Amazon PPC has the potential to be both a money maker and a money sink. How you stop wasting money is frequently what distinguishes the two, not how much you spend. Amazon PPC negative keywords can help with that.
Choosing which keywords to bid on is a major concern for most sellers. However, the terms you block may be equally important. You can reduce your ACOS, increase conversion rates, and eliminate unproductive clicks by utilising negative keyword targeting on Amazon.
We'll explain in detail how negative keywords operate, their importance, and how to use negative phrase match on Amazon to improve targeting without limiting growth in this article.
What Are Amazon PPC Negative Keywords?
Negative keywords are essentially filters. When you add a negative keyword, searches that contain that term will not display your advertising.
Example:
You sell premium leather wallets.
You run ads targeting “leather wallet.”
But your ads also appear for “free leather wallet” or “cheap leather wallet.”
Every click on those terms costs you money, but rarely converts.
You may prevent those pointless clicks and safeguard your budget by adding "free" and "cheap" as Amazon PPC software negative keywords.
In addition to saving money, negative keywords improve targeting, ensuring that your advertising only shows up for those who are most likely to make a purchase.
Why Negative Keyword Targeting on Amazon Matters
The Amazon PPC model is based on auctions. Not only does each wasted click on the incorrect keyword cost you money, but it also tells Amazon that your advertising is irrelevant. Irrelevant clicks reduce CTR and conversion rate, which lowers your chances of winning premium placements.
Negative keywords are important for the following reasons:
Lower ACOS: You may cut down on wasteful spending and lower your ACOS by limiting pointless clicks.
Higher CTR and Conversion: More of your impressions will go to genuine customers if you eliminate unqualified ones.
Better Data Quality: You can find the actual converting phrases more quickly, thanks to more precise search term reports.
Improved Ranking Power: Amazon gives points for being relevant. Amazon will display more of your ad the more clicks result in conversions.
Your campaigns could end up being a financial waste if you don't use negative keyword targeting.
Types of Negative Keywords on Amazon
Negative Phrase Match and Negative Exact Match are the two categories of negative keywords that Amazon provides. Let's understand them better.
1. Negative Phrase Match Amazon
Negative phrase match gives broader control but must be used carefully to avoid unintentionally blocking relevant traffic.
Your ad will be blocked for every search that contains that combination of words if you add a keyword as a negative phrase.
Example: Negative phrase = “cheap wallet.”
Blocked: “cheap wallet for men”, “buy cheap wallet online”
Not blocked: “leather wallet men”
Best for: Filtering out entire themes of irrelevant searches.
2. Negative Exact Match Amazon
This is stricter and narrower.
Only if the customer searches for the exact word or phrase will your ad be disabled.
Example: Negative exact = “wallet case.”
Blocked: “wallet case”
Not blocked: “iPhone wallet case”, “best wallet case 2025”
Best for: Very specific terms you want to avoid without overblocking.
When to Use Amazon PPC Negative Keywords
Balance is essential. While underusing negatives wastes money, overusing them could limit reach. Make smart use of them in certain situations:
1. Stop Bids on Irrelevant Variations
Add "men," "kids," or "baby" as negatives if you sell a line of skincare products for ladies to save clicks.
2. Block Freebie Seekers
Frequently, terms like "free," "cheap," "sample," and "download" convert poorly.
3. Filter Competitors (Optional)
Blocking competitor brand names is a strategic choice. Amazon allows targeting competitor terms, but you may add them as negatives if you want to avoid brand-bidding wars.
4. Seasonal Control
If your products are not relevant to seasonal demand (e.g., you don’t adjust pricing or run promotions), consider blocking seasonal terms to avoid mismatched traffic.
5. Performance-Based Filtering
Regularly review your Amazon Search Term Report. Add a keyword to your negatives if it consumes your spending but generates no conversions.
How to Add Negative Keywords in Amazon Ads
You can add negatives at two levels:
Ad Group Level – Blocks keywords only in that specific ad group.
Campaign Level – Blocks keywords across the entire campaign.
Steps:
Go to your Campaign Manager in Seller Central.
Select the campaign/ad group.
Find the “Negative Keywords” tab.
Add your terms as either phrase match or exact match.
Pro tip: Maintain a reusable negative keyword library, but always tailor it to each campaign so you don’t block relevant terms.
Advanced Strategies with Negative Keywords
Here’s where you move from beginner to pro.
1. Create Traffic Between Campaigns
Use negatives to separate keyword roles. Example:
Campaign A = broad match keywords.
Campaign B = exact match keywords. To direct traffic to Campaign B, where your bids are tighter, use precise terms as negatives in Campaign A. We refer to this as search phrase isolation.
2. Build a Negative Keyword Library
Collect frequently used negative terms throughout time, such as "jobs," "manual," "instructions," etc., and use them in fresh ads. Saves money and time.
3. Refine Auto Campaigns
Waste from auto campaigns is common. While moving good keywords to manual campaigns, use negatives to cut down on underperforming keywords.
4. Use Negatives to Control Budget Focus
Negatives assist in directing spending toward your most profitable terms if your campaign is restricted by funds.
Common Mistakes Sellers Make
Over-blocking with Phrase Match: Including a negative term like "wallet" might eliminate all of your traffic. Be specific.
Ignoring Search Term Reports: Your chosen negative keywords should change all the time. You're losing money if you don't analyze reports every week.
Forgetting to Add at the Campaign Level: You will still waste money elsewhere if you just add at the ad group level.
Not Testing Before Blocking: Rather than being excluded, a word with low ACOS may occasionally simply require stronger bidding.
Remember: Negative keywords can only be applied at the ad group or campaign level, not across the entire account.
Conclusion
Targeting the correct audience is only one aspect of Amazon PPC. Additionally, it's about avoiding the incorrect one. You can save waste, protect your ACOS, and make every dollar work harder by becoming an expert in Amazon PPC negative keywords and using intelligent negative keyword targeting on Amazon.
It is not a "set it and forget it" strategy to use negative keywords. They are a continuous process that involves weekly refinement, monthly analysis, and evolution in response to changes in your competitors' and your own products.
If you do this correctly, you'll discover that the money you save is equally as precious as the money you spend.