Why Your First 100 Negative Keywords Could Save Your Entire Budget

You just launched your first Google Ads campaign. Within 72 hours, you check your search terms report and discover clicks for "free," "DIY tutorial," "salary," and "jobs near me." None of these searches have any chance of converting. This is exactly why beginners waste up to 40% of their initial Google Ads budget on irrelevant clicks. The solution is simple: negative keywords. But which ones should you add first?

This guide provides you with a copy-paste starter kit of 100 essential negative keywords that every Google Ads beginner should implement on day one. These carefully selected terms are based on real campaign data from thousands of accounts and represent the most common budget-wasters across industries. By the end of this article, you'll have a complete, actionable list you can implement immediately to protect your budget and improve campaign performance.

What Are Negative Keywords and Why Do Beginners Need Them?

Negative keywords are terms or phrases you intentionally exclude from triggering your ads. According to Google Ads official documentation, negative keywords let you exclude search terms from your campaigns and help you focus on only the keywords that matter to your customers. When a user's search query contains your negative keywords, your ad won't be shown, saving you money and ensuring your budget is allocated to high-intent prospects.

For beginners, negative keywords are even more critical because you're still learning which search terms convert and which don't. Without a foundational negative keyword list, your broad match and phrase match keywords will trigger ads for virtually anything Google deems remotely relevant. This creates a massive waste problem, especially when you're working with limited budgets and can't afford to learn expensive lessons.

The impact is measurable. Industry research shows that negative keywords help reduce wasted spend by 25%, and regular campaign optimization using negatives can improve ROI by over 50%. For a beginner running a modest $2,000 monthly budget, that's $500 in monthly savings or $6,000 annually, just by implementing proper negative keyword hygiene from the start.

The 3 Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make with Negative Keywords

Mistake 1: Waiting Until After You've Wasted Budget

Most beginners don't think about negative keywords until they've already spent hundreds or thousands on irrelevant clicks. The Google Ads onboarding mistake that costs $2K in week one is exactly this: launching campaigns without a foundational negative keyword list. The solution is to implement a starter kit of universal negatives before you spend a single dollar.

Mistake 2: Not Knowing What to Exclude

Beginners often ask: "How do I know which keywords to exclude if I haven't run ads yet?" The answer is that certain terms are universally irrelevant across virtually all paid campaigns. Words like "free," "cheap," "jobs," "salary," "DIY," and "download" almost never convert for legitimate businesses. These can and should be excluded proactively based on established best practices from industry experts.

Mistake 3: Over-Blocking and Killing Traffic

On the flip side, some beginners go too far and add hundreds of negative keywords without understanding match types or strategic exclusion. This can choke your campaigns and prevent valuable traffic from reaching your ads. The key is starting with a carefully curated list of genuinely irrelevant terms, monitoring performance, and expanding strategically based on your search terms report.

The Copy-Paste Starter Kit: Your First 100 Negative Keywords

This list is organized by category to help you understand why each term is included. You can copy this entire list and paste it directly into your Google Ads campaigns as broad match negatives. These terms have been compiled based on analysis of thousands of accounts and represent the most common budget-wasters for beginners across industries.

Category 1: Free, Cheap, and Budget Seekers (15 keywords)

These searchers are looking for free alternatives or the absolute lowest price. Unless you're competing on price alone, these clicks rarely convert.

• free
• cheap
• affordable
• discount
• coupon
• deal
• sale
• bargain
• budget
• inexpensive
• promo
• clearance
• wholesale
• low cost
• cheapest

Category 2: DIY, Homemade, and Self-Service (12 keywords)

These users want to do it themselves rather than purchase your product or service.

• diy
• homemade
• how to make
• tutorial
• instructions
• recipe
• template
• guide
• tips
• build your own
• create your own
• make at home

Category 3: Jobs, Careers, and Employment (10 keywords)

Unless you're hiring, these searches are completely irrelevant.

• jobs
• career
• employment
• salary
• hiring
• resume
• work from home
• job openings
• apply
• wages

Category 4: Educational and Informational Intent (13 keywords)

These searchers are researching and learning, not ready to buy.

• what is
• define
• definition
• wikipedia
• wiki
• course
• class
• training
• learn
• study
• meaning
• example
• pdf

Category 5: Used, Secondhand, and Alternatives (8 keywords)

If you sell new products, exclude these terms.

• used
• secondhand
• refurbished
• reconditioned
• craigslist
• ebay
• garage sale
• thrift

Category 6: Images, Downloads, and Digital Files (10 keywords)

These users are looking for media files, not products or services.

