Negative keyword list template 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
Build a negative keyword list from our last 30 days of search terms.
- Pulled the terms4,200 search terms, $12k spend
- Named the term"free crm" — 340 clicks, 0 conversions, $1.1k spend
- Named the waste"free" earned 26% of spend, 0% of conversions
- Named the cutAdd "free" as exact negative, projected $1.1k saved
The list named the term ("free crm"), the waste (26% of spend, 0% of conversions), and the cut (exact negative "free", $1.1k saved). The search ads earned a 14% lower CPA after the cut shipped. The template earned the click because it named the term, not counted the impressions.
A negative keyword list template is the research 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 template that names the term and the waste earns the click and the conversion.
What is a negative keyword list template?
A reusable research shape for the search terms — the term, the waste, the cut — that earns the click and the conversion. The template fixes the shape so the search ads read as a filter, not a spray.
Build the list
- 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 research monthly
What term does a negative keyword list template 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 template 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 template 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 conversion.
How the negative keyword list template fits your stack
The agent reads your search term reports and the spend, drafts the term, the waste, and the cut, and ships the list. It pairs with the search query waste audit and the keyword research for search ads templates.
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Ads
- Google Sheets
- Notion
Who uses this negative keyword list template
- Search leads
- Name the term, do not count the impressions.
- PPC managers
- One cut per term, not five.
- Founders
- Re-run the research monthly.
How to run this negative keyword list template 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 list
- Term named
- Waste named
- Cut named
Why use this negative keyword list template?
Names the term, does not count the impressions
One cut per term, not five
Re-runs monthly, not once
Pairs with the waste audit and keyword research templates
Negative keyword list template FAQs
How do you build a negative keyword list?
Name the one term, the one waste, and the one cut. The list reads as a filter, not a spray, which is why the search ads earn the click, not the spend.
What is a negative keyword?
The one search query the prospect typed that earns the waste — the job, the free, the wrong. A search lead who counts the impressions earns the spend; a search lead who names the term earns the cut and the click.
How often should you review negative keywords?
Monthly, not quarterly. A list that reviews quarterly earns the waste; a list that reviews monthly earns the click, because the term is what earns the waste and the term changes weekly.
What makes a negative keyword list convert?
A term that earns the waste, a waste that earns the cut, and a cut that earns the click. The list that counts earns the spend; the list 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