wrong ones, the search queries that waste budget and attract irrelevant traffic. These are managed through what are called negative keywords. This guide explains how to set up your Google keywords correctly and how to use negative keywords to improve performance and save money.
When someone searches on Google, the platform matches their search query with the keywords in your campaign. If there is a match, your ad can appear in the search results. Each keyword you choose should be closely related to your product, service, or customer intent. The closer the match, the higher your chances of attracting qualified leads. Google Ads offers different match types, which define how closely a search must align with your keyword:
Broad Match shows your ads for related searches, including synonyms or variations.
Example: running shoes may trigger ads for jogging sneakers.
Phrase Match shows your ads for searches that include the meaning of your keyword phrase.
Example: buy running shoes can match best running shoes for men.
Exact Match shows your ads only when the exact term or close variants are searched.
Example: running shoes for women
Selecting the right match type helps you control reach and relevance. Broad match increases visibility, while exact match ensures precision.
Follow these steps to set up keywords effectively:
1.Research your audience and intent
Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find the terms people use when searching for your product or service.
2.Group keywords by theme or intent
Create ad groups that align with specific categories or purposes such as mens shoes or running accessories. This improves ad relevance and Quality Score.
3.Add relevant keywords to your ad groups
Choose a mix of broad, phrase, and exact match keywords to balance reach and precision.
4.Write ads that match your keywords
Include main keywords in your ad headlines and descriptions to increase ad quality and click-through rate
5.Monitor performance and refine regularly
Review search term reports in Google Ads to see which queries are triggering your ads and whether they are generating conversions.
Negative keywords are words or phrases that prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. They help you filter out unqualified traffic, reduce wasted spend, and focus your budget on valuable clicks.
For example: If you sell premium running shoes, you might add free, cheap, or used as negative keywords. If you offer paid consulting services, you might exclude jobs or internships
This ensures your ads only appear to users who are actually looking for what you sell.
1.Review the Search Terms Report
Go to your Google Ads account, open your campaign, and check the search terms that triggered your ads. Identify any irrelevant or low-intent queries.
2.Add negative keywords at the right level
Campaign level applies to all ad groups in a campaign. Ad group level applies only to a specific group of ads.
3.Use match types for control
Just like normal keywords, negative keywords support match types broad, phrase, and exact to define how they are excluded.
4.Update regularly
Continue reviewing and refining your negative keyword list to maintain efficiency as new search trends appear.
In short, negative keywords help your campaigns become smarter and more efficient over time.
Strong keyword management is the difference between spending and scaling.
By combining well-researched target keywords with regularly updated negative keywords, you can reach the right customers, protect your budget, and maximize results from every campaign.
Google Ads success begins with knowing which searches to include and which to avoid.
If you want to learn exactly how to set up Google Ads step-by-step, check out our Paid Media Course by Ecomm Wave! Your roadmap to smarter campaigns and higher ROI.
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