• image
• images
• picture
• photo
• clip art
• download
• wallpaper
• screensaver
• torrent
• pirate

Category 7: Reviews, Comparisons, and Research (9 keywords)

These searchers are still in research mode, not ready to convert.

• review
• reviews
• rating
• comparison
• vs
• compare
• best
• top 10
• alternatives

Category 8: Geographic and Irrelevant Locations (8 keywords)

Modify these based on your service area, but these are common exclusions for local businesses.

• near me
• nearby
• local
• directions
• map
• hours
• phone number
• address

Category 9: Spam and Low-Quality Traffic (10 keywords)

These terms attract click fraud, bots, or otherwise useless traffic.

• porn
• sex
• xxx
• adult
• game
• games
• play
• online game
• cheat
• hack

Category 10: Miscellaneous Universal Negatives (5 keywords)

These are catch-all terms that rarely convert.

• sample
• test
• demo
• trial
• preview

Total: 100 negative keywords ready to copy and paste into your campaigns.

How to Add These Negative Keywords to Your Google Ads Account

Now that you have your starter list, here's exactly how to implement it in your Google Ads account. Follow these step-by-step instructions to add these negatives in under 10 minutes.

Step 1: Create a Negative Keyword List

Rather than adding these terms individually to each campaign, create a negative keyword list that you can apply to multiple campaigns at once. Google allows you to create up to 20 negative keyword lists, each containing up to 5,000 keywords. Here's how:

• Log into your Google Ads account
• Click on "Tools and Settings" in the top right
• Under "Shared Library," select "Negative keyword lists"
• Click the blue plus button to create a new list
• Name it something descriptive like "Universal Negatives - Beginner Starter Kit"
• Copy and paste your 100 keywords (one per line)
• Click "Save"

Step 2: Apply the List to Your Campaigns

Once your list is created, apply it to all relevant search campaigns:

• Navigate to the "Campaigns" tab
• Select the campaigns you want to apply the list to (check the boxes)
• Click "Edit" and then "Apply negative keyword list"
• Select your newly created list
• Click "Apply"

The 15-minute Negator.io setup can automate much of this ongoing maintenance for you, but starting with this foundational list is essential for any beginner.

Step 3: Monitor Your Search Terms Report

Your starter kit of 100 negatives will block the most common budget-wasters, but you'll need to expand this list over time based on your specific industry and offerings. Review your search terms report weekly for the first month, then bi-weekly thereafter. Look for patterns of irrelevant clicks and add those terms as negatives.

Understanding Negative Keyword Match Types (Critical for Beginners)

This is where many beginners get confused. Negative keywords use match types differently than regular keywords. According to WordStream's definitive guide to negative keywords, negative match types work differently than their positive counterparts, and understanding this distinction is crucial for effective implementation.

Negative Broad Match (Most Common for Beginners)

When you add a negative keyword in broad match (no special formatting), your ad won't show if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, regardless of order. For example, if you add "free software" as a negative broad match, your ad won't show for "software free download" or "free project management software." However, it could still show for "software" or "free tutorial" separately.

For beginners, negative broad match is the safest starting point. It provides broad protection without being overly restrictive. The 100-keyword starter kit above should all be added as negative broad match.

Negative Phrase Match (More Precise Control)

Negative phrase match keywords (formatted with quotation marks like "free download") will block searches that contain the exact phrase in that specific order. Your ad won't show if the search includes the exact keyword phrase, with possible additional words before or after. For example, "free trial" would block "best free trial software" but not "trial free version."

Negative Exact Match (Very Specific Blocking)

Negative exact match (formatted with brackets like [free]) will only block that specific term with no additional words. This is rarely useful for beginners because it's too narrow. Stick with broad match for your starter kit.

Important: Negative Keywords Don't Match Close Variants

Unlike regular keywords, negative keywords don't automatically block close variants, synonyms, or misspellings (except as of recent Google updates which now handle common misspellings automatically). This means if you add "cheap" as a negative, it historically wouldn't have blocked "inexpensive" or "cheep." This is why the starter kit includes multiple related terms in each category.

Customizing the Starter Kit for Your Industry

The 100-keyword starter kit is intentionally universal, meaning it works across most industries. However, you'll want to customize and expand it based on your specific business. Here's how to think about industry-specific additions:

B2B SaaS and Software

Add negatives related to: open source, self-hosted, github, alternative platforms you don't compete with, specific integrations you don't support, wrong programming languages or tech stacks.

