Account-level negative keywords provide a centralized method to exclude specific search terms from every eligible Search and Shopping campaign within a single Google Ads account. By implementing these exclusions at the top level, advertisers ensure that irrelevant search queries do not trigger ads across multiple campaign types, including Performance Max campaigns. This feature simplifies account maintenance and helps preserve your budget for more relevant traffic that aligns with your business goals, preventing wasted spend on unintended search terms.
Why should you use account level negative keywords?
Managing exclusions at the account level offers a broad safety net for your advertising efforts. In a typical account, you might identify terms that consistently result in low conversion rates or are entirely irrelevant to your product offerings. Instead of manually adding these terms to every single campaign or ad group, the account-level setting allows you to block them once. This is particularly useful for excluding brand names that competitors might bid on, or generic industry terms that bring in high traffic but zero revenue. By applying these keywords globally, you reduce the time spent on manual campaign adjustments while maintaining a cleaner search query report.
How do account level settings affect Performance Max?
Performance Max campaigns represent a unique challenge because they automate placement across various Google properties. Traditionally, excluding terms from Performance Max required contacting Google support or using specific workarounds. Now, account-level negative keywords apply directly to these campaigns alongside standard Search and Shopping campaigns. This creates a more unified control environment. When you add a keyword here, the system recognizes it as a restricted term across the entire account inventory. This helps prevent your AI-driven ads from appearing on search queries that you have explicitly deemed unsuitable for your brand identity or sales strategy.
Comparing campaign level vs account level exclusions
| Feature | Account Level | Campaign Level |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Scope | Entire Account | Specific Campaign |
| Automation Impact | Includes Performance Max | Standard Search/Shopping |
| Ease of Use | High (Set and Forget) | Moderate (Needs frequent review) |
What is the best way to identify negative keywords?
Identifying the right terms requires a consistent review of your Search Terms Report. Check this report weekly to see exactly what users typed to trigger your ads. Look for patterns where users search for information that you do not provide. For example, if you run a Shopify store selling high-end luxury watches, you might find that queries like ‘watch repair tutorial’ or ‘used watch parts’ consistently trigger your ads for new timepieces. These searches rarely lead to a purchase in your specific store. Listing these as negative keywords at the account level prevents your ads from appearing for these informational queries, saving your budget for high-intent buyers.
Steps to implement account level negative keywords
- Sign in to your Google Ads account.
- Navigate to the Settings menu on the left-hand navigation bar.
- Select Account settings from the list of options.
- Locate the Negative keywords section to expand it.
- Click the plus icon to add your list of terms, separated by commas or new lines.
- Save your changes to apply the exclusions across the account.
How Alien Road applies negative keyword strategy
At Alien Road, we integrate account-level negative keywords as a core component of our initial account setup and ongoing optimization. We begin by conducting a deep analysis of historical search query data to determine baseline irrelevance. For a typical engagement, we create a master list of industry-wide negative terms that are rarely productive. We then upload these directly into the account settings to provide immediate protection. This ensures that as we launch new campaigns, they are shielded from common pitfalls from day one. Our team regularly updates this list based on emerging trends and shifts in the search landscape, ensuring the account remains efficient.
Are there any risks to using negative keywords?
While negative keywords are useful, over-exclusion is a real risk. If you are too aggressive, you might accidentally block legitimate searches that could lead to conversions. This is often called ‘blocking your own traffic.’ Always check the impact of a new negative keyword list before applying it to the entire account. A common pattern is to start with a smaller list of obviously irrelevant terms. Once you see the impact on your spend and conversion volume, you can gradually expand the list. This measured approach prevents the accidental removal of high-performing search terms that might use language you initially thought was irrelevant.
What should you check every week for optimization?
Maintaining your negative keyword list is an ongoing process rather than a one-time task. You should dedicate time each week to review the performance of your account and the specific search terms that are driving traffic. Look for emerging keywords that are not relevant to your current campaigns. Ask yourself if these terms appear across multiple campaigns or just one. If they appear frequently, move them from a campaign-level exclusion to your account-level list. This keeps your account structure clean and prevents your search terms report from becoming cluttered with repetitive, low-value information that does not serve your ultimate marketing objectives.
Checklist for effective keyword management
- Review Search Terms Report for irrelevant clicks.
- Categorize irrelevant terms into broad, phrase, or exact match types.
- Audit existing negative keyword lists to ensure they are still relevant.
- Check for conflicting keywords where an account-level exclusion might block a positive campaign intent.
- Monitor the impression share of your main campaigns after applying new exclusions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use negative keyword lists for account level exclusions?
Yes, you can apply existing negative keyword lists to the account level. This is often more efficient than adding individual words, especially if you have a pre-defined list of common industry exclusions. By using lists, you can update one central location, and those changes will automatically reflect across all campaigns where that list is applied, making your account management much more organized.
Does an account level negative keyword override campaign settings?
Account-level negative keywords function as an additional layer of filtering. They do not necessarily override campaign-level settings in a way that ignores campaign logic, but they act as a mandatory exclusion for the entire account. Any term added here will be blocked regardless of whether you have specific positive keywords in your campaigns that might otherwise trigger those ads.
How many negative keywords can I add at the account level?
Google Ads maintains specific limits for the number of negative keywords you can add. While the limit is quite high, it is best practice to keep your lists relevant and focused. Avoid adding thousands of terms that are not actually showing up in your reports. Focus on high-impact terms that you know are wasting your budget to keep your account performance clean.
Where to start this week with your negative keywords?
Start this week by downloading your Search Terms Report for the last thirty days. Sort the list by cost in descending order. Identify the top ten terms that spent money but resulted in zero conversions. Evaluate if these terms relate to your products. If they are clearly irrelevant, add them to your account-level negative keyword list immediately to stop the budget drain.
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