Using Negative Keywords Correctly in Amazon PPC

What are negative keywords?

Negative keywords (also called excluded keywords) are search terms for which you prevent your ad from being shown. When you add a keyword as negative, Amazon will no longer show your ad as soon as a customer uses that term in their search.

An example: you sell a natural-rubber yoga mat for $49.90. Without negative keywords, your ad could also appear for the search "cheap yoga mat" or "yoga mat $10." Customers with this search term are looking for a budget product. They may click on your ad, see the price and leave the page. You pay for the click but get no sale.

With "cheap" and "budget" as negative keywords, you prevent these unnecessary clicks. Your budget instead flows into search queries with a higher purchase probability.

Negative exact vs. negative phrase: the difference

Amazon offers two types of negative keywords. Understanding the difference is crucial, because using them incorrectly can lead to you accidentally blocking profitable search terms.

Negative exact

Your ad is only blocked when the customer's search term exactly matches the negative keyword. No additional words, no different order.

Example: you set "yoga mat kids" as negative exact.

• Blocked: "yoga mat kids"
• Not blocked: "yoga mat kids non-slip"
• Not blocked: "yoga mat for kids"
• Not blocked: "kids yoga mat"

Negative phrase

Your ad is blocked when the customer's search term contains the exact word sequence of the negative keyword. Additional words may appear before or after the phrase.

Example: you set "yoga mat kids" as negative phrase.

• Blocked: "yoga mat kids"
• Blocked: "yoga mat kids non-slip"
• Blocked: "best yoga mat kids"
• Not blocked: "yoga mat for kids" (the word sequence is interrupted by "for")
• Not blocked: "kids yoga mat" (different order)

How to find negative keywords

There are three main sources for negative keywords. The first and most important is the Search Term Report.

Source 1: The Search Term Report

The Search Term Report shows you the actual search queries that triggered clicks on your ads. This is where you find the biggest budget drains.

1. Download the report in Seller Central (Advertising > Reports > Search Term Reports).
2. Choose a time frame of at least 30 days.
3. Sort by spend (descending).
4. Look for search terms with clicks but no sales. From 15 to 20 clicks without a conversion, a search term becomes a serious candidate.
5. Review each candidate: is the search term irrelevant to your product? Then negate it. Is it relevant but not converting? Then the problem may lie with the listing, not the keyword.

Source 2: Automatic campaigns

Automatic campaigns are a gold mine for negative keywords because Amazon serves them very broadly. You will find search terms that thematically don't fit your product at all.

Check the Search Term Report of your automatic campaigns regularly (every 1 to 2 weeks). Negate irrelevant search terms directly in the automatic campaign. Move top performers into manual campaigns and negate them in the automatic campaign as well, to avoid serving the ad twice.

Source 3: Common sense and research

Some negative keywords you can add from the start, without waiting for data:

• Brand keywords: when customers search for a specific brand (e.g. "Manduka yoga mat"), they rarely buy a no-name product. Unless you deliberately want to target brand switchers.
• Price-related terms: "cheap," "budget," "free," "gratis" indicate price-sensitive customers who are not a fit for premium products.
• Irrelevant materials or attributes: if you sell a cork mat, then "PVC yoga mat" or "foam yoga mat" are irrelevant.
• Used-goods terms: "used," "second hand," "refurbished" rarely fit new merchandise.

When you should negate a search term

Not every search term without a sale deserves an immediate negative keyword. The decision depends on several factors.

Clear cases for negation

• The search term has nothing to do with your product (e.g. "dog mat" for a yoga mat).
• The search term contains a brand you don't carry.
• The search term contains a product attribute your product doesn't have (color, material, size).
• The search term has more than 20 clicks without a single sale and is thematically borderline.

Cases where you should be careful

• The search term is thematically relevant but only has 5 to 10 clicks. The data is still too thin here. Wait.
• The search term has clicks, but your listing doesn't match the search query well. Here the solution is listing optimization, not negation.
• The search term is a long-tail keyword with a low click rate but high relevance. Long-tail keywords often convert only after many impressions, since they are searched less frequently.

Campaign level vs. ad-group level

You can add negative keywords at two levels: at the campaign level and at the ad-group level. The choice has a direct impact on how you steer your ads.

