Amazon Negative Keywords: Ultimate Guide for 2024 | SwiftStart

Amazon Negative Keywords: Ultimate Guide for 2024 | SwiftStart

insights |  | 8 min read

Are you tired of wasting ad spend on irrelevant search terms and getting little to no return on investment? If so, it may be time to start using Amazon Negative Keywords. Negative keywords are words and phrases you add to your ad campaigns to prevent your ads from displaying for searches containing those words and phrases.

The Amazon Marketplace is full of consumers searching for items that match their exact needs. Consequently, it is important to ensure that your ad campaigns are optimized to target the right audience while avoiding irrelevant search terms. Using negative keywords is an effective way to do this. In this blog post, we will dive into the world of Amazon advertising and show you how to use negative keywords to optimize your campaigns and increase conversions.

Here's an outline of what we will cover:

  • What are Amazon Negative Keywords, and why are they important?
  • What are the types of negative keywords?
  • What’s the difference between regular keywords vs. negative keywords on Amazon?
  • How and where to implement negative keywords in your campaigns?
  • Measuring the success of your negative keyword strategy
  • Frequently Asked Questions Related to What are Negative Keywords on amazon?

So, whether you're a seasoned Amazon advertiser or just getting started, this article is for you. Get ready to say goodbye to wasted ad spending and hello to increased conversions and ROI on Amazon. Let's get started!

What are Amazon Negative Keywords, and Why Are They Important?

In simple words, negative keywords allow you to control which search terms your ads are eligible to appear for. They tell Amazon what topics and phrases should not be associated with your product or service. This is important because it helps you avoid wasting ad money on irrelevant terms and target the right audience. By using negative keywords, you can ensure that your ads are only being shown to people who are likely to find them useful and convert.

For example, if you are selling a hiking backpack, adding "shoes" as a negative keyword makes sense. This will prevent your ads from appearing for any searches related to shoes and focus on those likely to buy a backpack instead.

Using negative keywords can also help increase your click-through rate (CTR) and Quality Score. When your ads are only displayed to people who are genuinely interested in the products or services you offer, they are more likely to click on them. This leads to a higher CTR and Quality Score, which can eventually help you get better ad placement and reduce ad costs.

Now that you know what Amazon negative keywords are and why they are important, let’s look at the different types of negative keywords you can use.

What Are the Types of Negative Keywords?

There are three main types of negative keywords you can use on Amazon: Broad, Phrase, and Exact Match.

Broad Match Negative Keywords

These are the most general negative keywords and cover the entire search query. For example, if you add “shoes” as a broad match negative keyword, your ad will not show up for any searches containing the word “shoes.”

Phrase Match Negative Keywords

These are slightly more specific than broad-match keywords and cover the whole phrase. For example, if you add “hiking shoes” as a phrase match negative keyword, your ad will not show up for any searches containing the phrase “hiking shoes.”

Exact Match Negative Keywords

These are the most specific type of negative keywords and cover only the exact phrase. For example, if you add” hiking shoes for men” as an exact match negative keyword, your ad will not show up for any searches containing the exact phrase “hiking shoes for men.”

Hope so now you have a better understanding of the types of negative keywords. Amazon is a very competitive marketplace, and having proper knowledge about Amazon negative keywords targeting is important so that you know how they can help you gain a competitive edge over others.

What’s the Difference Between Regular Keywords vs. Negative Keywords on Amazon?

The main difference between regular keywords and negative keywords is that regular keywords are used to target customers who are likely to be interested in your product or service. In contrast, negative keywords are used to exclude customers who are not likely to be interested.

Regular keywords are also known as "positive keywords," and they tell Amazon what search terms your ads should be eligible to appear for. Negative keywords, however, are used to tell Amazon which terms your ads should not be eligible for.

By using both regular and negative keywords, you can ensure that your ads appear in front of the right audience and that you’re not wasting ad spend on irrelevant terms.

Also, check our blog on building your brand awareness through amazon advertising, as it can help you get more visibility, leads, and sales.

How and Where to Implement Negative Keywords in Your Campaigns?


