Keywords, Match Types and Negative Keywords

Keywords Are Instructions, Not Guarantees

A keyword tells Google what kinds of searches you want your ad to appear for. The match type tells Google how loosely to interpret it. Broad match lets Google show your ad for anything it considers related, which can include searches you would never choose. Phrase match requires the meaning of your phrase. Exact match stays closest to the keyword itself, although Google still allows close variations.

Match Types and Your Budget

A dentist bidding on the broad match keyword dental implants might appear for dental implant jobs, how much do dentists earn or implant courses. Each of those clicks costs money and produces nothing. Phrase and exact match limit this, at the cost of some reach. Many accounts combine phrase match for control with a small broad match test guided by conversion data.

Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are the words and phrases you never want to pay for, such as free, jobs, salary, DIY and the names of cities you do not serve. They are added at the campaign or account level. A short negative list applied on day one, and a weekly habit of adding more from the search terms report, is one of the highest-return tasks in any account.

A Weekly Routine

Open the search terms report, sort by spend, and ask two questions about each entry. Would I want a customer who searched this? Did it produce a call or form? Add the losers as negatives and consider promoting the winners to their own keywords.

Putting This to Work

Ask whoever manages your account to show you the last month of search terms. If they cannot, or if the list is full of irrelevant searches, your budget is leaking.

In Practice

Picture a landscaping company that finds one in five of its clicks coming from searches like landscaping jobs and landscaping courses. Adding a handful of negative keywords stops that spend without costing a single real lead.

Sources

1. About keyword matching options, Google Ads Help support.google.com
2. About negative keywords, Google Ads Help support.google.com

Last reviewed October 6, 2026. Platforms change often, so confirm details in the sources above before acting on them. This guide is general information and is not marketing advice for your business.