Amazon Negative Keywords: Stop Wasting Ad Spend
Eliminate irrelevant traffic and reduce ACoS by 20-40% with strategic negative keyword implementation. Master the art of blocking bad searches.
What are Amazon Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords are search terms that prevent your ads from showing when customers search for those specific words or phrases. They're crucial for eliminating irrelevant traffic that wastes your advertising budget without generating sales.
The Cost of Ignoring Negative Keywords
- Average of 25-40% wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks
- Lower quality scores and higher bid competition
- Diluted campaign performance metrics
- Reduced budget for profitable keywords
Protection
Block irrelevant searches from triggering your ads
Savings
Reduce wasted spend by 20-40% immediately
Focus
Concentrate budget on profitable search terms
Types of Negative Keywords
Negative Broad
Blocks searches containing all negative keyword terms in any order.
Blocks: "red running shoes", "shoes for running"
Allows: "running socks", "basketball shoes"
Negative Phrase
Blocks searches containing the exact phrase in the same order.
Blocks: "red running shoes", "running shoes sale"
Allows: "shoes for running", "running sneakers"
Negative Exact
Blocks only the exact search term and close variants.
Blocks: "running shoes", "running shoe"
Allows: "red running shoes", "running shoes sale"
7-Step Negative Keyword Identification
Review Search Term Reports
Download last 30-60 days of search terms from all campaigns. Look for high-spend, low-conversion terms.
Identify Irrelevant Categories
Find searches from completely different product categories that your broad match keywords triggered.
Spot Wrong Intent Searches
Look for informational searches (how to, reviews, problems) when you're selling products.
Find Size/Color Mismatches
Block specific sizes, colors, or variants you don't sell to avoid disappointing customers.
Eliminate Price Sensitivity
Block "cheap", "discount", "free" if you sell premium products with healthy margins.
Block Competitor Brands
Prevent your ads from showing for direct competitor brand searches unless strategically targeting them.
Use Preventive Negatives
Proactively add common irrelevant terms before launching campaigns to prevent waste from day one.
Common Negative Keywords by Category
Universal Negatives
- free
- cheap
- discount
- used
- broken
- repair
- how to
- DIY
- review
- complaint
Electronics
- refurbished
- parts
- battery
- charger
- case
- screen protector
- manual
- warranty
- compatible
- replacement
Clothing/Fashion
- pattern
- sewing
- fabric
- alteration
- vintage
- costume
- plus size (if not offered)
- petite (if not offered)
- maternity
- uniform
Home & Garden
- rental
- commercial
- industrial
- professional
- bulk
- wholesale
- installation
- service
- contractor
- business
Implementation Best Practices
📋 Organization
- ✓ Create master negative keyword list
- ✓ Use campaign-level negatives for broad terms
- ✓ Use ad group-level for specific negatives
- ✓ Document reasoning for each negative
⏰ Timing
- ✓ Add preventive negatives before launch
- ✓ Review search terms weekly
- ✓ Add negatives after 20+ clicks with no sales
- ✓ Bulk upload negatives monthly
🎯 Strategy
- ✓ Start with broad negatives, get specific
- ✓ Use phrase match for multi-word negatives
- ✓ Be careful not to over-negative
- ✓ Test impact before adding broad negatives
📊 Monitoring
- ✓ Track impression share changes
- ✓ Monitor CTR improvements
- ✓ Watch for ACoS reductions
- ✓ Check for over-blocking warnings
Stop Wasting Ad Spend Today
Get expert negative keyword analysis and implementation to immediately reduce your ACoS and improve campaign profitability.