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The "Shield" of Your Campaign

You pay for what you click. This ensures you don't pay for junk.

Most advertisers spend hours thinking about what they want to target. Smart advertisers spend just as much time thinking about what they don't want.

What is a Negative Keyword? It is a flag that tells Google: "If a user uses this word, do not show my ad."

Why it matters: If you sell "Luxury Software" ($500/month) and you don't add "free" as a negative keyword, your ad will show for "Free Software." You will pay $10 for a click from a teenager who has zero intention of buying.

The "Universal Nasty List"

Words that 90% of businesses should block immediately.

Before you even launch, copy-paste these lists into your Negative Keyword List. Unless you specifically offer these things, they are budget killers.

The "Freebie" Seekers: free, cheap, download, torrent, crack, hack, open source.

The "Job" Hunters: jobs, career, hiring, internship, resume, salary, training. (If you don't block these, people looking for a job at your company will click your ads instead of visiting your "Careers" page).

The "Do-It-Yourself" Crowd: how to, diy, tutorial, guide, definition, what is, wiki. (These people want information, not a product).

How to Find Hidden Money-Wasters

Using the Search Terms Report.

You can't guess every bad word. You have to look at the data.

Go to Keywords > Search Terms.

This report shows exactly what people typed into Google to trigger your ad (not just the keywords you bid on).

Sort by Cost.

Look for irrelevant terms.

Example: You sell "Office Furniture," but you see you spent $50 on "Office Space for Rent."

Check the box next to "Rent" and click "Add as Negative Keyword."

Pro Habit: Do this once a week. It is the single fastest way to lower your CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).a

Negative Keywords vs. Fraud Protection

Blocking Bad Intent vs. Blocking Bad Actors.

It is important to understand the difference between a Negative Keyword and ClickSambo.

Negative Keywords block Bad Intent. (e.g., A real human who wants something "Free").

ClickSambo blocks Bad Actors. (e.g., A bot or competitor who clicks your "High Intent" keyword repeatedly).

The Strategy: You need both. If you have a great Negative Keyword list, you ensure your ads only show to "Buyers." If you have ClickSambo, you ensure those "Buyers" are actually humans, not bots draining your budget.