Google Brings Negative Keyword Exclusions to Performance Max

Google has long been at the forefront of digital advertising innovation, and with its latest update, advertisers now have more control over their Google Performance Max campaigns. The introduction of Google negative keyword exclusions allows advertisers to refine their targeting and reduce wasted ad spend by preventing their ads from showing up for irrelevant search queries.

This feature, starting from Smart Shopping campaigns, empowers advertisers who use automated campaigns to guide Google’s AI and machine learning algorithms. Typically, Google automatically identifies relevant search queries for which specific ads should appear based on information from product feeds, such as titles and descriptions. However, now with negative keywords in Performance Max, advertisers can ensure more precision in their campaigns.

What Are Negative Keywords? 

Negative keywords are specific words or phrases that you can add to your advertising campaigns to prevent your ads from showing to users searching for those terms. For example, if you’re selling premium products, you might want to exclude words like “cheap” or “discount” from triggering your ads. By adding these keywords, you tell Google not to display your ad when these terms appear in search queries, even if they are tangentially related to your product or service.

In simpler terms, negative keywords act as a filter to make sure your ads are seen only by the most relevant audience.

Why Are Negative Keywords Important? 

Negative keywords play a critical role in ensuring that your ads reach the right audience, which ultimately leads to better campaign performance. Here are a few reasons why negative keywords are crucial:

1. Refined Targeting: Negative keywords allow you to filter out audiences who are unlikely to convert, keeping your focus on potential customers.
2. Budget Efficiency: By avoiding irrelevant clicks, negative keywords help you save your advertising budget for more meaningful interactions.
3. Improved Click-Through Rate (CTR): When your ads are shown only to relevant users, your CTR improves, which can lead to better ad positioning and lower costs per click.
4. Higher Conversion Rates: With irrelevant traffic filtered out, your ads are more likely to convert, leading to improved ROI.

For advertisers using Performance Max campaign management, adding negative keywords can greatly enhance the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Adding Negative Keywords to Performance Max 

The good news is that you can now add Google negative keyword exclusions to your Performance Max campaigns, but the process isn’t as straightforward as other Google Ads campaign types. There are two primary ways to go about it:

Option 1: Google Ads Support 

One way to add negative keywords to your Google Performance Max campaign is by going through Google Ads Support. Here’s how:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account and click the question mark in the top navigation bar.
2. Select “Contact Us” and enter your query in the field that says “Tell us what you need help with.”
3. Submit a support ticket with the following message:
   “On behalf of my company, [your company name], I give Google my approval to make all of the following types of modifications in the Google Ads Account [your Google Ads account number] without first notifying me: Please associate the negative keyword list named ‘[your negative keyword list name]’ to the campaign named ‘[your Performance Max campaign name]’. Thank you.”

This method requires Google’s manual input but should allow you to exclude unwanted keywords relatively quickly. Keep in mind, however, that these keywords won’t be added at the campaign management level.

Option 2: Adding Negative Keywords at the Account Level 

Another option is to add negative keywords at the account level, rather than at the campaign level. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account and navigate to “Account Settings.”
2. Click on the “Negative Keywords” option.
3. Click the “+” button to open a dialog box, where you can enter your list of negative keywords.
4. Once you’ve added your keywords, click “Save.”

By adding these keywords at the account level, you ensure they apply across multiple campaigns, providing more comprehensive keyword exclusions across your account. This is particularly useful for Performance Max campaign management, as it gives you a wider net to exclude irrelevant terms.

Summary: Optimizing Performance Max with Negative Keywords 

The ability to exclude irrelevant search queries through Google negative keyword exclusions is a significant advancement for advertisers using Performance Max campaigns. Negative keywords allow you to take control over which searches trigger your ads, saving your advertising budget for higher-quality clicks and improving overall performance.

By either working with Google Ads support or adding negative keywords at the account level, advertisers can take advantage of this new feature to ensure their campaigns are reaching the right audience. As Google continues to roll out updates to its Google ads optimization tools, understanding how to leverage these features is key to running successful ad campaigns.

Maximize Your Ad Campaigns with Digilogy 

As digital marketing evolves, having the right tools and strategies is essential for success. Google negative keyword exclusions are a powerful way to refine your campaigns, but managing these tools effectively can be a challenge. That’s where Digilogy comes in. We specialize in digital marketing solutions tailored to your business needs, ensuring that you get the most out of your Google Ads campaigns.

Ready to improve your ad performance? Contact Digilogy today and discover how our experts can help you optimize your campaigns for maximum impact and ROI.