Negative keywords by country and niche: the list that saves 20% of your budget in the first week

Danilo Silveira · 2026-10-07

Universal

To start optimizing your Google Ads campaigns, it’s essential to add universal negative keywords that tend to generate unqualified clicks. Here are some to consider:

• free
• pdf
• jobs

These terms usually attract users who aren’t ready to buy, negatively impacting your return on investment.

By country

When targeting campaigns by country, it’s important to add specific negative keywords that can vary based on culture and consumer behavior. Here are some suggestions for the following countries:

• IT (Italy): “gratis”, “lavoro”
• ES (Spain): “gratis”, “empleo”
• PT (Portugal): “grátis”, “emprego”
• PL (Poland): “darmo”, “praca”
• HU (Hungary): “ingyen”, “munka”

These words are common in searches that don’t lead to conversions.

By niche

Each niche has its own characteristics. Here are the recommended negative keywords for the most popular niches:

• Nutra: “grátis”, “amostra”, “sem custo”
• Electronics: “usar”, “reparo”, “manuais”
• Fashion: “desconto”, “grátis”, “segunda mão”

These terms help filter out unwanted traffic and focus on a more qualified audience.

How to review search terms

To keep your negative keyword list up to date, review your search terms twice a week. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the “Search terms” tab in Google Ads.
2. Check which terms are generating clicks but no conversions.
3. Add those terms to your negative keyword list.

This practice not only improves traffic quality but can also lead to significant budget savings.

Shared lists

Consider creating shared negative keyword lists across your campaigns. This makes implementation and maintenance easier, while ensuring all your campaigns are protected from the same unwanted terms. You can create a list in Google Ads and apply it to different ad groups or campaigns as needed.

Putting these strategies in place can save you up to 20% of your ad budget in the first week.

What percentage have you been able to save with negative keywords in your campaigns?