The 'Kill List': 500+ Negative Keywords Every Google Ads Account Needs

There is a saying in PPC: "You make money on the keywords you target. You SAVE money on the keywords you block."

In 2024, with Broad Match becoming the default, Negative Keywords are accurate the single most important defense mechanism you have.

If you bid on CRM Software, Google will show your ad for:

• free crm software (You don't want this)
• crm software jobs (You don't want this)
• crm software definition (You don't want this)
• youtube video about crm (You don't want this)

If you don't explicitly block these, you will waste 30-40% of your budget on "Intent Mismatches".

This guide provides the Master Kill List we apply to every new client account at AdsManagement.co.

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Part 1: How Negative Keywords Work (The Logic)

Negative keywords tell Google: "If the search query contains THIS word, do not show my ad."

Match Types Still Matter

Negatives have match types too, but they work differently than positives.

• Negative Broad: Blocks the word in any order. (Safest).
• Negative Phrase: Blocks the specific phrase.
• Negative Exact: Blocks only that exact term. (Dangerous - usually too specific).

Agency Standard: We almost always use Negative Broad for single words (free, cheap) and Negative Phrase for concepts (customer service, login page).

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Part 2: The Universal "Cheapskate" List

These people have no money. They are looking for handouts, education, or DIY solutions. Block them all.

Price Sensitivity

• free
• cheap
• inexpensive
• clearance
• liquidation
• bargain
• discount codes
• promo code
• coupon
• hack
• crack
• torrent
• keygan
• serial number
• open source
• shareware
• freeware
• public domain
• donation

DIY / Educational

• how to
• tutorial
• guide (be careful - sometimes "guide" implies deep research)
• DIY
• do it yourself
• homemade
• manual
• textbook
• case study
• white paper
• journal
• statistics
• definition
• what is
• wiki
• wikipedia
• blog
• article
• news
• example
• sample
• template
• class
• course
• training
• learn
• certification
• university
• college

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Part 3: The "Employment" List (Job Seekers)

If you are selling Enterprise Software, and your ad shows up for "Enterprise Software Jobs", you just paid $20 for a click from a college student looking for an internship.

• job
• jobs
• career
• careers
• hiring
• intern
• internship
• resume
• salary
• pay
• recruiter
• employment
• work at
• positions
• openings
• glassdoor
• indeed
• bamboohr

Pro Tip: Apply this list at the Account Level. There is almost no scenario where you want to pay for job-seeker traffic (unless you are a recruitment agency).

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Part 4: The "Competitor Support" List

This is nuanced. You DO want to bid on "Competitor Alternatives". You DO NOT want to bid on "Competitor Support".

If someone searches Salesforce Login or Salesforce Phone Number, they are already a customer. You cannot sell them.

• login
• signin
• sign in
• sign-in
• log in
• member
• subscriber
• support
• customer service
• help desk
• phone number
• contact
• address
• account
• password
• reset
• status
• down
• outage

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Part 5: Industry Specific Lists

B2B Software (SaaS) Exclusions

Block consumer intent.

• app (if you are desktop only)
• consumer
• personal
• home
• kids
• game
• student
• hobby

Ecommerce Exclusions

Block secondary markets.

• ebay
• craigslist
• amazon (sometimes - if you don't sell there)
• used
• second hand
• refurbished
• vintage
• rental
• rent
• hire
• repair
• parts

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Part 6: Managing Negatives at Scale (Lists vs Ad Groups)

Do not add negatives keyword-by-keyword into every campaign. That is unmanageable. Use Negative Keyword Lists in the Shared Library.

1. Create "Master - Universal": Apply to ALL campaigns.
2. Create "Master - B2B": Apply to B2B campaigns.
3. Create "Competitor Names": Apply to your Brand Campaign (so you don't show up for competitors when bidding on your own name).

The "Conflicts" Script

As your account grows, you might accidentally block a word you actually want to bid on.

• Scenario: You block free. You launch an offer "Sign up for a Free Trial".
• Result: Your ad is blocked.

Use a Google Ads Script to run a "Negative Conflict Report" weekly. It will alert you if a negative keyword is blocking an active positive keyword.

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Conclusion: The Maintenance Routine

A Negative Keyword list is never "finished". Every week, you must mine your Search Terms (as discussed in our research guide) and add new offenders to these lists.

The difference between a ROAS of 2.0 and 4.0 is often just how clean your negative list is.

Want our full CSV file? We have a downloadable database of 2,000+ negative keywords by industry. Get the Negative Keyword Database.