Negative keyword list cleanup for search ads
Name the term, the waste, and the cut — so the search ads earn the click, not the spend.
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Ads
- Google Sheets
- Notion
Clean our negative keyword list from the last 30 days.
- Pulled the terms4,200 search terms, $14k spend, 8% waste
- Named the term"free crm" — 340 clicks, 0 conversions, $1.1k spend
- Named the waste"free" + "jobs" + "alternative" = 32% of spend, 0% of conversions
- Named the cutAdd 18 negatives (exact + phrase), projected $1.8k saved
The cleanup named the term ("free crm", "jobs", "alternative"), the waste (32% of spend, 0% of conversions), and the cut (18 negatives, $1.8k saved). The search ads earned a 16% lower CPA after the cleanup shipped. The template earned the click because it named the term, not counted the impressions.
A negative keyword list cleanup is the review that earns the click. It fixes the term, the waste, and the cut — so the search ads read as a filter, not a spray. A search lead who counts the impressions earns the spend; a negative keyword list cleanup that names the term and the waste earns the click and the ROAS.
What is a negative keyword list cleanup?
A reusable review shape for the negative keywords — the term, the waste, the cut — that earns the click and the ROAS. The cleanup fixes the shape so the search ads read as a filter, not a spray.
Build the cleanup
- Term named — the one search query the prospect typed
- Waste named — the one cost the term earns
- Cut named — the one negative the search lead ships
Ship the filter
- Name the term, do not count the impressions
- One cut per term, not five
- Re-run the cleanup monthly
What term does a negative keyword list cleanup name?
The one search query the prospect typed — the job, the free, the wrong — that earns the waste. The term is the part that earns the waste, because a search lead who counts the impressions earns the spend; a search lead who names the term earns the cut.
What waste does a negative keyword list cleanup name?
The one cost the term earns — the spend, the click, the impression — that earns the cut. The waste is the part that earns the cut, because a term without the waste earns the count; a term with the waste earns the cut and the click.
What cut does a negative keyword list cleanup name?
The one negative the search lead ships — the exact, the phrase, the broad — that earns the click. The cut is the part that earns the click, because a term without the cut earns the waste and loses the click; a term with the cut earns the ROAS.
How the negative keyword list cleanup fits your stack
The agent reads your search term reports and the spend, drafts the term, the waste, and the cut, and ships the cleanup. It pairs with the negative keyword research and the search query waste audit templates.
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Ads
- Google Sheets
- Notion
Who uses this negative keyword list cleanup
- Search leads
- Name the term, do not count the impressions.
- PPC managers
- One cut per term, not five.
- Founders
- Re-run the cleanup monthly.
How to run this negative keyword list cleanup in Metaflow
Pull the terms
The last 30 days, the search terms.
Name the term
Agent names the one query.
Name the waste
The one cost the term earns.
Name the cut
The one negative to ship.
What you provide
- Search term reports
- Spend data
- Conversion data
What you get back
- Negative keyword cleanup
- Term named
- Waste named
- Cut named
Why use this negative keyword list cleanup?
Names the term, does not count the impressions
One cut per term, not five
Re-runs monthly, not once
Pairs with the negative keyword research and waste audit templates
Negative keyword list FAQs
How do you clean negative keywords?
Name the one term, the one waste, and the one cut. The cleanup reads as a filter, not a spray, which is why the search ads earn the click, not the spend.
What is a negative keyword cleanup?
The review that earns the click — the term, the waste, the cut. A search lead who counts the impressions earns the spend; a search lead who names the term and the waste earns the click and the ROAS.
How often should you clean negative keywords?
Monthly, not quarterly. A list that cleans quarterly earns the waste; a list that cleans monthly earns the click, because the term is what earns the waste and the term changes weekly.
What makes a negative keyword cleanup convert?
A term that earns the waste, a waste that earns the cut, and a cut that earns the click. The cleanup that counts earns the spend; the cleanup that names the term earns the click.
Similar Google Ads and Meta Ads templates
Key takeaways
- Names the term, does not count the impressions
- One cut per term, not five
- Re-runs monthly, not once