Day-One Google Ads Negative Keyword Lists for New Campaigns

Question 1

What six starter negative keyword lists should I check before launching a Google Ads campaign?

Accepted Answer

According to groas, a new account should review six starter lists before the first ad runs: file/piracy/reference, freebie and discount, job seekers and students, DIY and research intent, competitor research, and customer support and churn searches. The intro states these cover predictable spend from people searching for jobs, free downloads, templates and customer support. The article recommends treating them as starter lists to review against the offer, not as lists to apply everywhere.

Question 2

Why do I need to add both singular and plural forms to my negative keyword lists?

Accepted Answer

The article states that Google’s negative keyword documentation says negative keywords do not match close variants, while positive keywords can match plurals, misspellings and related searches. It gives the example that adding download still allows the ad to show for downloads. The article therefore includes singulars, plurals and closely related forms in the lists and recommends not trimming them to make the library look tidy.

Question 3

Which freebie and discount searches should I exclude from campaigns for paid products?

Accepted Answer

The article recommends the freebie and discount list for campaigns selling paid products, commercial software or premium services, including terms such as 0 cost, 100% free, cheap, cheapest, free, freebie, freeware, discount codes, no cost, and used. It warns not to broad-negative free if a free trial or free shipping helps sell the paid offer, because a search containing that word will be blocked regardless of the rest of the query. In that case it recommends removing the root and using narrower phrase negatives such as "totally free", "100% free" or "free download" where those phrases describe traffic to exclude.

Question 4

How do day-one negative keyword lists work in Performance Max?

Accepted Answer

The article states that campaign-level negative keywords are available in Performance Max, so the question is where an exclusion works rather than whether it can be entered. It recommends reviewing each list against the offer, applying relevant negatives at the appropriate account or campaign level, then checking Search and Shopping queries after launch and reviewing placements separately. According to groas, these negatives and brand exclusions address Search and Shopping queries and do not stop a banner or video ad appearing on an unwanted site or app.

Question 5

Why should I block customer support and churn searches from acquisition campaigns?

Accepted Answer

The article recommends applying the support and churn list to acquisition campaigns for subscription software, ecommerce, utilities or repeat-service businesses, covering terms such as login, password reset, refund, outage, customer service and support ticket. It states that existing customers searching for those terms can click the acquisition ad above the help page, which wastes acquisition budget even if it looks like engagement. The article rates this list above the torrent and pdf filters and recommends separating acquisition from campaigns that intentionally reach current customers, and removing terms that describe the service sold, such as repair for a plumbing business.