One of the best ways to increase your customer base is pay per click advertising. PPC offers quick results and can be an excellent option if you want to promote a sale, introduce a new product or drive people to your website. To succeed in your PPC efforts, you need to use SEO. One of the most common questions our clients ask is “What are negative keywords?” 

So, What Are Negative Keywords?

In simple terms, negative keywords are words you can add to your campaigns to improve the results. Essentially, negative keywords are there so when a user types a query in a search bar; the word acts as a screen to stop your company coming up in the results. 

For example, if you sell food and toys for cats, you’ll want to use keywords that relate to the topic, such as cat food and mouse toys for cats. But you could place dog based keywords in the negative section to avoid people that are searching for items for their canine.  

Doing this means you avoid the costs associated with PPC advertising, and only pay for qualified leads. 

According to Google, you should set an advertising budget that works for your business needs and budget. By using negative keywords, companies on a small budget can maximise their lead generation by removing search terms that are irrelevant to their product range or services. 

The Importance of Negative Keywords 

There are numerous advantages of negative keywords. Let’s take a look at them. 

Better CTR (Click Through Rate)

Your click-through rate refers to the percentage of clicks your adverts receive. Impressions are when people see your ad on their search engine results page. 

Click-throughs are essential for a successful advertising campaign because they’re central for turning leads into customers. 

Negative words improve your CTR because only qualified leads can see your adverts. 

Save Money 

As we mentioned previously, negative keywords can save you a lot of money. It’s essential to add that you can reduce the risks of competing against yourself, and avoid decreasing the impact of your keyword-level data. 

Improve the Relevance of Your Adverts 

Ad groups refer to a variety of adverts with the same general message. For example, suppose you wanted to promote a website management service. In that case, you’d probably have different adverts for your chosen demographics, but each advert would have the same overall message and purpose. 

When you use these keywords across all of your adverts, you improve their relevance and make your campaigns more manageable. 

Finding The Right Keywords

Most keyword tools such as Google Keyword Planner can help you to find the right keywords by offering suggestions. You can also use a specialist website management company that specialises in SEO. 

Negative keywords are essential to your advertising campaign. Without them, you’re likely to waste your budget on unqualified leads. By looking for the right keywords, you can save yourself a lot of time and money. 

Got any tips on how to use keyword research? Leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.