Negative Keywords tell Google which searches you don’t want your ads to appear for, helping prevent irrelevant clicks and wasted budget.
Negative keywords tell Google not to show your ads for specific search queries. Adding them prevents your budget from being spent on searches that contain those terms, regardless of your regular keyword targeting. They are the cheapest and fastest way to protect your budget from traffic that isn’t going to convert either way.
Negative keywords use their own match type logic, working differently from regular match types.
[table]
Match Type | Syntax | What It Blocks
Negative Broad | keyword | Blocks queries containing all the words in any order
Negative Phrase | "keyword" | Blocks queries containing the exact phrase in order
Negative Exact | [keyword] | Blocks only queries that match exactly
[/table]
Negative broad match is different from positive broad match. It only blocks the specific terms you add, not synonyms or related words.
For example, adding “free” as a negative broad match blocks searches containing “free”. It won’t block searches like “no cost” or “gratis.” You need to add those terms separately.
This list catches the most common junk queries that waste B2B SaaS ad spend. Apply it to every new campaign on day one.
Job Seekers
Free-Seekers
Education & Research
Comparison and Research Only
Template and DIY
Personal Use
Add these as negative broad matches at the account level. They apply across every campaign automatically. This is a 15-minute setup that saves thousands of dollars per month in most B2B SaaS accounts.
Demo volume is a vanity metric if the wrong people are showing up.
An account that generates 100 demos per month sounds impressive until you learn 70 of them are job seekers, students, or people looking for free versions of your product.
Those 70 demos cost real money to produce zero pipeline.
Negative keywords are the cheapest lever for fixing lead quality. Cheaper than better ad copy, landing pages, and tighter targeting. A well-built negative list stops the bleeding before it starts.
This is the reason negative keyword lists should be the first-week deliverable for any B2B SaaS Google Ads account. Not the third-month optimization. Skipping it is one of the Google Ads mistakes costing B2B SaaS accounts six figures.
Beyond the starter list, every account needs custom negatives based on its specific vertical. Try the following process.
Review search terms weekly. Look at what queries triggered your ads. Anything obviously junk gets added as a negative. Explore our guide on PPC keyword ideas.
Add negatives at the right level. Account-level for universal junk (jobs, free, tutorial). Campaign-level for competitor names in non-competitor campaigns. Ad group-level for tightly scoped exclusions.
Cross-check between campaigns. Add negatives for your brand terms in non-brand campaigns. Add competitor names as negatives in your brand campaign. This prevents traffic from bleeding across campaigns.
Update monthly. Search behavior changes. New junk terms appear. Established terms stop being relevant. Treat negatives as a living list, not a one-time setup.
Our complete Google Ads optimization checklist covers negatives as one of the core weekly tasks.
And the guide on PPC keyword research covers how you can identify negative themes during keyword research.
ScalixAI is a performance-driven Google Ads agency specializing in helping high-growth, AI-first companies scale with predictable, profitable customer acquisition. Founded by an ex-Googler with 9 years of insider advertising experience, we manage the entire Google Ads lifecycle—from campaign strategy and account setup to conversion tracking, analytics, and ongoing optimization. Our data-centric, AI-powered approach ensures you know exactly which campaigns are working, why they’re working, and what to do next to outpace your competitors.ScalixAI is a performance-driven Google Ads agency specializing in helping high-growth, AI-first companies scale with predictable, profitable customer acquisition. Founded by an ex-Googler with 9 years of insider advertising experience, we manage the entire Google Ads lifecycle—from campaign strategy and account setup to conversion tracking, analytics, and ongoing optimization.
Most clients see performance stabilize by month three. Google Ads isn’t a slot machine—it takes time to compound.
No. We work month-to-month. All we ask is that you give us three months to prove the results.
While Google Ads is our entry point, we also support LinkedIn Ads, Reddit, and X campaigns when needed.
The CRO audit covers your landing pages, CTAs, forms, and overall user flow. We’ll flag what’s holding back conversions and recommend fixes. If changes require design or dev resources, we’ll hand over clear action steps for your team, so you know exactly what to adjust.
As an ex-Googler, I know which recommendations are useful, and which are just there to hit Google’s internal targets. We’ll filter their advice for you, implementing only what actually helps us hit revenue goals.
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