Manage Google Shopping: The Role of Negative Keywords in Lowering Wasted Spend in Shopping Campaigns

E-commerce brands know that every click counts. When you manage Google Shopping without a clear negative keyword strategy, your ads may appear for irrelevant searches, driving up costs with no conversions. Implementing negative keywords helps you refine who sees your Shopping ads, ensuring budget goes toward high-intent shoppers. In this post, you’ll learn how proper negative keyword management can dramatically lower wasted spend and optimize your Shopping campaign performance.

Why Manage Google Shopping with Negative Keywords Matters

Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing on searches that aren’t aligned with your products. When you manage Google Shopping, you’re often dealing with a vast catalog of items in Google Merchant Center. Without filtering out irrelevant queries, you risk attracting unqualified traffic. By proactively adding negative keywords, you maintain tighter control over who sees your ads, improve click-through rate, and reduce unnecessary cost.

• Reduce wasted spend: Excluding irrelevant searches keeps budget focused on shoppers more likely to convert.

• Improve data insights: Fewer irrelevant clicks mean cleaner data in your Google Merchant Center reports.

• Streamline bidding strategy: When you manage Google Shopping, negative keywords help you bid only on high-value terms.

How to Manage Google Shopping Negative Keyword Lists

1. Identify irrelevant search terms.

   • Review the Search terms report in Google Ads to see queries triggering Shopping ads.

   • Look for generic or irrelevant terms (e.g., “free demo,” “used,” or competitor names if you don’t target them).

   
   

2. Group negative keywords by theme.

   • Create lists like “condition” (used, refurbished), “location” (free shipping), or “information-seeking” (how to, tutorial).

   • Use your Google Merchant Center help center resources to verify attribute rules so you don’t exclude relevant queries by mistake.

   
   

3. Add negative keywords at the appropriate level.

   • Campaign level: If a term applies to all ad groups in a Shopping campaign, include it here.

   • Shared negative keyword lists: Use with multiple Shopping campaigns to simplify management.

   
   

4. Monitor performance and refine.

   • Check your negative keyword list weekly to spot new irrelevant queries.

   • Use Search terms report filters (e.g., impression > X, cost > Y) to find high-cost, low-conversion terms.
   

   
   
   
   

   

   Example of Negative Keywords

   
   

Best Practices for Negative Keywords in Shopping Campaigns

Maintain a Balance

When you manage Google Shopping, it’s tempting to exclude too many terms. Over-filtering can limit ad reach and reduce volume. Start with broad negative keywords (e.g., “free,” “cheap,” “job openings”) before digging into niche exclusions (e.g., “blue widget spare parts”).

Use Long-Tail Negative Keywords

Long-tail negative keywords (e.g., “how to fix widget,” “widget installation guide”) help exclude informational searches. Leverage semantic variations like “google merchant center help center” to avoid accidentally blocking relevant queries.

Leverage Google Merchant Center Feed Attributes

You can reduce unwanted traffic at the feed level too. When you manage Google Shopping feeds, ensure attributes like condition, availability, and product type are accurate. For instance, if you don’t sell refurbished items, set condition=“new” so you’re less likely to attract users searching for “used.”

Segment by Product Category

Create separate Shopping campaigns for distinct categories (e.g., electronics vs. apparel). By doing so, you can tailor negative keywords more precisely. If you sell only men’s shoes under electronics-themed campaigns, negative keywords like “women’s” or “kids” keep your ads from showing on mismatched searches.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implement Negative Keywords

Accessing the Search Terms Report

1. Sign into your Google Ads account.

2. Navigate to your Shopping campaign.

3. Click “Keywords,” then select “Search terms.”

4. Filter by high-cost or low-conversion terms to identify wasteful queries.

Creating a Shared Negative Keyword List

1. Go to “Tools & Settings” in the top menu.

2. Under “Shared Library,” click “Negative keyword lists.”

3. Click the plus icon to create a new list.

4. Name your list (e.g., “Shopping Campaign Exclusions Q2”) and add negative keywords (one per line).

5. Save and then apply this list to multiple Shopping campaigns.

Adding Negative Keywords at Campaign Level

1. Select the Shopping campaign you want to edit.

2. Click “Keywords” in the left menu.

3. Choose “Negative keywords.”

4. Click the plus icon, select “Add negative keywords,” choose “Campaign,” then paste or type each negative keyword.

5. Click “Save” to implement.

Refining Over Time

• Review weekly: Schedule a recurring task to check the Search terms report every Monday.

• Adjust bids: As you manage Google Shopping, your negative keyword exclusions often reveal gems for new positive keywords. Consider adding high-intent queries as exact-match keywords in separate ad groups.

• Use analytics: Pair your negative keyword list insights with Google Merchant Center feed diagnostics to spot feed errors contributing to wasted spend.

Common Pitfalls When You Manage Google Shopping Negative Keywords

Over-Excluding Terms

Be cautious not to ban terms that might be relevant. For instance, “cheap LED lights” might include bargain-seeking users interested in your discounted offerings. Always check CTR and conversion data before excluding.

Ignoring Seasonal Variations

During holiday seasons or special promotions, irrelevant queries change. Last year’s negative keywords may not apply at year-end. Periodically review and update lists for season-specific terms (e.g., “holiday gift ideas”) to ensure you’re not missing out on spikes in demand.

Neglecting Merchant Center Feed Quality

Even with a stellar negative keyword strategy, a poor-quality feed in Google Merchant Center triggers irrelevant impressions. Use feed optimization techniques—accurate titles, proper categorization, complete attributes—to complement your negative keyword work.

Conclusion

When you manage Google Shopping, negative keywords play a crucial role in lowering wasted spend. By excluding irrelevant searches, you ensure your ads reach shoppers with real purchase intent. Follow the steps outlined—review search terms, build shared lists, monitor performance, and refine over time—to maintain tight control over your budget. If you need expert assistance to manage Google Shopping, optimize your product feed, or build a robust negative keyword strategy, Contact us at Flomaticx – Your Google Ads Performance Partner!

FAQ

How do I add negative keywords to my Google Shopping campaign?

Navigate to your Shopping campaign in Google Ads, click “Keywords,” select “Negative keywords,” and add terms at the campaign or ad group level. For better scalability, create a shared negative keyword list under “Tools & Settings” > “Negative keyword lists,” and apply it across campaigns.

What types of negative keywords should I use for Shopping ads?

Begin with broad categories: “free,” “cheap,” “jobs,” “jobs near me,” “jobs hiring,” “tutorial.” Then add product-specific exclusions like “replacement parts,” “manual,” or competitor names if you don’t want to bid on them. Use long-tail phrases like “how to repair” or “widget instructions” to filter informational searches.

Can negative keywords impact product feed data in Merchant Center?

Negative keywords do not change feed data directly. However, when you manage Google Shopping feeds through Google Merchant Center, ensuring attributes (condition, availability, GTINs) are accurate helps reduce irrelevant impressions and supports your negative keyword strategy.

How often should I update my negative keyword list?

At a minimum, review negative keywords weekly. New search trends emerge constantly, so monitoring the Search terms report every Monday helps you quickly exclude wasteful queries.

Should I use negative keywords at the ad group level for Shopping campaigns?

Since Shopping campaigns don’t have traditional ad groups (they use product groups), negative keywords are applied at the campaign level or via shared lists. If you subdivide product groups by brand or category, ensure your negative keywords list reflects nuances in each product group.