Google Ads Negative Keywords by Industry for 2026

Question 1

What is a Google Ads negative keywords list and what does the 2026 list cover?

Accepted Answer

The article defines a Google Ads negative keywords list as a collection of search terms explicitly excluded from triggering ads to prevent wasted spend on irrelevant clicks. According to groas, the 2026 resource covers 700+ terms across eight verticals: eCommerce, B2B SaaS, Local Services, Legal, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, and Travel. The full downloadable file is noted as upload-ready with match-type recommendations and conditional-exclusion flags.

Question 2

Why does broad match make negative keywords more important in 2026?

Accepted Answer

The article states Google's broad match algorithm in 2026 is significantly more aggressive than it was even two years ago, using intent signals, user behavior history, and semantic relationships to match keywords to queries that may share no words in common. It gives as an example a B2B software company bidding on "project management tool" seeing ads triggered by "free to-do list app" or "project management degree programs." Because the search terms report does not surface every triggering query, the article recommends a proactive, industry-specific list in place before launch.

Question 3

How does AI Max affect the need for negative keywords?

Accepted Answer

According to groas, AI Max for Search automatically expands keyword targeting, rewrites ad copy, and adjusts landing pages to find incremental conversions, which often means tangentially related queries. The article states AI Max does not have access to business context, margin structure, or brand positioning, and it cannot override a negative keyword exclusion. It positions exclusions such as "free," "jobs," "salary," or "DIY" as guardrails that hold even when AI Max is active.

Question 4

When should I use shared account-level negative keyword lists?

Accepted Answer

The article states shared negative keyword lists, now called account-level negative keyword lists in the updated Google Ads interface, apply exclusions across multiple campaigns simultaneously. It recommends them for universally irrelevant terms such as job-related and informational queries. According to groas, every account should have at minimum two shared lists: one for universal exclusions (jobs, careers, salary, free, DIY) and one for industry-specific exclusions.

Question 5

How do I implement these negative keywords without breaking campaigns?

Accepted Answer

The article recommends filtering the industry list, removing any actually relevant terms, then segmenting universal exclusions into a shared list and campaign-specific exclusions at the campaign level. Shared lists are uploaded via Tools and Settings > Shared Library > Negative Keyword Lists, while campaign-level negatives are added within each campaign's Keywords tab under the Negative Keywords section. For match types, the article states negative broad match excludes queries containing all terms in any order, negative phrase match excludes queries containing the exact phrase, and negative exact match excludes only that exact query, with phrase match offering the best balance for most exclusions.

Question 6

What common mistakes should I avoid when adding negative keywords?

Accepted Answer

The article warns against over-excluding with broad match negatives, noting adding "management" as a broad match negative could block "project management software," and recommends phrase or exact match for ambiguous terms. It also warns against conflicts such as a shared list excluding "reviews" suppressing a brand campaign targeting "yourcompany reviews," and against ignoring Performance Max campaigns, which have limited negative keyword support. The article states static lists degrade over time and refers to getting the list right from day one during the critical first 30 days after launch.