Negative keywords are one of the most impactful optimisations in any Google Ads campaign, and one of the most neglected. Without a well-maintained negative keyword list, a significant portion of your budget goes toward searches that have nothing to do with buying what you sell.
What negative keywords do
A negative keyword tells Google: if this word or phrase appears in the search, do not show my ad. They prevent your budget from being spent on searches that will never convert into enquiries. The mechanism is simple. The impact on cost per lead can be substantial.
How much budget do irrelevant searches waste?
It depends on how broadly the campaign is targeted, but 20 to 40 percent of spend going to irrelevant searches is common in poorly managed accounts. On a £2,000 monthly budget, that is £400 to £800 per month funding clicks that have no commercial intent. That money could be redirected toward the searches that actually generate enquiries.
Common negative keywords for property businesses
- 'DIY' and 'how to': people looking to do it themselves, not hire someone
- 'Free', 'cheap', 'budget': misaligned with high-value property services
- 'Course', 'training', 'apprenticeship', 'jobs': attracts industry job seekers, not buyers
- 'Template', 'software', 'app': pulls in digital product searches
- 'Ideas', 'inspiration', 'pictures', 'images': research phase, not buying phase
- 'Salary', 'hourly rate', 'average cost': pricing research, not intent to hire
Building your negative list from the Search Terms report
The Search Terms report in Google Ads shows the actual searches that triggered your ads. This is the most valuable report in any campaign. Review it weekly in the first month, fortnightly after that. Every irrelevant search term you find is a negative keyword to add. Over time this report is where you find the marginal improvements that compound into a materially lower cost per lead.
Negative keyword match types
Negative keywords use the same match type logic as regular keywords but work in reverse. Exact match negatives block only that specific search. Phrase match negatives block any search containing that phrase. For most negatives, phrase match is the right choice because it covers variations you have not thought of yet.
Shared negative keyword lists
If you run multiple campaigns, a shared negative keyword list at account level means you maintain it once and it applies everywhere. Account-level negatives are one of the most efficient maintenance tools in Google Ads. Build one at the start of the account, add to it regularly, and you avoid having to repeat the same exclusions across every campaign.
Every Google Ads campaign at Colonnade is launched with a property sector negative keyword list built from experience across multiple accounts. It is one of the first things that goes into a new campaign structure.
Stop funding clicks that will never convert.
Colonnade campaigns are launched with a property sector negative keyword list built in, and the Search Terms report is reviewed weekly.