Definition
Negative keywords filter out queries that attract clicks but never convert - job seekers, students, freebie hunters. A weekly negative sweep against the search terms report is the highest-leverage fifteen minutes in paid search management.
Why it matters
Cutting junk traffic lowers CPCs and raises conversion rate simultaneously - it is pure margin with no trade-off.
Benchmarks
Healthy accounts add 20-100 negatives monthly in early phases
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