Negative Keyword List by Industry: Search Terms to Block in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads

Overview

Negative keywords sit at the center of good google ads keyword management. They help protect budget, improve query-to-ad relevance, and make performance analysis cleaner. In plain terms, they tell the platform what not to match against.

That matters more now because paid search is rarely managed in a single interface or by a single workflow. Most advertisers work across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, analytics tools, reporting layers, and landing page systems. As a result, the negative keyword list is not just an account hygiene task. It is part of a broader PPC operating routine that affects query quality, ad copy testing, conversion tracking clarity, and campaign reporting.

This article is designed as a living resource. It does not claim there is one universal list of words every account should block. That would be too blunt and often harmful. Instead, it organizes common waste-driving search terms by intent pattern and industry, so you can build lists that reflect your actual offer.

Use this hub if you want to:

• build a starter negative keyword list for a new account
• expand industry negative keywords after launching campaigns
• review search terms to exclude in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads
• separate research intent from commercial intent
• tighten match behavior without over-restricting valuable queries

A note on platform scope: Google Ads and Microsoft Ads support negative keywords, but match behavior and query handling can evolve. The safest evergreen approach is to treat negatives as a control layer that must be validated regularly against real search term report analysis, not as a one-time setup.

What negative keywords are best at filtering

The most useful exclusions usually fall into a few recurring buckets:

• Informational intent: queries like “what is,” “definition,” or “how does it work” when your campaign is aimed at direct response.
• Low-value modifiers: words such as “free,” “cheap,” “template,” or “sample” when those visitors rarely convert.
• Irrelevant audiences: “jobs,” “internship,” “training,” or “salary” when you sell a service rather than recruit.
• DIY intent: “do it yourself,” “tutorial,” “YouTube,” or “course” if users want education rather than a provider.
• Support and existing-customer intent: “login,” “customer service,” “phone number,” or “refund” when those searches should be handled by brand support flows, not acquisition campaigns.

These patterns appear across almost every vertical, but their value depends on context. For example, “free consultation” may be excellent for a law firm but poor for software with only paid demos. Negative keyword work is always about business fit.

Topic map

Below is a practical map of common search terms to exclude, organized first by universal patterns and then by industry. Treat each item as a candidate, not an automatic rule.

Core cross-industry negative keyword list

Start here before moving into niche terms. These modifiers commonly attract weak-fit clicks:

• Employment terms: jobs, careers, hiring, internship, resume, salary
• Education-only terms: course, class, certification, tutorial, training, PDF
• Research-only terms: meaning, definition, examples, what is, how to
• Free-seeking terms: free, no cost, trial code, coupon code, discount code
• DIY terms: do it yourself, DIY, template, sample, generator
• Support terms: support, login, phone number, customer service, refund, complaint
• Media browsing terms: images, video, YouTube, Reddit, review if your funnel does not benefit from comparison-stage traffic

Some of these may belong in one campaign and be blocked in another. For example, “review” can be poor for bottom-funnel lead generation but useful for comparison-focused campaigns targeting buyers late in the decision cycle.

Negative keyword list by industry

SaaS and software

Software advertisers often waste spend on users looking for education, cracked tools, or unrelated support.

• free download
• crack
• torrent
• GitHub
• open source, if you sell closed commercial software
• template, if you sell a managed platform rather than a file
• login
• support
• API docs, if the campaign is for new customer acquisition rather than developer enablement
• alternatives, only if you are not intentionally conquesting competitor comparison traffic

Legal services

Law firms usually need to filter research queries, education intent, and self-help traffic while preserving high-intent service searches.

• salary
• law school
• paralegal
• pro bono, if not offered
• free forms
• template
• statute text
• definition
• jobs
• internship

Be careful with “free.” Many firms use free consultation as a conversion offer, so blocking it account-wide can remove valuable demand.

Healthcare and clinics

Healthcare campaigns often attract informational searches from students, job seekers, and users looking for non-commercial medical content.

• school
• degree
• certification
• salary
• jobs
• Wikipedia
• symptoms, if your campaign is procedure-focused and not top-of-funnel education
• home remedy, if you sell professional treatment
• insurance form, if not relevant
• free clinic, if not offered

Home services

Plumbers, HVAC companies, roofers, cleaners, and electricians often lose budget to DIY and employment traffic.

• DIY
• how to
• YouTube
• parts
• supply store
• manual
• job description
• salary
• apprentice
• used equipment

Ecommerce

Retail advertisers need to exclude terms that indicate support intent, unrelated bargain hunting, or research that does not fit product margins.

• manual
• repair
• warranty
• replacement parts, if not sold
• used
• second hand
• Craigslist
• Amazon, if you do not want marketplace comparison traffic
• free
• wholesale, if you sell retail only

B2B services and lead generation

Consulting, managed services, and professional service firms usually benefit from aggressively blocking low-intent research terms.

• definition
• examples
• template
• sample
• certificate
• course
• jobs
• salary
• freelance, if you sell a managed service and not contractor listings
• cheap, if low-price shoppers are consistently unqualified

Education and training providers

This category is different because terms other industries block may be useful here. Instead, filter audience mismatch.

• jobs, if the offer is enrollment rather than recruiting
• free PDF
• torrent
• answer key
• cheat sheet, if it attracts low-intent users
• salary, unless your content intentionally targets career-outcome searches
• near me, if courses are online-only and local intent performs poorly

Financial services

Banking, insurance, lending, and advisory accounts often draw broad research traffic.

• definition
• calculator, unless that is part of your lead strategy
• formula
• exam
• certification
• jobs
• salary
• free spreadsheet
• student notes
• complaints, if handled better in brand monitoring than paid acquisition

Google Ads and Microsoft Ads considerations

The broad strategy is similar across both platforms: identify recurring waste, group exclusions logically, and apply them at the right level. The practical difference is that query volume, audience mix, and CPC patterns can differ between Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. That means a negative keyword list that is safe in one platform may be too restrictive in the other.

