Negative keywords: practical lists for every sector

Negative keywords are Google Ads' most overlooked filter. A well-curated list blocks 20-40% of waste traffic before you pay a click. Here are pre-built lists for the most common SME sectors.

Universal list (any sector)

Add at account level, exclude informational/job/student searches:

• free, gratis
• jobs, salary, careers, hiring, vacancies
• wikipedia, definition, meaning
• tutorial, how to, guide, diy
• example, examples, template
• university, course, curriculum, thesis
• amazon, ebay, craigslist

Local services (plumber, electrician, restaurant…)

• Non-target city names (100+ list of out-of-area towns)
• cinema, film, book, video
• review, opinion
• contest, tender, public bid
• gift, gadget

E-commerce

• review (intercepted by content sites, not brands)
• opinions, forum, reddit
• best (head term often from informational blogs)
• second hand, used, refurbished (if you only sell new)
• competitor names (unless competitor-specific campaign)

B2B services

• personal, home use
• for students, university
• free app, free software
• open source, github
• internship, traineeship

Regulated sectors

For legal, health, finance:

• complaint, court (for legal)
• symptoms, disease (for health)
• scam, fraud, claim (for finance)

How to manage over time

1. Initial setup: apply lists above as account-level negatives
2. Monthly: open Search Terms Report, identify new waste terms
3. Add 5-15 new negatives every month
4. After 6 months you'll have a 200-400 high-efficacy list

Want us to manage negative keywords for you? It's weekly routine in the Lead Gen Machine and Acquire package.

Want to apply this to your SME?

If you'd like a concrete analysis of your situation, request the free audit from Gamerbit. In 48 hours we tell you exactly where you're losing leads, time or budget — no sales pitch.

For a complete system, the 2026 no-brainer offers are the most direct starting point.