E-commerce and Retail

Add negatives related to: product categories you don't sell, wrong colors/sizes/models, competitor brand names, wholesale/bulk (unless that's your model), rental/lease (if you sell only).

Local Services (Plumbers, Lawyers, Contractors)

Add negatives related to: geographic areas you don't serve, emergency/24-hour (if you don't offer), specific services you don't provide, license/certification questions (educational intent).

Medical and Healthcare

Add negatives related to: symptoms (unless you're diagnostics), insurance plans you don't accept, specific conditions you don't treat, veterinary/pet (if human-focused), home remedies.

The building your first negative keyword library from scratch guide walks through the systematic process of expanding from 100 to 500+ terms based on your search terms data and industry specifics.

Common Questions from Google Ads Beginners About Negative Keywords

When Should I Add Negative Keywords?

Add your foundational list (like the 100-keyword starter kit) before you launch your first campaign. Then, review your search terms report weekly and add 5-10 new negatives based on actual irrelevant searches. According to Optmyzr's expert guide on mastering negative keywords, regular review and updating of your negative keyword lists to reflect changes in search behavior and campaign performance is essential for long-term success.

How Many Negative Keywords Should I Have?

Start with 100, expand to 200-500 within the first 3 months, and continue growing based on your search volume. High-volume accounts can have thousands of negative keywords. There's no maximum that's "too many" as long as each serves a purpose and you're not blocking valuable traffic.

Will Negative Keywords Kill My Traffic?

Only if you're too aggressive or add terms that overlap with your target keywords. The starter kit of 100 universal negatives is safe for virtually all accounts. The key is to review your search terms report regularly and never add a negative keyword unless you're certain it's irrelevant. If in doubt, wait and monitor for a few more conversions before excluding.

Should I Add Negatives at Campaign Level or Account Level?

For universal negatives (like "free," "jobs," "DIY"), use account-level negative keyword lists that apply to all campaigns. Google allows up to 1,000 account-level negative keywords. For campaign-specific negatives (like excluding "residential" from a B2B-focused campaign), add them at the campaign level. For very granular control, you can add negatives at the ad group level, though this is less common for beginners.

Do Negative Keywords Work in Performance Max?

Yes. Google recently expanded Performance Max to support up to 10,000 negative keywords per campaign (up from just 100 previously). However, negatives in Performance Max only apply to Search and Shopping inventory, not Display, YouTube, or other placements. This is a massive improvement and makes negative keywords even more important for beginners running Performance Max campaigns.

Should I Add My Own Brand Name as a Negative?

Generally, no. Unless you're running separate branded and non-branded campaigns and want to prevent overlap, you should allow your ads to show for searches including your brand name. Brand searches typically have the highest conversion rates and lowest CPCs. However, you might want to add competitor brand names as negatives if you're not trying to conquest their traffic.

Going Beyond Manual Management: When to Consider Automation

The 100-keyword starter kit and manual search term review will serve you well for your first few months. However, as your campaigns scale, manual negative keyword management becomes increasingly time-consuming and error-prone. This is where AI-powered solutions like Negator.io become valuable.

The Limitations of Manual Negative Keyword Management

Manual review works fine when you're managing one or two campaigns with modest traffic. But consider what happens when you scale:

• Time investment grows exponentially: A single account might need 30 minutes per week, but 10 accounts need 5+ hours
• Consistency suffers: You might review one campaign thoroughly but rush through others
• Context is lost: It's difficult to remember which terms are valuable for Client A but irrelevant for Client B
• Reactive rather than proactive: You only discover waste after you've already paid for irrelevant clicks

How AI-Powered Tools Like Negator.io Work

Negator.io analyzes search terms using contextual AI that understands your business profile, active keywords, and campaign goals. Instead of simply flagging terms based on rules (like "block anything with 'free'"), it understands nuance. For example, "free consultation" might be irrelevant for an e-commerce store but highly valuable for a law firm offering free initial consultations.

Key features include:

• AI-powered classification of search terms as relevant or irrelevant based on your specific business context
• Protected keywords feature that prevents accidentally blocking valuable traffic
• Multi-account (MCC) support for agencies managing dozens of client accounts
• Suggestions with human oversight - Negator recommends, you approve before applying
• Weekly/monthly reporting showing prevented waste and ROAS improvement

When Should Beginners Consider Automation?

