PPC (pay-per-click) marketing is one of the fastest ways for real estate investors to generate motivated seller leads. You pay to show up in front of people who are actively searching for a service you provide. But here’s the catch — not all traffic is good traffic. Showing up for the wrong searches burns your budget, clogs your CRM with junk leads, and slows down your response time to the people who actually want to sell.
This is exactly why negative keywords matter.
They act like filters. Without them, you’re casting too wide of a net. With them, you’re refining your ad targeting so every click is more likely to turn into a real opportunity.
What Are Negative Keywords in PPC?
Negative keywords are words or phrases you specifically tell Google or Bing Ads NOT to trigger your ad for.
Let’s say you’re running ads for your real estate investment business, targeting people who want to sell their house fast. You want clicks from people searching things like:
- “sell my house fast [your city]”
- “cash home buyers near me”
- “we buy houses in [your city]”
But what if your ad shows up for:
- “how to become a real estate investor”
- “real estate agent jobs”
- “free house listings”
That’s a waste of your budget. These aren’t your people.
By using negative keywords like “jobs,” “free,” or “agent,” you’re telling Google: don’t show my ad for those terms.
5 Real-World Examples of Negative Keywords in Real Estate PPC
Here are some keyword categories that real estate investors should consider excluding:
1. Educational/Job Seekers:
- “how to become a real estate investor”
- “real estate investing course”
- “wholesaling certification”
2. Listings-Only Shoppers:
- “Zillow”
- “Trulia”
- “Redfin”
3. People Looking for Realtors, Not Investors:
- “real estate agent near me”
- “realtor commissions”
- “how to choose a realtor”
4. DIY Searchers:
- “how to sell house by owner”
- “FSBO paperwork”
- “selling without an agent”
5. Rental Seekers:
- “houses for rent”
- “cheap apartments”
- “rent to own homes”
When you exclude these phrases, your budget goes further because you’re not paying for unqualified clicks.
How Negative Keywords Improve Your ROI
Using negative keywords saves your ad dollars and improves lead quality. Here’s how:
1. Reduces Wasted Spend: Every click costs money. By cutting out irrelevant searches, your budget is used more effectively.
2. Improves Click-Through Rate (CTR): Your ad is shown to more relevant people, increasing the odds they’ll click.
3. Boosts Quality Score: Google rewards high-performing ads. Better CTR = better Quality Score = lower cost per click (CPC).
4. Increases Conversion Rate: The people who land on your page are actually looking to sell, not browse, rent, or get a job.
5. Shortens Sales Cycle: You’re only talking to serious sellers, not time-wasters.
Where to Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads
When you’re setting up your PPC campaign, you can add negative keywords at three levels:
1. Campaign Level: Applies the filter to all ad groups. 2. Ad Group Level: Lets you get more granular. 3. Negative Keyword Lists: These are reusable lists you can apply across multiple campaigns.
Investor Nitro Tip: Build reusable negative keyword lists for each campaign type — motivated sellers, probate leads, pre-foreclosures — so you don’t start from scratch every time.
Broad Match vs. Phrase Match vs. Exact Match (and Why It Matters)
Let’s break it down with examples:
- Broad Match Negative: Blocks any query containing your term in any order.
- Example: Negative keyword = “agent” → blocks “real estate agent,” “find agent,” etc.
- Phrase Match Negative: Blocks queries that match your phrase in that exact order.
- Example: Negative keyword = “real estate agent” → blocks “best real estate agent,” but not “agent real estate.”
- Exact Match Negative: Blocks only the exact query.
- Example: Negative keyword = [real estate agent] → blocks only that phrase, not variations.
Pro Tip: Start with broad or phrase match for maximum coverage, then fine-tune as you gather real search data.
How to Find New Negative Keywords
1. Use Google’s Search Terms Report Go to your Google Ads account → Keywords → Search Terms. This shows exactly what people typed before clicking your ad.
Flag anything irrelevant and add it as a negative keyword.
2. Ask Yourself: Who’s NOT My Customer? If someone is looking to rent, flip, or become an agent — they’re not who you’re paying to reach.
3. Analyze Past Leads Go back through your CRM. Look at bad leads. What were they searching for? Find the pattern. Block it.
4. Use Tools Like SEMrush or SpyFu These tools let you spy on what competitors are doing. You’ll often find negative keywords hiding in their campaigns.
Avoid These Common Mistakes with Negative Keywords
Mistake #1:
Adding Too Many Broad Negatives If you block “real estate,” you might accidentally stop showing up for “sell real estate fast.” Don’t go overboard.
Mistake #2:
Forgetting to Check the Search Terms Report Regularly Campaigns evolve. What worked last month might not work now. Review search terms weekly.
Mistake #3:
Using One List for Every Campaign Not every campaign has the same goal. Customize your negative keyword list based on the audience.
Mistake #4:
Not Testing Phrase vs. Exact Match Negatives You might be blocking more or less than you think. Always double-check how your negatives are set up.
Negative Keywords = Smarter PPC Campaigns
Every dollar you save on irrelevant clicks is a dollar you can spend reaching actual sellers.
By adding negative keywords to your real estate PPC campaigns, you’re:
- Keeping your ads in front of the right people
- Protecting your budget from tire-kickers
- Getting more qualified seller leads
- Improving your ad performance over time
PPC without negative keywords is like direct mail without targeting — a fast way to burn money.
Need Help with PPC for Your Real Estate Investment Business?
At Investor Nitro, we specialize in building ROI-driven PPC campaigns for real estate investors. Whether you’re just starting or scaling fast, our digital marketing team helps you target the right people — and avoid the wrong ones — using proven strategies like smart keyword targeting, negative keyword filtering, and high-converting landing pages.
Call Investor Nitro at 817-826-9451 to boost your lead generation through expertly managed PPC, SEO, and digital marketing tailored for real estate investors.
