Start with business exclusions
Write a service boundary list before importing any generic negative-keyword collection. A residential painter might exclude training courses, employment searches, and services it never performs. Another painter may offer apprenticeships or commercial work, so the same list would be inappropriate.
Our rule is simple: every negative should have a reason you can explain. “We cannot provide this service” is a clear reason. “This word sounds cheap” is a weak one. A customer searching for a price or comparison may still be ready to hire.
Know how negative matching differs
For Search, negative broad match blocks searches containing all the negative’s terms, in any order. Negative phrase match requires that phrase in the same order. Negative exact match blocks that exact phrase without extra words. Negative keywords do not expand like positive keywords; review relevant singulars, plurals, and synonyms.
Use a narrow example before a broad exclusion
Imagine a business that cleans windows but does not sell window-cleaning equipment. The single negative “cleaning” would contradict the service itself. A carefully chosen equipment-related phrase is more precise. Before saving it, write a valuable search that contains each word and check whether the proposed exclusion would also block it.
Likewise, automatically excluding “free” may block people seeking a free estimate that you actually offer. Excluding “commercial” across the account would be a mistake if another campaign serves commercial clients. The context and placement of the negative matter as much as the words.
These are original decision examples, not a universal list to paste into an account. Build your own list around your offer and inspect the matching behaviour described in Google’s current documentation.
Keep a negative-keyword register
Use columns for negative text, match type, account/campaign/ad-group scope, reason, evidence, and date added. Include the person who approved it if more than one person manages the account. When coverage changes, the register makes old exclusions easier to reconsider.
Reserve account-wide exclusions for things genuinely unwanted everywhere. Use narrower scope when a term is unsuitable only for one service or campaign. An owner should be able to review the register and understand why business opportunities are being excluded.
For ambiguous queries, investigate first. Read the full search, identify the matched service, and check whether the page answered the need. Do not turn a single unconverted click into proof that an entire category of customers is unsuitable.
Review the consequences
After an exclusion, watch whether irrelevant enquiries decline and whether valid enquiries change unexpectedly. Keep the date so you can compare the periods sensibly. If suitable traffic disappears, inspect conflicts and scope before making more exclusions.
A long negative list is not inherently a well-managed campaign. The useful list reflects the business accurately and remains understandable to the people responsible for it.
Your practical checklist
- Give every proposed negative a specific business reason.
- Check the full search instead of one isolated word.
- Choose negative broad, phrase, or exact deliberately.
- Apply the narrowest appropriate scope.
- Record the change and watch for unintended exclusions.
Written with AI-assisted research and drafting, with source checks and editorial review for this guidebook. Platform facts link to official documentation. Examples and recommendations are our own; no client results are implied. Sources reviewed October 8, 2026. About Getting Found Local