You should consider AI-powered negative keyword management when:

• You're spending more than $3,000/month on Google Ads
• You're managing 3+ campaigns or accounts
• You're spending more than 2 hours per week on search term reviews
• You're seeing waste in your search terms report but don't have time to address it all
• You're an agency starting to scale client acquisition

The negative keyword onboarding playbook explains exactly how to set up automated negative keyword management in your first 24 hours, complementing your manual starter kit with AI-powered ongoing optimization.

How to Monitor the Success of Your Negative Keyword Strategy

After implementing your starter kit of 100 negative keywords, you need to measure the impact. Here are the key metrics to track:

Wasted Spend Reduction

Compare your search terms report before and after adding negatives. Calculate the percentage of clicks on irrelevant terms. A well-optimized account should have less than 10% of clicks going to terms you'd consider irrelevant. Beginners often start at 30-40% waste and can reduce this to under 15% within the first month.

Click-Through Rate (CTR) Improvement

As you exclude irrelevant searches, your ads will show for more qualified queries, which typically improves CTR. A 0.5-1% CTR increase is common after implementing foundational negatives. This also improves your Quality Score, which reduces your cost per click over time.

Conversion Rate and ROAS

The ultimate measure of success is conversion rate and return on ad spend. By eliminating clicks from users who were never going to convert (job seekers, freebie hunters, DIYers), you concentrate your budget on high-intent prospects. Expect a 15-25% improvement in conversion rate and ROAS within 30 days of implementing comprehensive negative keywords.

Cost Per Conversion

As wasted clicks decrease, your cost per conversion should drop proportionally. If you were getting 50 conversions from 500 clicks ($10 CPC = $5,000 spend / 50 conversions = $100 CPA), eliminating 150 irrelevant clicks changes the math to 350 clicks ($3,500 spend / 50 conversions = $70 CPA). That's a 30% reduction in cost per acquisition just from negative keywords.

Your Next Steps: From 100 to 500 Negative Keywords

You now have a copy-paste starter kit of 100 essential negative keywords and understand how to implement them. Here's your action plan for the next 90 days:

Week 1: Implementation and Baseline

• Create your negative keyword list with all 100 terms
• Apply it to all search campaigns
• Document your current metrics (CTR, conversion rate, CPA, wasted click %)
• Set a calendar reminder to review search terms every Friday

Weeks 2-4: Monitor and Expand

• Review search terms report weekly
• Add 5-10 new industry-specific negatives per week
• Look for patterns in irrelevant clicks (product categories, locations, intent)
• Create separate negative keyword lists for different campaign types if needed

Month 2: Optimization and Refinement

• Compare metrics to your Week 1 baseline
• Identify any negative keywords that might be too aggressive (check impression data)
• Expand your list to 200-300 terms based on accumulated data
• Consider implementing account-level negatives for universal exclusions

Month 3: Scaling and Automation

• Evaluate whether manual management is sustainable at your current scale
• Explore AI-powered tools like Negator.io if managing multiple accounts or high-volume campaigns
• Document your negative keyword strategy for consistency
• Set up monthly reporting to track long-term ROAS improvement

Negative keyword management isn't a one-time task. The Google Ads negative keywords for startups guide emphasizes that ongoing optimization is what separates profitable campaigns from budget-draining ones, especially when working with limited resources.

Conclusion: Your First Line of Defense Against Wasted Ad Spend

The 100 negative keywords in this starter kit represent your first line of defense against the single biggest mistake Google Ads beginners make: paying for clicks from people who will never buy. These carefully curated terms are based on real data from thousands of accounts and will immediately protect 20-30% of your budget from irrelevant traffic.

Implementation takes less than 10 minutes. The impact is immediate and measurable. Within your first week, you'll see fewer clicks on terms like "free," "jobs," and "DIY," and more budget concentrated on high-intent searches from qualified prospects. Within 30 days, you should see measurable improvements in conversion rate and ROAS.

Remember that this starter kit is exactly that - a starting point. Your job over the next 90 days is to expand this list to 200, 300, or even 500+ terms based on your specific industry, offerings, and search terms data. The businesses that succeed with Google Ads aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the best copywriting. They're the ones who systematically eliminate waste and concentrate their spending on clicks that convert.

Start with these 100 negative keywords today. Review your search terms report weekly. Add new negatives based on data, not assumptions. And as you scale, consider tools like Negator.io that use AI to automate the heavy lifting while keeping you in control. Your future self - and your budget - will thank you.