The playbook
Negative Keywords: Review Process
A useful negative keywords review ends with a supported decision for each item examined. Define the evidence required before opening the report: search term, reason, negative term, scope. These fields give reviewers a shared basis for agreeing what is working, what needs attention, and who should act.
Put the task in context
Review the full query before excluding a term. A word such as “free” may appear in both irrelevant searches and a legitimate query about an advertised free consultation. Choose exclusion scope carefully and inspect useful demand that could be blocked.
Set the review boundary
Choose the records or journeys that matter to the current question. Include a normal case, a recently changed case, and an exception where available. This is a diagnostic sample, not a claim that every item has been checked. Record how the sample was selected and what would justify expanding it.
Use explicit review criteria
| Criterion | Review question |
|---|---|
| Review search terms alongside lead quality | Is the supporting search term current and traceable? |
| Identify patterns that clearly do not match the offer | Does reason support the decision being made? |
| Check exclusion scope and possible useful matches | Can the next owner verify scope? |
Inspect the evidence before assigning a result
For each item, compare the intended behavior with the observed behavior. Pay particular attention to blocking a broad word that also appears in valuable queries. If it appears, record where it occurs and which assumption it contradicts. Distinguish a verified defect from an unanswered question and from a preference about how the work should look.
Where the evidence supports the known correction, use precise exclusions and review their effect. Give that action to an accountable owner with a description of the expected result. If you cannot yet identify the cause, assign a diagnostic action rather than prescribing a speculative repair.
Record a decision that can be acted on
| Decision | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Keep | The current state serves the intended task and the evidence is adequate. |
| Revise | A specific gap is confirmed and the proposed action addresses it. |
| Investigate | Important information is missing or conflicting. |
| Retire or combine | The item has no distinct useful purpose in the current scope. |
Verify corrections and expand selectively
Recheck the affected campaign or conversion record after the owner completes the action. Then inspect other items sharing the relevant cause. A shared template, process rule, or data source may justify expanding the review. Similar wording or appearance alone is a weaker reason.
Turn the review into a decision summary
Summarize the affected scope, confirmed findings, actions, and open questions. Connect the findings to irrelevant spend reduced without losing useful demand using the same definition as the baseline. A good summary lets the responsible person decide what happens next without reading every working note.
Check the destination and the resulting business record before increasing spend. A campaign can send relevant traffic to a form that fails, routes incorrectly, or records duplicates. Fixing that path may change the interpretation of campaign performance.
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