Negative keywords at the campaign level

A negative keyword at the campaign level applies to all ad groups within that campaign. Use this level for search terms that are irrelevant to the entire product or product group.

Example: you sell high-quality kitchen appliances. The negative keyword "toy" belongs at the campaign level, because it is not relevant to any of your ad groups.

Negative keywords at the ad-group level

A negative keyword at the ad-group level applies only to the respective ad group. Use this level when a search term is irrelevant in one ad group but does make sense in another ad group within the same campaign.

Example: you have a campaign for yoga mats with two ad groups: one for "thick yoga mat" and one for "thin yoga mat." In the "thick yoga mat" ad group you negate the search term "thin yoga mat" and vice versa. This ensures that each ad group only serves the matching search queries.

Building a systematic negative-keyword list

A one-time cleanup is not enough. Negative keywords are an ongoing process. Here is how to build a systematic list:

Step 1: Create a base list

Before you launch your campaigns (or as a first measure with existing campaigns), create a list of obviously irrelevant terms:

• Competing brand names (unless brand targeting is desired)
• Price-related terms ("cheap," "budget," "free")
• Materials your product doesn't have
• Colors you don't offer
• Sizes you don't carry
• Product types that sound similar but are something else

Step 2: Weekly maintenance

Schedule a fixed appointment once a week (ideally Monday or Tuesday, when the previous week's data is fully available). Go through the Search Term Report and identify new candidates.

Step 3: Documentation

Keep a central spreadsheet (Excel or Google Sheets) with all negative keywords. Note:

• The negative keyword
• The type (negative exact or negative phrase)
• The campaign and ad group where it was added
• The date of negation
• The reason (e.g. "15 clicks, 0 sales, completely irrelevant")

This documentation helps you keep an overview, especially when you manage many campaigns at once. It also lets you check afterwards whether a negation was correct.

Typical examples of negative keywords by category

The following examples are meant to serve as inspiration. Not every term fits every product. Always check whether the negation makes sense for your specific offer.

Category	Typical negative keywords
Price-related	cheap, budget, free, gratis, bargain, deal, discount, used
Informational	what is, how does it work, guide, tutorial, explanation, definition, wiki
Wrong product	Varies greatly by product category. Example: "car mat" for yoga mats.
B2B vs. B2C	wholesale, bulk, commercial (if you only sell B2C)
DIY / repair	repair, fix, spare part, make yourself, diy

Common mistakes with negative keywords

Negative keywords are powerful, but also risky if used incorrectly. Avoid the following mistakes:

Mistake 1: Negating too aggressively

Some sellers negate everything that doesn't convert immediately. The problem: you may be excluding search terms that would have become profitable with a sufficient data base. Especially with long-tail keywords that have few clicks, patience is required.

Mistake 2: Negative phrase instead of negative exact

If you add a word like "red" as negative phrase, you block all search queries that contain "red." Even "yoga mat red black" gets blocked, although your product might be red and black. Think carefully about which type you choose.

Mistake 3: No regular maintenance

Setting negative keywords once and then forgetting them is a common mistake. New search terms appear constantly. What doesn't exist today can become a budget drain tomorrow. The weekly check is indispensable.

Mistake 4: Accidentally negating positive keywords

If you add a keyword as both positive and negative, the negative keyword wins. Your ad won't be served. Before every negation, check whether the term isn't running as a positive keyword in another campaign or ad group.

Mistake 5: Negating only single words

A single word as negative phrase can be too broad. "Kids" as negative phrase excludes all search queries that contain "kids." It is often better to negate the complete irrelevant phrase (e.g. "yoga mat kids") instead of a single word.

Conclusion: negative keywords as a continuous process

Negative keywords are among the most effective levers in Amazon PPC optimization. They cost nothing but save money directly by preventing irrelevant clicks.

The key lies in being systematic: analyze your Search Term Report regularly, choose the right negation type (exact vs. phrase), document your decisions and avoid being too aggressive. Especially with search terms that have few clicks, it pays to collect enough data before making a final decision.

If you carry out this process consistently, you will notice a tangible improvement in your ACoS within a few weeks. And as your experience grows, you develop a feel for which terms belong on the negative list from the start.