Negative Keywords for Auto Repair Ads: How to Stop Wasting Budget on DIYers
What are negative keywords in Google Ads and why do auto repair shops need them?
Negative keywords tell Google not to show your ad for certain search terms. Auto repair shops use them to block searches from DIYers, parts-seekers, and researchers who will never book a service. Adding negatives like how to, DIY, YouTube, and AutoZone protects your budget for searches from paying customers.
Negative Keywords Every Auto Repair Shop Should Use
- how to fix
- DIY
- do it yourself
- YouTube
- AutoZone
- O'Reilly
- parts
- repair manual
- free repair
- repair yourself
- warranty claim
- recall
- mechanic school
- auto repair course
- training
How to Find Wasted Spend in Your Account
Open your Google Ads account. Go to Keywords. Click Search Terms. This report shows the exact queries triggering your ads. Sort by spend. Look for irrelevant terms. Add them as negatives immediately. Do this every week for the first 60 days of a new campaign. Your cost per conversion will drop quickly.
How to Structure Your Negative Keyword Lists
Build a shared negative keyword list. Apply it to all campaigns. This saves time and prevents overlap. Create a second list specific to each campaign. Your brakes campaign should exclude terms related to tires or transmission. This keeps each campaign tightly focused on its target service.
The Real Cost of DIY Traffic
Someone searching how to replace brake pads is not your customer today. They are doing the job themselves. Your ad still shows if your match type is too broad. They click out of curiosity. You pay $4 to $12 for that click. Across hundreds of clicks per month, that waste adds up to hundreds of lost dollars. Negative keywords eliminate this.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many negative keywords should my auto repair campaign have?
Start with 30 to 50 negatives. Build from there weekly using your search term report. Well-optimized campaigns often carry 200 or more negatives over time.
Do negative keywords affect my Quality Score?
Indirectly, yes. Removing irrelevant traffic improves your click-through rate and conversion rate. Both factors contribute to a better Quality Score, which lowers your average cost per click.
Should I add competitor names as negative keywords?
Only if you are not running competitor campaigns. If you are targeting competitor searches intentionally, keep those terms active. If not, adding major chain names as negatives prevents accidental overlap.
Can I add negative keywords at the ad group level?
Yes. You can apply negatives at the campaign or ad group level. Ad-group-level negatives give you more precision. Use them to separate services cleanly within a campaign.
Stop Paying for Clicks That Never Convert
TrustedLocalAuto helps local shops get found by customers who are ready to book, not browsers. List your shop today.
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