amazon ppc advertising

Negative keywords are also commonly termed NKW; these are the words and phrases that work to prevent your ad from displaying on the Amazon search result page when a user inputs them in the search bar. 

Simply put, you can use negative keywords to avoid appearing in unwanted search queries on Amazon. However, there is no need to stress; we are here to explain everything in detail. Now, if you haven’t implemented NKW in your Amazon PPC, then the good news is that you have plenty of scope for improvement. The bad news is that a lot of damage has already been done. 

What makes Negative Keywords Different from Regular Keywords on Amazon?

The negative keywords are nothing but the opposite of normal keywords.Therefore, normal keywords are commonly referred to as “positive keywords.”

Positive keywords will work to show you on Amazon’s search result page, and negative keywords that don’t trigger will not trigger these search results. In simple terms, the negative keywords will help you narrow your desired audience in the search results. 

What’s the ideal way to ensure this doesn’t unknowingly happen to you?

Worry not; as experts, we are here to help. This guide is created so anyone can manage negative keywords’ power. 

Types of Negative Keywords That You Must Know. 

The world of Amazon advertising may be a stressful place, and it’s critical to target the correct audience to get your products seen. Enter negative keywords, your hidden weapon for reducing irrelevant searches and increasing ad spend. 

1.       Phrase Match Negative Keywords. (Negative Phrase)

Phrase match negatives provide greater control to you. They will exclude searches that include your identical term but not variations of it. Setting a net with somewhat smaller openings. For example, add “hiking shoes” as a phrase that matches negative, and your ad will not appear in searches such as “best hiking shoes for women” or “buy hiking shoes online.” This is useful for omitting specific product categories from your larger selection.

2. Exact Match Negative Keywords. (Negative Exact)

  Exact match negatives are the most targeted group. They function like a net with small holes, excluding just the specific phrase you define. For example, if you specify “hiking shoes for men” as an exact match negative, your ad will not appear for searches such as “men’s hiking shoes” or “hiking shoes for men – size 10.” This ensures that your ad only reaches people looking for that precise product variation. 

How to Correctly Implement Negative Keywords in Your Amazon Ads Campaign?

Negative keywords may seem paradoxical but they are your secret weapon for Amazon PPC ads. They assist you in refining your targeting and avoiding wasted ad expenditure on irrelevant queries. Let’s go into the intriguing realm of where and how to use them! 


The first step resembles detective work. We need to discover any irrelevant search phrases that may be triggering your adverts. Enter Amazon’s Search Query Report, which contains a wealth of information. This report reveals all of the terms that led your advertising to appear, as well as the actual search queries users used. Analyzing these queries allows you to identify terms that are absolutely off-target and add them as negative keywords.

Now, let’s speak about creating a clever negative keyword list. Remember that relevancy is king here. You wouldn’t want to include “sneakers” as a negative keyword if you offer hiking boots. Why? Because some adventurous souls may be looking for hiking boots and sneakers for various activities. Instead, exclude irrelevant categories such as “ballet shoes” or “dress shoes.” This ensures that your adverts only reach those who are really interested in hiking footwear.

The first step is to go to the Amazon Seller Central account and select the ad campaign where you want to implement Negative keywords.

Once you go to the option, choose the “Negative Keywords” tab and select any of the options from exact match or phrase match from the dropdown menu in negative keywords.

Next, enter the negative keywords that you have selected and click “Add Keywords.” Last, select “Save” to turn on your negative keywords.

Conclusion- Analyzing the Success of Your Negative Keyword Strategy.

In the realm of Amazon PPC advertising services, increasing your return on ad spend is critical. This is where your negative keyword strategy shines. You can quickly follow the success of your query using Amazon’s Search Query Report. Compare current search triggers to your banned phrases to filter out useless searches. Then, critical data such as conversion rate and cost-per-click should be tracked. If your conversions increase while your CPC decreases, you’ve struck gold! Your negative keywords are attracting the correct audience, increasing your ad budget, and catapulting your amazon ppc advertising services to new levels.

By Anurag Rathod

Anurag Rathod is an Editor of Appclonescript.com, who is passionate for app-based startup solutions and on-demand business ideas. He believes in spreading tech trends. He is an avid reader and loves thinking out of the box to promote new technologies.