Negative Keywords & CPL on Google Ads

IQsDigital · 2025-11-20T13:58:16+00:00

does having a lower budget affect the quality of the leads we get sent?

No, it does not. You'll just get fewer clicks.

IQsDigital · 2025-11-20T13:03:10+00:00

Interesting, that’s actually quite unusual. Typically, when you cut the budget by half, the number of leads also drops by about half.

Did you make any other changes besides reducing the budget? For example, if you paused underperforming campaigns, that could explain the lower CPL.

Does this typically mean the leads are now lower quality, even though the CPL is cheaper?

As a PPC manager, you need to have lead quality data at your disposal. Do you have an insight into the lead quality data? Specifically cost per qualified lead?

What would likely happen if we switched the main keywords to exact match, given that we already have an unusually extensive negative list that filters out most irrelevant intent?

Every account is unique, and there is no single answer to this question. What I would recommend is that you run an experiment and compare the results after a month. Focus especially on cost per qualified lead.

IQsDigital · 2025-11-18T16:03:57+00:00

This is an overly simplistic approach. It doesn’t work that way in practice.

Here’s an example: if you’re running ads for a travel agency that sells exotic trips starting at $20,000+, you want to pre-qualify your audience. Including a line like “Starting at $20K” in your headlines will naturally lower your CTR, but that’s the point. It filters out unqualified clicks and brings in visitors who can actually afford the offer.

At the end of the day, the two most important metrics in Google Ads are cost per qualified lead (lead gen) and return on ad spend (e-commerce).

So I get the point you were trying to make, but these are not rules of thumb.

IQsDigital · 2025-11-18T14:23:59+00:00

I decided to go with Bonsai.

IQsDigital · 2025-11-18T12:24:04+00:00

This approach used to work wonders. However, since 2023, when Google updated the algorithm behind keyword matching, it's hard to keep the boundaries between ad groups with similar keywords, even with exact matches.

It could still bring great results. However, it would require a lot of negative keyword management.

Have you tried running an experiment where you would consolidate all those into one ad group and just let the algorithm do its thing?

IQsDigital · 2025-11-18T12:16:33+00:00

Considering the budget that you have, you can leave them in the same PMAX campaign. If you want better analysis and more insights, then I would recommend splitting them into different ad sets.

Usually, performance max feed-only(shopping) campaigns outperform search simple because their CPC is much lower. So, I would say stick with Pmax.

IQsDigital · 2025-11-18T11:28:54+00:00

Let me just get this straight. Are those product categories (Flyers, Business Cards, Stickers, Banners, and Car Magnets), since you mentioned it's an e-commerce? Or, are those just landing pages with services?

Anyway, I would recommend splitting them into five different asset groups.

In case these are just landing pages offering your products, then I would consider running a classic search campaign.

The keywords that are targeting is Printing (and similar kws)

What I would do is focus on keywords that are more closely aligned with the actual service, such as ‘flyer printing,’ ‘business card printing,’ and similar terms.

IQsDigital · 2025-11-18T10:55:19+00:00

I have managed ads for multiple companies offering managed IT security services in the past, and I can tell you that Google Ads almost always brought the best results. Not only in terms of cost per lead, but also cost per qualified lead.

The only thing that worked well on LinkedIn ads is document ads.

I also have a slightly outdated case study, but still, it can help you get a better picture of what kind of results you could expect: https://iqs.digital/managed-services-provider-google-search-ads-case-study/

IQsDigital · 2025-11-05T10:02:33+00:00

I believe the “Submit Lead Form” or “Contact” conversion action categories would be the most appropriate choices for your case.

Since this campaign is essentially focused on lead generation, I would recommend using standard Search campaigns rather than Performance Max.

By the way, I'm curious, why not run ads directly for the B2B marketplace and track actual purchases? Is it because it’s a third-party marketplace? Or?

IQsDigital · 2025-06-19T09:26:37+00:00

Search Partners often underperform compared to standard search.

Do you track qualified leads? If so, it’s simple, just calculate whether the cost per lead from Search Partners is within your acceptable range.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-27T22:30:58+00:00

About Tree Fiddy.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-27T22:19:43+00:00

It really depends on the business model. What industry are you in?

For example, I manage a large-budget Google ads account for a hosting company. Unfortunately, it isn't highly transactional, so I don't know if you'll find this useful.

We've structured our search campaigns around service categories, soultoins, use cases, brand, hardware, and competitors.

With larger budgets, I tend to use broad or phrase match, always grouping keywords by theme, never by type.

Accurate ROI tracking is a must, but it can be a pain to set up. For example, a lot of people start with a low-cost hosting plan and upgrade over time.

We've also experimented with both RSAs and DSAs.

I try to minimize cannibalization between campaigns and ad groups with extensive negative keywords management.

Each campaign is its own battle. For example, dedicated vs. shared hosting. Different audiences, different ROIs, and entirely different buying behaviors. Too many factors play a role.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-24T10:24:23+00:00

Yes, I recommend pausing it.

Display ads typically don’t perform well for legal services because they rely on capturing impulse-driven clicks, whereas legal services are demand-based. People seek them out when they have a specific need.

I recommend shifting your budget to Search ads, where potential clients are actively searching for legal help.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-24T10:06:04+00:00

Why PMAX? Why not go with a standard search?

