Save time on negative keywords using the lowest common denominator method
Want to dramatically reduce the number of negative keywords you need to maintain? Save time and money with this method.
Negative keywords are the backbone of any PPC strategy. Ever since Google all but eliminated the ability to specifically target keywords by expanding phrase match to include broad match traffic, negative keywords have become even more important.
After conducting hundreds of PPC account audits over the years, the most common mistake I’ve seen is when people click on the checkbox next to a search query and click “add as negative keyword.”
Streamline your negative keywords to save you time and money by using what I call the lowest common denominator method. This will dramatically reduce the number of negative keywords you need to maintain.
The method
In a nutshell, the lowest common denominator method is when you use the least amount of words possible for your negative keywords. Most of my negative keywords are one single broad match word. I sometimes use two words as a phrase match when necessary, and, on rare occasions, I will use three or more words.