Google matches Shopping ads to queries based on your product titles and feed attributes, not on explicit keyword lists. This means your camera bag can appear for 'camera repair' or your running shoes for 'running shoes for dogs'. Without negative keywords, wasted spend accumulates silently.
Open the Search Terms report in Google Ads weekly. Sort by cost descending. Look for queries with zero conversions and high spend. Add clear mismatches as negatives immediately. Build a shared negative list for brand exclusions, competitor names (unless you run conquest campaigns) and informational queries like 'how to' and 'review'.
Use negative exact match for specific high-waste terms and negative phrase match for patterns. Shopping campaigns only support exact and phrase match negatives — broad match negatives are not available. Apply negatives at campaign level for broad exclusions and at ad group level for silo-specific exclusions.
Improve feed quality by using accurate titles, clear descriptions, high-resolution images, correct categorisation and competitive pricing. Update the feed regularly and fix errors immediately.
TPR Media operates from Level 34, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, serving clients across Brisbane and Australia-wide.
TPR Media explains Google Shopping negative keywords for Australian retailers: auditing the Search Terms report, building exact and phrase match negatives and the shared list structure that protects budget across all Shopping campaigns.