Article
The Power of Negative Keywords: How to Improve Your PPC ROI
Share
The Power of Negative Keywords: How to Improve Your PPC ROI
In the world of running a successful Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign, having the highest Return on Investment (ROI) is the ultimate goal. Advertisers typically focus on selecting the best keywords and building effective ads, but one vital aspect of PPC campaigns is typically overlooked—negative keywords. If used properly, negative keywords can refine your targeting, reduce wasteful expenditure, and significantly improve the efficiency of your campaign. Let’s talk about the potential of negative keywords and how they can drive your PPC ROI.
What Are Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords used for PPC marketing are phrases or words that you intentionally exclude from your campaigns. By directing the search engine to not present your ads for these very specific words, you ensure your ads appear to only those people most likely to convert. For instance, if you have a high-end service you are offering, you would not wish your ads to appear if someone is searching for “cheap” or “free” services.
Negative keywords are really the “filter” so that your ads only appear before the most targeted audience. If you didn’t have them, you would be paying for clicks from individuals who will likely not purchase, wasting your ad spend.
Why Negative Keywords Are Crucial to Your PPC Strategy
Maximize Relevance: Negative keywords ensure your ad is shown only to those searching for what you offer. If your ads are showing for irrelevant searches, you’re showing to people who will never convert. This watering down of relevance can lead to a bad user experience and also lower your Google Ads Quality Score, which in turn increases the cost per click (CPC).
Save Money: You pay per ad click with every ad click. If you are showing ads to uninterested users who do not care about your offer or a service, then you are spending money that could be spent somewhere else. Negative keywords stop unwanted clicks and allocate your budget to users who are more likely to act on your offer and save you money along the way.
Enhance CTR (Click-Through Rate): By reducing the volume of unwanted clicks, negative keywords assist in enhancing your CTR. Greater CTR generally results in greater Quality Score in Google Ads, which can result in lower CPC and improved ad positions.
Maximize Conversion Rate: Limiting your target market, negative keywords allow you to receive more qualified leads. By showing your ads to only those individuals most likely to convert, your conversion rate is maximized, producing a higher ROI.
Improve Campaign Performance: Regularly updating your list of negative keywords ensures your campaigns are performing as well as they possibly can. It enables you to target more specifically, and the longer your PPC campaign is, the more effective it will be.
How to Find and Implement Negative Keywords
Search Query Report: Your search query report is gold when it comes to non-relevant search keywords. Take a look over your search query report and you can get a sense of which search terms are showing your ads but not in regards to your company. Note those non-relevant terms down as negative keywords on your list.
Competitor Analysis: Examine your competitors’ ads and keywords. If they are bidding on unrelated terms or non-converting terms to your company, then they are probable negative keywords for your campaigns.
Make Use of Keyword Research Tools: Keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush can help you find keywords that may not be a good fit for your specific offer. These could be excellent options for your negative keyword list.
Review and Refresh Your List Periodically: Negative keywords are not a “set it and forget it” part of your campaign. Review your search query reports, your industry trends, and shifting customer behaviors periodically. As your business or services evolve, so must your negative keyword list.
Use Broad Match Negative Keywords Judiciously: While using negative keywords with broad match can prevent a wide number of irrelevant searches, it can also unintentionally deny relevant traffic. Use broad match negatives judiciously and monitor their effect every now and then to avoid unwittingly chopping off too much traffic.
Examples of Negative Keywords by Industry
E-Commerce: You can include negative keywords like “cheap,” “free,” or “discount” if you are advertising luxury watches to avoid clicks from bargain hunters.
Real Estate: If you are a real estate professional selling luxury properties, negative keywords like “foreclosure” or “rent” can deter users seeking cheaper or rental properties.
Travel: A high-end hotel or resort can include negative keywords like “hostels,” “backpacker,” or “cheap flights” to avoid clicks from individuals looking for low-cost accommodations.
Education: A top university can include “online courses” or “free degrees” to avoid irrelevant clicks from individuals looking for free, lower-quality options.
Best Practices for Using Negative Keywords
Build a Master Negative Keyword List: Rather than adding negative keywords for every campaign, you build a master list that you use in all of your campaigns. This is a cost-effective method of spending time and creates consistency in all of your PPC accounts.
Segment Negative Keywords by Match Type: Use all the broad, phrase, and exact match negative keywords to restrict the targeting. For example, a broad match negative keyword like “cheap” can block off unwanted traffic, while a precise phrase match like “cheap watches” can also restrict the blocking off unwanted traffic.
Test and Refine: Negative keywords need to be tested and optimized on a regular basis. Review your PPC campaign performance data, and refine your negative keyword strategy based on it. Balance exclusions to not over-narrow your audience.
Consider Applying Negative Keywords to Display Campaigns: Negative keywords are not limited to search campaigns. They can also be used in display ads to assist in eliminating irrelevant placements on websites that are not appropriate for your brand.
Conclusion
Negative keywords are a great addition to your PPC arsenal. Used correctly, they can be employed to save you money, make your ads more relevant, and improve the overall quality of your campaigns. By filtering out unwanted traffic, you’re guaranteeing that your ads are showing up in front of the right eyeballs at the right time, effectively improving your PPC ROI.
Don’t underestimate the strength of negative keywords to make your PPC campaign stronger. Regularly updating your negative keyword list will keep your campaigns in top condition and ensure that each dollar spent does more work for your business. Less is more in PPC and more with unwanted clicks!