If you’re a real estate investor running Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads, you probably spend a lot of time fine-tuning your keywords. But here’s the catch—focusing only on what you do want your ads to show up for is only half the battle. The real magic comes when you know what to exclude.
That’s where negative keywords come in.
Negative keywords are the unsung heroes of every high-performing PPC campaign. They prevent your ads from showing up in irrelevant searches, save you thousands in wasted ad spend, and ensure that only the right kind of motivated sellers see your message.
Let’s break down why negative keywords matter so much in real estate PPC campaigns, how they work, and how companies like Investor Nitro use them to generate higher-quality leads for real estate investors.
What Are Negative Keywords, and How Do They Work?
In simple terms, negative keywords are the search terms that you tell Google Ads not to show your ads for.
For example, if you’re targeting “sell my house fast” but someone searches “sell my house fast realtor,” that’s not your target audience. You’re not a realtor—you’re a cash home buyer. Adding “realtor” as a negative keyword prevents your ad from showing to that person.
When done right, this simple filtering step can dramatically improve your click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Why Negative Keywords Are Crucial for Real Estate Investors
In real estate investing, every lead counts—and every wasted click costs you. Here’s why negative keywords are not optional but essential:
1. They Save You Money
The average cost-per-click (CPC) for real estate keywords in Google Ads is between $2.50 and $9.00, depending on your market. Some highly competitive areas—like “We Buy Houses Dallas” or “Sell My House Fast Los Angeles”—can exceed $20 per click.
Now imagine paying for 30 irrelevant clicks every day from people looking for “real estate jobs,” “free property valuation tools,” or “real estate photography.” That’s $600 per month wasted on leads that will never convert.
Negative keywords eliminate this waste. By blocking irrelevant searches, your budget focuses only on the clicks that actually matter—motivated sellers.
2. They Improve Lead Quality
Let’s say your ad is showing up for “cheap houses for sale in my area.” You might think, “Great, someone’s searching for houses.” But that person isn’t looking to sell their home—they’re looking to buy.
Adding “for sale,” “Zillow,” “Redfin,” or “buy” as negative keywords ensures your ad shows up only for seller intent searches—like “sell my house fast,” “we buy homes near me,” or “cash home buyers.”
That means more phone calls from motivated sellers and fewer from bargain hunters or renters.
3. They Increase Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Google’s algorithms reward relevance. The more people who click on your ad after seeing it, the higher your Quality Score—a Google Ads metric that affects both your ad placement and CPC.
By removing irrelevant impressions with negative keywords, your ad is shown less often to uninterested users and more often to the right audience. This can boost your CTR by up to 20%, according to WordStream data.
In other words, Google sees your ads as more relevant and rewards you with lower costs and better positioning.
4. They Help You Rank Higher—For Less
Here’s something most investors don’t realize: your Quality Score directly affects how much you pay per click.
If your ad’s Quality Score improves from 5 to 8 (on a scale of 10), your CPC could drop by as much as 37%, based on Google Ads performance benchmarks.
So by filtering out irrelevant traffic through negative keywords, you’re not just saving money—you’re actually improving your ad rank and paying less to stay competitive.
5. They Protect Your Brand Image
Nobody wants to waste impressions on searches that make your brand look bad.
Imagine your ad for “We Buy Houses Philadelphia” showing up next to “foreclosure scams” or “real estate lawsuits.” Not only is that traffic worthless, but it also risks damaging your credibility.
Adding brand-protection negative keywords keeps your ads in front of motivated sellers, not suspicious or irrelevant audiences.
Common Negative Keywords Every Real Estate Investor Should Use
At Investor Nitro, we’ve managed PPC campaigns for hundreds of investors across the U.S. since 2016, and we’ve identified patterns in search data that waste budget without generating results.
Here’s a list of negative keywords that typically appear in underperforming campaigns:
| Category | Example Negative Keywords |
| Real Estate Agents | realtor, broker, mls, listing agent, commission |
| Home Buyers (Consumers) | homes for sale, buy a house, zillow, redfin |
| DIY or Educational Searches | how to, free, what is, learn, course |
| Jobs & Careers | careers, jobs, training, salary |
| Financing | mortgage, loan, refinance, bank |
| Renters | apartment, rent, leasing |
| Legal & Foreclosure Help | lawyer, attorney, legal aid, foreclosure help (only if not your niche) |
| Competitors | open door, offerpad, zillow offers |
Adding these to your campaigns helps Google show your ads only to people with seller intent, improving ROI almost immediately.
Case Study: The Cost of Not Using Negative Keywords
One Investor Nitro client—a cash home buyer in Phoenix—came to us after spending $4,000 in 30 days with no leads.
When we audited their Google Ads account, we found that 41% of clicks came from searches like:
- “real estate jobs near me”
- “buy a house in Phoenix”
- “homes for sale by owner”
By adding negative keywords for “buy,” “job,” “realtor,” and “for sale,” we cut wasted spend by $1,600 per month and tripled their conversion rate within 45 days.
