Negative Keywords in Google Ads: An Industrial Checklist

Negative keywords in Google Ads stop your ads from showing on searches that will never turn into customers. In industrial campaigns, where each click is expensive and volume is small, a well-built negative list can reclaim a large share of the budget now spent on curious browsers, students and competitors.

Use the checklist below as a base and adapt it to your products. For every group, understand the reason before blocking, because a poorly chosen negative can cut good buyers too.

A negative keyword checklist for B2B advertisers

1. People looking for free

Terms like free, download, pdf, template and sample attract people who do not plan to pay. Why it matters: these clicks carry no purchase intent. How to check: search for those words in your search terms report.

2. People who want used or bargain-bin

Used, secondhand, scrap, ebay, craigslist and auction usually signal a different buyer. Block them if you sell new equipment or project-based services. If you resell used machines, keep them.

3. People who want to learn

Course, tutorial, how it works, thesis, university, jobs, career and salary bring students and job seekers. Why it matters: they eat impressions and drag down conversion rate. Watch how to and what is, which can be legitimate top-of-funnel; test them in a separate campaign.

4. People who want to do it themselves

Homemade, handmade, DIY and step by step point to hobbyists. In 3D printing or machining, this is what separates the enthusiast from the industrial buyer.

5. Competitors and brands you do not carry

List third-party brands you do not sell and, if you do not want to bid on them, direct competitors. Review carefully: buyers sometimes search a brand name to compare suppliers.

6. Other locations and other products

Cities outside your service area, other countries and product variations you do not make deserve a negative. If you laser-cut steel sheet, block acrylic and wood.

Where to add them and which match type to use

• Create shared negative lists by theme and apply them to several campaigns.
• Use phrase or exact match for sensitive negatives, like the word used.
• Remember that broad match negatives only block when every word appears in the search.
• Ad group level negatives stop one group from stealing queries from another.

A weekly search terms cleanup routine

1. Open the search terms report for the last 7 to 14 days, sorted by cost.
2. Flag terms with clicks and no conversions that clearly fall outside your business.
3. Add them to the right negative list, choosing the safest match type.
4. Look for good terms that are not yet keywords and promote them to exact or phrase.
5. Log the changes in a simple sheet so you know what has already been blocked.

Set aside 20 to 30 minutes a week. In the first month the volume of edits is high, then it drops sharply. If you would rather outsource it, our paid ads team handles this follow-up.

Also review the list every quarter. Old negatives may be blocking terms that have become relevant, such as when you launch a new product.

Frequently asked questions

How many negative keywords should I have?

There is no ideal number. Mature industrial accounts often hold hundreds, built gradually from real search terms.

Do negatives reduce my reach?

They reduce irrelevant reach. The goal is to concentrate spend on searches with buying intent.

Can I use one list across all campaigns?

A base list of universal terms like free and course, yes. Product-specific negatives should stay at campaign level.