How to Use Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are one of the simplest ways to improve Google Ads performance especially if you’re running pay per click singapore campaigns and you want better leads without increasing spend.

In plain terms: negative keywords tell Google what searches you do not want to show up for. When you add them correctly, your ads stop appearing for irrelevant searches, which means fewer wasted clicks and more budget going to the right audience.

Benefits Of Negative Keywords

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What Are Negative Keywords?

A negative keyword is a word or phrase that prevents your ad from showing when someone’s search includes that term.

Example:If you run ads for a premium service but you keep getting clicks from people searching “free” or “cheap,” you can add free and cheap as negative keywords. That helps filter out the wrong traffic.

This is a key part of running a clean, efficient singapore sem agency setup because the goal is not just clicks, but the right clicks.

Why Negative Keywords Matter

In Singapore, search behaviour is competitive. People search quickly and often compare multiple providers. Without negative keywords, you may pay for clicks from users who are:

• Looking for jobs (“digital marketing internship”, “seo agency hiring”)

• Searching for training (“marketing courses singapore”)

• Wanting DIY tips (“how to do google ads myself”)

• Looking for free tools (“free seo audit tool”)

Negative keywords help protect your budget, improve lead quality, and increase conversions especially if your marketing campaign relies on paid traffic.

If you’re building a stronger paid strategy that integrates with organic growth too, your overall approach should link back to your main digital marketing hub: digital marketing.

Step 1: Find What You Should Block 

The best place to discover negative keywords is inside your Google Ads account:

1. Open Search Terms Report (or “Search terms insights”)

2. Look for searches that are irrelevant, low quality, or not aligned to your service

3. Highlight patterns (words that keep showing up)

4. Add those terms as negative keywords

If you’re not sure where to start and want a professional team to audit and optimise, explore: pay per click singapore.

Step 2: Build a “Core Negative List” 

Most businesses can start with a simple core list to block common irrelevant intent. Here are examples:

Job seekers

• job, hiring, salary, resume, internship

Learning / training intent

• course, class, tutorial, training(especially important if your company is not selling marketing courses or marketing courses singapore)

Free / cheap intent

• free, cheap, template, download, DIY

Non-service intent

• definition, meaning, example, what is

This core list helps your ads behave more like a high-quality advertising agency singapore focused on qualified enquiries, not random traffic.

Step 3: Add Negatives at the Right Level

Where you add negative keywords matters.

Add at campaign level when:

• The word is irrelevant for every product/service in that campaignExample: “free”, “job”, “internship”

Add at ad group level when:

• The word is relevant to some ad groups but not othersExample: You run ads for SEO and for Google Ads.If “seo” searches are irrelevant to your Google Ads ad group, you can add “seo” as a negative keyword at the ad group level.

This is how top digital marketing companies in singapore keep their accounts clean and scalable.

Step 4: Don’t Block Words That Could Still Convert

Be careful: some words look negative but can still bring good leads.

For example:

• “price” or “cost” can be high intent (people ready to buy)

• “best” can be comparison intent (also high quality)

• “review” can still convert if you have strong proof

If you’re unsure, don’t block it immediately first check:

• conversion rate

• time on site

• lead quality

If you want better lead quality overall (not just ads), connect paid ads with strong landing pages and SEO. A strong seo agency helps reduce dependence on ads long-term: seo agency.

Step 5: Use Negative Keywords to Separate Services Properly

If you offer multiple services (SEO, Google Ads, social media), negative keywords help you keep traffic separated.

Example:

• In your Google Ads campaign, you might add “meta”, “instagram”, “tiktok” as negatives if you want search ads to focus only on Google services

• For social campaigns, you direct people to your correct service pages instead of mixing audiences

This is especially helpful when your brand offers both paid and organic growth solutions like:

• seo services singapore

• seo singapore

• digital marketing singapore

Step 6: Review and Update Negatives Every Week

When you first launch campaigns, review your Search Terms report weekly for the first month. This is when most wasted spend happens.

After things stabilise, you can switch to:

• every 2 weeks

• then monthly

If you’re running a broader growth plan, your reporting should be consistent across channels not just Google Ads. A good reporting flow helps you understand what’s working across your full digital marketing agency strategy: digital marketing agency.

Bonus: Negative Keyword Ideas for Common Industries

Here are quick examples you can copy:

Service businesses

• DIY, template, free, course, job

Clinics / aesthetic

• home remedy, side effects (depends on your strategy), free consultation (if not offered)

E-commerce brands

• wholesale (if you don’t do wholesale), second hand, used, repair

Paper Cut Collective

If you’re selling products online, pairing the right negatives with shopping campaigns can improve sales quality. Explore: ecommerce website.

Want Cleaner Campaigns and Better Leads?

Negative keywords are one of the fastest ways to reduce wasted spend and improve lead quality but only when done consistently and strategically. If you want a team to set up, manage, and optimise your Google Ads with clear reporting and simple explanations, explore Paper Cut Collective at marketing agency singapore and let’s improve your next marketing campaign.