How to Build a Negative Keyword Strategy That Works
You don’t just add random words and call it a day. Negative keyword lists should be data-driven and updated frequently. Here’s how to build yours:
1. Use the Search Terms Report
In Google Ads, go to “Keywords” → “Search Terms.” This report shows every search query that triggered your ad.
Sort by cost and identify the ones that never convert. Add those to your negative keyword list.
2. Analyze Competitor Triggers
Use tools like SEMrush, SpyFu, or Ahrefs to see what search terms trigger your competitors’ ads. Add irrelevant ones to your own negative list.
3. Separate Lists by Campaign Type
Different campaigns—like “We Buy Houses,” “Sell Fast,” or “Inherited Property”—have different intents. Create unique negative keyword lists for each to fine-tune performance.
4. Keep Updating Weekly
Search habits evolve fast. Homeowners might start using new phrases during economic shifts (“sell my house to avoid foreclosure” surged 60% during 2023 interest rate hikes). Keep your list updated based on current trends.
5. Use Match Types Correctly
Negative keywords come in three types:
- Broad Match: Blocks any search containing that term.
- Phrase Match: Blocks searches with that exact phrase.
- Exact Match: Blocks only that exact search term.
Mix them strategically. For example, use phrase match for “real estate agent” but exact match for “sell my house fast reviews.”
The Data Doesn’t Lie: Negative Keywords Boost ROI
According to Google Ads data and multiple industry studies:
- Advertisers using negative keywords reduce wasted ad spend by an average of 30–40%.
- Campaigns that actively manage negative keywords see up to a 25% higher conversion rate than those that don’t.
- The average cost-per-acquisition (CPA) drops by 22% after three months of regular negative keyword optimization.
In real estate PPC, where CPCs are some of the highest of any industry, those percentages can mean thousands in monthly savings—and far more motivated seller leads.
Why Real Estate PPC Is Especially Vulnerable
Real estate keywords are broad and overlap with dozens of industries—agents, developers, lenders, and homebuyers.
Without negative keywords, your ads compete against high-volume but low-quality searches.
That’s why investor-specific campaigns (like “We Buy Houses”) require a custom strategy.
At Investor Nitro, we tailor every campaign to target only motivated sellers using intent-based filtering, including:
- Search term segmentation (by situation: foreclosure, divorce, probate, etc.)
- Exclusion filters for buyer-related phrases
- Geo-specific negatives to block irrelevant markets
This precision ensures that every click is a potential lead—not a wasted dollar.
Pro Tip: Use Automation, But Verify Manually
Google Ads’ Smart Campaigns automatically generate negative keyword suggestions—but they’re not always accurate.
Always review manually to avoid excluding high-value terms.
For instance, “sell my house cheap” might sound negative, but it actually indicates strong seller motivation. Smart Campaigns might flag it as irrelevant, but an experienced real estate PPC manager knows it’s a goldmine.
At Investor Nitro, our campaign managers manually review performance data weekly, ensuring every keyword—positive or negative—drives real ROI.
Real-World Results: The Investor Nitro Difference
After implementing structured negative keyword lists across 60+ investor campaigns nationwide, Investor Nitro clients experienced:
- Average 35% decrease in wasted ad spend
- 24% boost in lead conversion rate
- 15% improvement in average Quality Score
- Significant increase in motivated seller calls
One client in Houston even saw their cost per lead drop from $287 to $148 in just two months—all because of better keyword filtering.
Common Myths About Negative Keywords
Myth #1: Adding too many negative keywords hurts your reach.
Reality: Only if they’re unrelated to your target intent. A refined list increases relevant reach.
Myth #2: Google automatically filters irrelevant searches.
Reality: Google’s algorithm matches broadly. You must manually refine results for investor-level targeting.
Myth #3: Negative keywords are “set and forget.”
Reality: Search intent evolves. Review data weekly and refine lists monthly to stay ahead.
Why Work With Investor Nitro for PPC Management
At Investor Nitro, we specialize exclusively in digital marketing for real estate investors.
We know that every wasted click hurts your ROI—and that’s why our PPC campaigns are built on precision, not guesswork.
Our PPC experts:
- Build custom keyword and negative keyword lists
- Optimize ad copy for motivated seller intent
- Track every click, lead, and call in real time
- Adjust bidding strategies weekly for maximum performance
Since 2016, we’ve helped hundreds of investors across the U.S. dominate their markets with data-backed PPC, SEO, and lead generation strategies.
Precision Wins in PPC
Your PPC campaign isn’t about reaching everyone—it’s about reaching the right ones.
Negative keywords are how you make that happen.
By cutting out irrelevant searches, you boost ROI, improve lead quality, and turn ad spend into actual deals.
If you’re ready to take your real estate PPC to the next level, Investor Nitro can help you fine-tune your campaigns, eliminate wasted spend, and drive more motivated seller leads directly to your phone.
Call 817-826-9451 or visit InvestorNitro.com to start your Real Estate Investor Marketing journey today.