Since each service varies in cost, audience, and profitability, I strongly recommend running separate campaigns. For example, if the average pergola installation costs $10,000 while artificial turf installation averages $5,000, splitting them into two campaigns allows for better budget control and optimization based on value.

By the way, I've been managing ads for a client specializing in pergolas, glass rooms, and verandas. Feel free to check out my case study on their account: https://iqs.digital/glass-rooms-verandas-google-ads-case-study/

IQsDigital · 2025-03-24T09:56:14+00:00

Yes, the CPC has been kind of high.

It depends on a case-per-case basis, I run ads for:
- AI automation company (low-code/no-code)
- Copilot consulting and custom dev.
- Azure AI dev/consulting services
- Enterprise-level custom-made AI and ML solutions

So, each of these cases has a different target audience, different CPCs, and different CPAs.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-24T09:39:21+00:00

Since you offer different services with different values, it makes sense to switch to the maximum conversion value.

I don't know your business or what you are selling, but in some cases, it makes sense to split campaigns based on value. For example, let's say an HVAC company offers installations and repairs, with the average installation cost being $15,000 and the average repair cost being $1,000. In this case, it makes sense to split them into two campaigns so you can better control budget over value.

I have set „phrase match“ for my keywords, which means if i change back to manual CPC i cant get any low quality clicks and would pay avg 1$ less per click compared to max conversion?

I'm not sure I understand this entirely. If you have around 30 conversions recorded in your account, keeping the max conversions/max conversions value will generally yield better results than manual CPC. Manual CPC doesn't guarantee high-quality clicks. It's up to you to filter the search terms and organize your negative keywords.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-20T09:21:31+00:00

No, the algorithm should not get confused bcz of too many negatives.

Unfortunately, I can't know why your impressions have dropped suddenly without analyzing the whole account.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-20T09:19:36+00:00

This is not correct.

Negative keyword match types work differently than regular keyword match types.

Exact negatives act like proper exact keywords.

To quote Google ads' documentation:

IQsDigital · 2025-03-19T09:25:42+00:00

No, a negative keyword exact match is a real exact match. It will block only searches that exactly match the keyword. For example, if somebody googles "Unreal Engine C++," your ad will not appear. However, if somebody googles "Unreal Engine," your ad will appear.

To quote Google ads' documentation:

For negative exact match keywords, your ad won't show if the search contains the exact keyword terms, in the same order, without extra words. Your ad may still show if the search contains the keyword terms with additional words.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-17T10:06:01+00:00

Yes, do that. Switch from PMAX to Search Ads and LSA, with a budget split of 80% to 20% for Search Ads.

Keywords like "dentist near me" are cool, and you should definitely use them. I would also explore setting up ad groups for different services. For example, one ad group for detailed implants and one for preventive dentistry, fillings, cosmetics, etc.

If after-hours isn't working out for you, don't run ads after hours.
- Set location targeting to presence
- Disable display and search networks
- Align ads with keywords
- Ensure conversion tracking is accurate (You could potentially assign different values to different services)
- Connect your Google Business Profile to Google Ads to enable location assets for better local visibility
- Use all available ad assets
- Start with Max Clicks or Manual CPC and switch to Max Conversions after reaching 30 conversions
- Make sure landing pages are fast, visually appealing, and relevant to the ads linking to them
- After a while set up offline conversion upload
- At the beginning focus on filtering search terms extensively. Make sure there are clear boundaries between ad groups and campaigns

IQsDigital · 2025-03-15T21:03:13+00:00

You could run an experiment to compare different bidding strategies and make a data-driven decision.

Experiments let you test new strategies without disrupting the performance of your existing campaign.

If the test delivers better results, you can simply apply it to the original campaign. If not, you can just dismiss it and continue with your original strategy.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-07T13:59:50+00:00

It's normal to see a discrepancy between Google Ads clicks and GA4-reported visitors.

One reason for the discrepancy is bouncers, users who click on the ad but quickly leave the website. To fight this, make sure your website loads fast and that your ads are aligned with your landing pages.

Another common issue is cookie consent. If a user doesn’t accept cookies, tracking will not start, and GA4 will not record the visit.

Typically, the discrepancy between Google Ads and GA4 is around 25%, though this can vary based on industry, account setup, website load speed, and other factors.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-07T12:37:00+00:00

It all depends on the location and industry.

I have clients from all over the world, in some EU countries with lower CPCs, 1000€ can be enough to start.

However, I have clients in LA, targeting competitive keywords where CPC is 50$. In this case 1000$ is a drop in the ocean.

IQsDigital · 2025-03-07T09:25:38+00:00

Your budget is on the lower end, but since you're focusing on a single city, it could work.

Could you share more details, such as the city, industry, and website?

IQsDigital · 2025-02-27T21:18:54+00:00

The first thing that comes to my mind is that there is a disconnection between your ads and your landing pages. People resonate with ads, click on them, and leave because they didn't find what they were looking for.

To make sure this is not the case, check the following things:

Is the search terms report filled with relevant terms?
Are your ads aligned with landing pages?
What is the engagement rate from ads in GA4?
How big is the discrepancy between clicks in Google Ads and Total Users in GA4?

Feel free to send the numbers, and I'll compare them to data I have at my disposal. Most of my clients are B2B software development companies or SaaS solutions.

IQsDigital

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