Should I Use Negative Keywords in Every Campaign?
← Back to Why Good Account ROAS Can Hide Wasted Search Terms
Quick answer
Negative keywords are terms that, when added to your Amazon Ads campaigns, prevent your ads from showing on irrelevant or wasteful search queries. Applying negative keywords based on actual performance data helps limit wasted ad spend and sharpen your campaign targeting, making it a standard best practice for nearly every campaign strategy.
Deciding whether to use negative keywords in each campaign can make the difference between focused, cost-effective ads and unnecessarily high spend. Knowing when and how to apply them improves your overall returns.
Why Negative Keywords Matter
Without negative keywords, your ads can appear for unrelated or low-converting search terms—quickly eating into your budget with little to show for it. Even if your account’s overall ROAS looks healthy, hidden wasted spend in certain campaigns often goes unnoticed unless you review and exclude problematic terms regularly.
How to Use Negative Keywords Effectively
Start by analyzing your search term reports to identify queries generating clicks but few or no sales. These are prime candidates for negative keywords. Applying insights with tools such as the Amazon Negative Keyword Tool by Todoza can streamline the process, letting you highlight and prioritize non-performing terms across multiple campaigns or marketplaces.
When This Matters Most
Negative keywords are crucial for campaigns with broad match types, high ad spend, or in highly competitive niches. They’re equally valuable when scaling up campaigns, launching new products, or after noting unexpected spikes in ad costs—times where wasted spend can slip through unnoticed if not managed.
Related products
Related guides
Routinely updating negative keywords helps keep campaigns on track by actively filtering out sources of wasted spend. For more on uncovering hidden inefficiencies in PPC—even when ROAS looks strong—see the insights discussed on the parent page, Why Good Account ROAS Can Hide Wasted Search Terms.