TL;DR: Negative keywords stop your ads from showing on searches that will never convert — saving budget that would otherwise be wasted on clicks with zero chance of becoming a customer. Below is a copy-paste starter list covering the categories that waste money for almost every small business, plus a travel-agency-specific list, and the weekly process to keep expanding it.
Most small business Google Ads accounts leak 15-25% of their budget on searches that were never going to convert — someone looking for a job, a free version of your service, or a completely unrelated meaning of your keyword. Negative keywords close that leak. This is one of the highest-ROI, lowest-effort things you can do in an account.
What Negative Keywords Actually Do
When you bid on a keyword like “travel agent,” your ad can also show for related searches Google considers similar — including ones you never intended, like “travel agent salary” or “travel agent jobs near me.” A negative keyword tells Google “never show my ad for searches containing this term,” even if it’s loosely related to your main keywords.
The Universal Starter List (Works for Almost Any Small Business)
Add these as broad match negatives at the campaign level before you launch anything:
Job-seeking intent (people looking for employment, not your product/service)
jobs
careers
salary
hiring
internship
resume
Free/DIY intent (people who won’t pay for what you offer)
free
DIY
diy
template
how to do it yourself
Research-only, non-commercial intent
definition
meaning
what is
wikipedia
Complaint/review-only intent (unless you specifically want to manage reputation via ads)
complaints
reviews reddit
scam
lawsuit
Irrelevant industries commonly confused with yours (customize based on your keyword overlaps — for a travel agency, this might include):
flight status
flight tracker
visa application status
passport renewal
Travel Agency-Specific Negative Keyword List
If you’re advertising a travel agency, add these on top of the universal list:
flight status
flight tracker
airport code
baggage allowance
visa requirements
passport application
travel insurance claim
airline customer service
airline complaint
booking.com
expedia
skyscanner
kayak
tripadvisor
airbnb
last minute flights only
one way flight
cheapest flight
budget backpacking
hostel
Why the OTA brand names matter: if you’re bidding on broad or phrase match travel keywords, your ad can sometimes show for searches that mention competitor brand names alongside your terms. Excluding them prevents wasted spend on searchers who are specifically loyal to or comparing those platforms rather than looking for a personal travel agent.
How to Actually Add These in Google Ads
- Go to Keywords > Negative keywords in Google Ads
- Choose campaign-level for lists that should apply everywhere, or ad group-level for more targeted exclusions
- Paste the list, choosing broad match for most entries (catches variations) or phrase match for multi-word terms you want excluded exactly
- Save as a negative keyword list you can apply to future campaigns too, rather than re-entering manually each time
The Weekly Process That Keeps This Working
A negative keyword list isn’t a one-time setup — new irrelevant search terms appear constantly as your account runs. Accounts that review and expand their negative list weekly tend to see meaningfully better cost efficiency over time than accounts that set it once and forget it.
Weekly 10-minute routine:
1. Open Insights & Reports > Search terms in Google Ads
2. Sort by clicks or cost, scanning for terms that triggered your ad but clearly don’t match buying intent
3. Add each irrelevant term as a negative — either the exact phrase or, if you spot a pattern (e.g., multiple “jobs” variations), the root word as a broad negative
4. Repeat weekly for at least the first 2-3 months of a new campaign, when the search term list is least predictable
Common Negative Keyword Mistakes
- Being too aggressive too early. Adding negatives before you have search term data can accidentally block converting searches you didn’t anticipate. Start with the universal list above, then expand based on actual data.
- Negating a whole word when you meant a phrase. Adding “free” as a broad negative blocks “free consultation” too, if that’s part of your own offer — check for false positives before adding broad negatives.
- Forgetting ad-group-level negatives. Campaign-level negatives apply everywhere; sometimes you need one ad group to exclude a term that’s fine in another (e.g., excluding “group” from your solo-traveler ad group while allowing it in your group-tour ad group).
- Never reviewing the list again after initial setup. Search behavior shifts over time — a list that worked well at launch can go stale within a few months.
FAQ
How many negative keywords should a new campaign start with?
20-40 from the universal and industry-specific lists above is a reasonable starting point — enough to block obvious waste without over-restricting before you have real data.
Do negative keywords cost anything to add?
No — adding negative keywords is free. The only “cost” is the time it takes to review search terms and add them, which is exactly why it’s one of the highest-ROI actions in an account.
Can negative keywords hurt my campaign if I add too many?
Yes, if they’re too broad or added without checking search term data first — an overly aggressive negative list can block searches that would have converted. Review before adding, especially for broad match negatives.
Where can I find more negative keywords specific to my industry?
Your own Search Terms report is the best source — it shows exactly what real searchers typed before your ad showed. Generic lists (like this one) are a starting point, not a complete solution for your specific account.
Add This List to Your Account Today
Copy the universal list and your relevant industry list above directly into a new negative keyword list in Google Ads — this takes under 10 minutes and starts saving wasted spend immediately. For the keywords you should actually be bidding on instead, see our complete keyword guide.