To begin, you should always start by identifying potential negative keywords that you may want to include in your campaigns. One way to do this is by using Amazon’s search query report. This report will show you all the keywords that triggered your ads, as well as the corresponding search queries. You can then analyze these queries to identify negative keywords that you may want to add.

Once you’ve found potential amazon PPC negative keywords, you can add them to your campaigns. When adding negative keywords, it’s important to remember that the keyword should be relevant to your business and the ad group you’re targeting. For example, if you’re selling hiking shoes, your negative keyword should not be “sneakers.”

Adding negative keywords to your campaigns is easy;

First, go to the Amazon Seller Central account and select your ad campaign.

Then choose the “Negative Keywords” tab and select either exact match or phrase match from the dropdown menu for negative keywords.

After that, enter the negative keywords that you have identified and click “Add Keywords.” Finally, select “Save” to activate your negative keywords.

Note: If you want to add negative keywords at the ad group level, you’ll need to select the relevant ad group from the “Settings” tab and then add the negative keywords.

If you still find it difficult to identify negative keywords for your campaigns, you can always contact us. At SwiftStart, we can help you with the process from start to finish. With years of experience in Amazon marketing, our team of experts can help you identify potential negative keywords and implement them in your campaigns.

Measuring the Success of Your Negative Keyword Strategy

Finally, it’s important to measure the success of your negative keyword strategy. To do this, you can use Amazon’s search query report to look at the search queries triggering your ads and compare this with the queries you’ve excluded using negative keywords.

You should also look at the conversion rate and cost per click of each keyword to see if there’s any improvement after implementing your negative keywords. If you’re seeing an increase in conversions, then your negative keyword strategy is working!

Conclusion

Using negative keywords on Amazon is important to any successful search engine marketing strategy. It allows you to exclude irrelevant terms from your campaigns, ensuring that your ads are reaching the right audience. Using Amazon’s search query report, you can measure the success of your negative keyword strategy and adjust it accordingly. Finally, be sure to test different amazon negative keywords and adjust accordingly. This will help ensure that your campaigns always deliver the best results possible. If you require any help with Amazon negative keywords, get in touch with us. Our team of experts will be more than happy to assist you.

By following these tips and using the right strategies, you can gain a competitive edge over others and maximize your ROI. At SwiftStart+, we offer a free 1-1 Amazon account audit. This helps us to get an in-depth look at your PPC strategies and identify areas for improvement. Contact us today, and let’s get started on improving your Amazon PPC campaigns. Plus, don't forget to check out our popular Amazon podcast for more helpful tips and advice.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon Negative Keywords

How to add negative keywords on amazon?

Adding negative keywords to your Amazon campaigns is easy:

  1. Go to your campaign settings and select ‘Negative keyword’.
  2. Type in or paste the keywords you want to exclude into the ‘Add Negative Keywords’ box
  3. Click ‘Save,’ and your negative keywords will be applied to the campaign

What are negative keywords on amazon?

Negative keywords are words or phrases that prevent your ads from showing up in search results when customers use them. When someone types a query into Amazon that contains one of your negative keywords, the corresponding advertisement will not be displayed. This can help you stay focused on relevant search terms and avoid wasting valuable dollars on irrelevant searches.

What are some common examples of negative keywords?

Common examples of negative keywords include words such as “free,” “cheap,” and “discount.” Other phrases such as “buy now,” “shipping,” and “reviews” can also be added as negative keywords. Adding these terms to your list of negative keywords can help control your ad spending and increase the effectiveness of your campaigns.

How to find negative keywords on amazon?

To find negative keywords on Amazon, start by looking at your current search terms report. This report will show you the queries that are being used to trigger your ads. It will give you an idea of the terms that may not be a good fit for your campaigns. You can also use a keyword research tool to find new negative keywords related to your product or service.

How to remove negative keywords from amazon?

To remove a negative keyword from your Amazon campaigns, go to the ‘Keywords’ tab in your campaign settings and select ‘Negative.’ Then, click on the keyword you want to delete and select ‘Remove.’ Finally, click ‘Save’ to confirm the deletion. After that, your negative keyword will no longer be applied to the campaign.

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