Why 83% of PPC Managers Don’t Know Current Best Practices

A recent poll revealed that 83% of PPC advertisers still add “as many negative keywords as possible” to their campaigns. This isn't a matter of preference or strategy – it's simply wrong. The correct answer is strategic negative keyword management that starts with essential exclusions and only adds more when you have strong domain knowledge to override the machine.

The Right Approach to Negative Keywords

When using smart bidding, the correct strategy is:

1. Start with essential negative keywords – the obvious ones that protect your budget
2. Add more only when you have clear domain knowledge that the machine can't reasonably learn
3. When in doubt, keep the keyword and let the algorithm decide

This is far more nuanced than “add as many as possible” but also more strategic than an arbitrary limit.

What “Essential” Actually Means

Your initial negative keyword list should include clear exclusions like:

• “free” (if you don't offer free services)
• “jobs” or “careers” (unless you're hiring)
• “DIY” (if you're service-based)
• Brand/competitor terms (when appropriate)
• Industry-specific irrelevant terms you know from experience

This might be 10, 20, or even 50 negatives depending on your industry – but they should all be terms you're confident about based on domain expertise.

When to Override the Machine

Add additional negative keywords only when you have strong reasons:

• Legal/compliance issues (e.g., a medical device company blocking “cheap” for regulatory reasons)
• Brand positioning (luxury brands excluding “discount” terms)
• Clear business logic (B2B software blocking consumer-focused queries)
• Geographic restrictions (local business blocking other cities)

The key is having genuine domain knowledge that the algorithm can't reasonably learn from conversion data alone.

Why 83% Got It Wrong

The problem is that most advertisers are still thinking in the old paradigm of exhaustive negative keyword lists. They're adding negatives based on assumptions rather than knowledge:

1. Outdated Training

Most PPC education still teaches comprehensive negative keyword research as standard practice.

2. Assumption-Based Blocking

Adding negatives for queries that “seem irrelevant” without understanding user intent or business impact.

3. Fear of Irrelevant Traffic

Blocking anything that doesn't perfectly match their narrow view of ideal customers.

4. Lack of Trust in Automation

Not understanding that smart bidding can handle nuanced optimisation better than broad keyword exclusions.

The Performance Impact

When you give smart bidding algorithms more data to work with, they can make better optimisation decisions. Accounts that reduce their assumption-based negative keywords will see improved performance as the algorithm gains access to previously blocked query data and audience signals.

Stop Making Assumptions

The fundamental shift is from assumption-based to knowledge-based negative keyword management:

Wrong: “This query seems irrelevant, I'll block it”

Right: “I know from experience this query never converts for business reason X”

Wrong: “Let me research every possible irrelevant term”
Right: “Let me add the ones I'm certain about and let the algorithm learn the rest”

Wrong: “More negative keywords = better optimization”

Right: “Strategic negatives + algorithm learning = optimal performance”

The Modern Standard

Smart negative keyword management means:

• Start with essential exclusions based on clear business logic
• Add more only when you have domain expertise the machine lacks
• Default to letting the algorithm learn rather than making assumptions
• Focus optimization time on higher-impact activities

The 17% who answered “No” to extensive negatives understand this balance. They're not being lazy- they're being strategic about when human knowledge adds value versus when algorithmic learning is superior.

A real-life example

Looking through my search query terms for a client, I spotted a product that the company didn't sell. pre-smart bidding, I would've negated it, but it actually did convert. I don't want to break any NDAs but it was sort of like bidding on Nike shoes, for a shop that only sells Adidas. Conventional wisdom tells you that, it would be good to negate an irrelevant brand but Google knows who is looking specifically for Nike shoes and who is looking for general shoes and would consider Adidas.

Remember with the right targets, the machine gets punished every time it delivers an irrelevant click. So it's got more incentive to stop bidding on irrelevant terms and pick cheaper terms that have conversion potential at the right price.

The Brutal Truth

Strategic negative keywords based on domain knowledge, not exhaustive lists based on assumptions is the modern day Google best practice but a staggering 83% of Google Ads consultants don't know it. Choose your consultant wisely.

Ben

Ben Luong is a technical marketing consultant who operates where AI falls short. In a world flooded with cheap, mediocre code and automated strategies, he provides the expert integration, verification, and strategic accountability required to make modern marketing stacks profitable. He specialises in architecting Google Ads, SEO, and GA4 into a single, high-performance system that is accountable to the bottom line.