Search advertising
Negative keyword research services
Negative keyword research services build and maintain the lists that stop Google Ads showing for irrelevant searches. The work looks simple but rests on judgement. A careful service starts from what your business does not offer and where it does not work, adds common themes such as jobs and training, then reviews the search terms report for the searches that actually spent money. It checks each negative against searches that have converted, chooses match types and levels deliberately and keeps a record of what was added and why. Bulk lists copied from elsewhere can block searches that would have sold.
This guide covers questions to ask, approval, warning signs, deliverables and how to judge the work. LetGetGrow sets up and manages Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads, including B2B campaigns, with the scope, management fee and reporting set out in a custom quotation.
Illustrative diagram
- Brief
- Launch list
- Search terms
- Apply
- Log
Questions to ask
| Question | Good answer shows |
|---|---|
| Where do your negatives come from? | Our offer, common themes and our search terms |
| How do you avoid blocking good searches? | Checks against converting search terms |
| Which match type do you use for negatives? | The narrowest that solves the problem |
| Campaign or ad group level? | A reason for each choice |
| Will we get a record of changes? | A dated log with reasons |
Beware generic lists
Some providers apply a standard list of hundreds of negatives to every account. Parts of it may suit you, but generic lists can block words that matter in your market. A plumbing firm offering 'cheap' emergency call-outs, or a training company selling courses, would be harmed by a template blocking 'cheap' or 'course'. Ask to see the list and the reason for each theme.
Warning signs
Template lists applied unchanged
May block your own customers.
No check against conversions
Over-blocking goes unnoticed.
Only adding, never reviewing
Old negatives block new services.
No log
Hard to trace drops in enquiries.
Approving changes
For the first round, ask for proposed negatives with reasons before they are applied. You can catch terms that look irrelevant but describe real customers. Once you trust the method, routine additions can go ahead without sign-off.
How an engagement runs
Brief
What you do and do not offer.
Output: Exclusion notes
Launch list
Themes and specifics.
Output: Proposed negatives
Search terms
Review spend and conversions.
Output: Evidence-based additions
Approve and apply
Levels and match types.
Output: Updated account
Log
Dated changes and reasons.
Output: Change record
Example: a review for a florist
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A florist's Google Ads have run for a year with few negatives.
- The service reviews twelve months of search terms and finds spend on 'florist jobs', 'flower names' and artificial flowers, which the florist does not sell.
- It proposes negatives with reasons, and flags that 'cheap flowers delivered' has produced orders and should stay.
- The florist approves the list and receives a dated log.
What this shows: Waste was removed without blocking a converting search. This example is illustrative.
What you should receive
Proposal
- Negatives with reasons
- Match types and levels
Protection
- Converting searches identified
- Conflicts flagged
Record
- Dated change log
- Next review date
One-off or ongoing
A one-off review clears accumulated waste. Ongoing negative work, from regular search terms reviews, is usually part of account management. Ask how often reviews happen.
Access
A review can start from exported search terms. Applying changes needs user access to your Google Ads account; give only what is needed and remove it afterwards.
Evidence behind each negative
Ask to see the search terms that led to each proposed negative, with their spend and results. That makes the proposal easy to check and shows the service has looked at your data rather than relying on assumptions. Borderline searches should be flagged separately for your decision.
Areas you do not cover
Location targeting controls where ads appear, but searches can still name towns outside your area. Ask whether the service adds those town names as negatives where they show up in search terms.
What to share
Share services you do and do not offer, areas covered, words your customers use, any recent new services and searches you already know are problems.
Fees
One-off reviews are usually a project fee based on account size and history. Ongoing work is often within a management fee. Ask how the price is worked out, and avoid pricing per negative added, which rewards volume over care.
Judging the work
After changes, check the next search terms reports: irrelevant searches should fall and relevant enquiries should hold steady.
Review frequency
Ask how often search terms will be reviewed. Too rarely and waste runs for weeks; too often for a small account and there is little new to judge.
Questions about negative keyword research services
What does a negative keyword service do?
Builds and maintains lists of searches to exclude.
Are template lists safe?
Only if checked against your offer and conversions.
Should we approve negatives first?
For the first round, yes.
What is over-blocking?
Negatives that stop searches that would have sold.
Is the work ongoing?
Usually, as part of management.
What record should we get?
A dated log of changes with reasons.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Google Ads Help: About negative keywords (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-30
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