Negative keywords tell Google which searches you do not want your ads to appear for. For an accounting firm, adding a comprehensive negative keyword list from day one prevents your budget from being spent on job seekers, students, people looking for accounting software, and dozens of other irrelevant searchers. This guide provides a ready-to-use negative keyword list and explains how to manage negatives ongoing.

Why negative keywords matter more than positive keywords

Most Google Ads guides focus on the keywords you bid on. But for accounting firms, where search terms like "accounting" and "accountant" are used in dozens of irrelevant contexts, what you exclude is often as important as what you include.

Without negative keywords, a campaign bidding on "accountant" or "accounting services" can trigger ads for: "accountant jobs near me", "accounting software review", "how to become a qualified accountant", "accounting degree requirements", "free accounting software for small business", "accountant salary UK". Every one of these clicks costs you money and produces no client enquiry.

The core negative keyword list for accounting firms

Add these terms as negative keywords (broad match negatives unless noted) from day one:

Jobs and careers

  • jobs, job, career, careers, vacancy, vacancies
  • recruitment, recruiter, hiring, hire
  • employed, employment, graduate, graduates
  • apprentice, apprenticeship, trainee, intern, internship, work experience
  • salary, salaries, wages, wage

Education and qualifications

  • course, courses, training, learn, learning, study, studying
  • degree, university, college, qualification, qualifications
  • exam, exams, aat, acca, cima, icaew, chartered
  • how to become, become an accountant, accounting degree, accounting course

Software and tools

  • software, app, apps, platform, tool, tools, system, systems
  • xero, quickbooks, sage, freeagent, kashflow, freshbooks, zoho, wave, crm
  • download, trial, free trial

Free services

  • free, freeware, no cost, gratis, pro bono, volunteer

General accounting information

  • what is, what are, how does, how to, explain, explained
  • definition, meaning, wiki, wikipedia, guide, tutorial, help
  • examples, template, templates

Other irrelevant terms

  • review, reviews, forum, forums, reddit, community
  • association, institute, body, regulation, regulator
  • news, latest, update, changes to

How to add negative keywords

In Google Ads, there are two places to add negatives:

1. Campaign-level negative keywords: apply across all ad groups in a campaign. Use for terms that are always irrelevant to every service you offer (jobs, software, free, education).

2. Ad group-level negative keywords: apply only within that ad group. Use when a term is irrelevant to one specific service but potentially relevant to another.

Negative keyword lists: Google Ads allows you to create shared negative keyword lists under Tools > Shared Library > Negative Keyword Lists. Apply one list to multiple campaigns to avoid duplicating setup work.

Adding negatives from the search terms report

The search terms report (available under Keywords > Search Terms) shows every query that triggered your ads. Review it weekly for the first two months. For every irrelevant term you see: tick the checkbox next to it, select "Add as negative keyword", choose the appropriate level (campaign or ad group) and match type. This ongoing process is how your negative keyword list grows from the starter list above into a comprehensive filter that reflects your specific account and market.

Common search terms to watch for

After a few weeks of running, accounting firm campaigns often see irrelevant traffic from:

  • "[your city] council tax" — people looking for local authority help, not an accountant
  • "accounting for beginners" — education-seeking
  • "[accounting software] accountant" — people looking for software-trained accountants
  • national search terms from outside your target area (check location settings if these appear)

Negative keywords and match types

Apply most campaign-level negatives as broad match negatives. This prevents ads from showing for any query containing those terms. For some terms, use negative phrase or exact match when you only want to block a specific query. For example: negative broad "free" blocks "free accountant", "free accounting software", "free self assessment help". Negative exact ["accounting degree"] blocks only that exact search without blocking other degree-adjacent terms.

Key takeaways

  • Negative keywords prevent budget being spent on irrelevant searches; for accounting firms this primarily means jobs, education, software, and free services.
  • Add a comprehensive negative keyword list from day one, before your first campaign goes live.
  • Review the search terms report weekly for the first two months and add new negatives as irrelevant queries appear.
  • Use campaign-level negatives for universally irrelevant terms; ad group-level negatives for terms only irrelevant in a specific context.
  • Create a shared negative keyword list in Google Ads to apply the same list across multiple campaigns efficiently.

Frequently asked questions

Can negative keywords accidentally block relevant traffic?

Yes, if they are too broad. Adding "free" as a negative could block "free initial consultation" queries if someone searches for that. Review your negative keyword additions carefully and use phrase or exact match negatives where broad match risks blocking useful traffic.

How many negative keywords should a campaign have?

There is no ideal number. A new campaign might start with 50 to 100 negatives; a well-established campaign may have 300 or more built up from search terms reports over time. The goal is not a target number but comprehensive coverage of irrelevant searches.

Should we add competitor firm names as negatives?

If you do not want to appear for searches of competitor brand names, add them as negatives. Alternatively, if you want to appear when someone searches a competitor (to capture comparison shoppers), leave them as they are. Both approaches have merit depending on your strategy.

What happens if we add too many negatives and stop getting clicks?

If your campaign underdelivers (low impressions, low clicks), check whether recent negative keyword additions are blocking relevant traffic. Remove any negatives you suspect are too aggressive and monitor the search terms report to confirm.

Do negative keywords apply to Display campaigns?

In Search campaigns, negative keywords block specific queries. In Display campaigns, they can prevent your ads appearing on pages about those topics. If you run both campaign types, manage negatives separately as the function differs.

For more on negative keywords and keyword management, visit our Google Ads for accounting firms hub.