For example, Microsoft Ads often deserves its own review cadence because query mix can lean differently by device, audience, or age profile. A term that converts poorly in Google may still be acceptable in Microsoft if the traffic quality is stronger. The reverse can also be true. Build shared core negatives where appropriate, but do not assume both platforms should mirror each other completely.

Related subtopics

A useful negative keyword process connects to several nearby PPC disciplines. If you treat exclusions as isolated cleanup, you miss part of their value.

1. Search term report analysis

This is the engine behind every good negative keyword list. Review actual queries, not just keyword themes. Look for:

• high spend with zero conversions
• low CTR terms that signal poor intent matching
• queries with repeated support or job-seeker language
• terms that trigger the right keyword but the wrong landing page expectation

Search term report analysis is where industry negative keywords become specific to your account.

2. Keyword match types

Negative work cannot be separated from keyword match types. Broad targeting tends to surface more query variation, which can create more opportunities for waste as well as discovery. Exact and phrase structures may reduce some noise, but they do not eliminate the need for exclusions. The best approach is to pair intentional match type strategy with regular negative refinement.

3. Commercial intent keyword selection

Many accounts overuse negatives because the original keyword set was too broad. If a campaign is built around weak intent terms, you will spend your time plugging leaks. A better fix is often to strengthen the positive keyword set around commercial intent. See Commercial Intent Keywords: How to Find Terms That Convert for Paid Search.

4. Ad copy and landing page alignment

Sometimes a query looks irrelevant because the ad did not qualify the click. Before excluding a term, ask whether stronger messaging could filter better. Pricing cues, audience qualifiers, and clearer offers often reduce junk clicks. Related reading: Responsive Search Ads Best Practices and CTA Testing for PPC Landing Pages.

5. Quality score optimization and campaign structure

Negative keywords can improve relevance by reducing poor matches, but they are not a shortcut for quality score optimization on their own. Better structure, tighter ad groups, and stronger landing pages still matter. For a broader review framework, see Quality Score Optimization and Google Ads Optimization Checklist.

6. Tracking and attribution

If conversion tracking setup is incomplete, you may block terms that appear weak simply because they are under-measured. Validate lead quality and downstream conversion events before cutting traffic. Useful references: Conversion Tracking Setup Checklist and GA4 UTM Tracking Guide.

How to use this hub

The fastest way to turn this resource into a working system is to apply it in layers.

Step 1: Build a master candidate list

Create a spreadsheet or shared document with three columns: term, reason for exclusion, and scope. Start with the cross-industry list, then add industry-specific candidates. Label each as one of the following:

• Account-level: almost never relevant anywhere, such as jobs or internships for a non-recruiting advertiser
• Campaign-level: irrelevant only to a specific service line or region
• Watchlist: suspicious terms that need more data before exclusion

Step 2: Review real queries weekly at launch

New campaigns need tighter review. Pull search term reports frequently in the first weeks to catch obvious waste early. Add negatives based on patterns, not isolated impressions. If a term has low volume but clearly wrong intent, you can still exclude it on logic alone.

Step 3: Separate bad traffic from exploratory traffic

Not every non-converting query is harmful. Some are early-stage but still relevant. Before excluding, ask:

• Does the term describe the buyer problem?
• Could a better ad or landing page convert it?
• Is the search informational in a way that supports branded retargeting later?
• Does sales or CRM data show assisted value?

If the answer is no across the board, it is a stronger candidate for your negative keyword list.

Step 4: Compare Google Ads and Microsoft Ads separately

Do not blindly import every exclusion across platforms. Review query behavior and conversion quality on each network. If you want a wider planning view, read Google Ads vs Microsoft Ads.

Step 5: Use tooling where it reduces friction

As PPC workflows spread across platforms, a simple native-interface process may stop being enough. Bulk edits, shared lists, governance, and search term review can become operational issues. If your bottleneck is execution rather than strategy, compare options in PPC Management Software Comparison. The useful distinction is that software can speed production and control, but it does not replace the judgment needed to decide which search terms to exclude.

Step 6: Tie exclusions to test cycles

Whenever you change negatives, note the date and measure what moved after the change: CTR, conversion rate, CPA, and lead quality. If you are testing ad copy at the same time, avoid overlapping too many major changes. See A/B Test Duration Calculator for a disciplined testing cadence.

When to revisit

This topic should be revisited whenever query behavior changes, not just when performance drops. A negative keyword list is never truly finished.

Review and update your exclusions when:

• you launch new campaigns or ad groups that target different intent levels
• you expand into a new industry, geo, or product line with different search language
• match behavior shifts and search term patterns become broader or less predictable
• lead quality changes even if top-line conversion counts look stable
• you add new landing pages or offers that make old negatives less appropriate
• seasonality changes user intent, such as gift terms, emergency terms, or tax-season modifiers

A practical maintenance routine looks like this:

1. Review search terms weekly for new campaigns and monthly for mature ones.
2. Promote recurring waste terms into shared lists where appropriate.
3. Audit old negatives quarterly to make sure they are still blocking the right intent.
4. Compare excluded terms against new products, pricing, and content offers before each major launch.
5. Document why each major negative set exists so future edits do not remove useful guardrails.

If you want one simple rule to carry forward, use this: block intent, not just words. The same word can be harmful in one campaign and profitable in another. A durable negative keyword strategy comes from understanding the searcher’s goal, your offer, and the role that campaign plays in the funnel.

Keep this hub as your starting framework, then let your own search term reports do the final editing. That is the most reliable way to build an industry negative keywords list that stays useful in both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.