Stop Wasting Ad Spend with Smart Amazon PPC Negations

Amazon PPC negations are like mosquito repellent for your ad spend—block the bloodsuckers before they drain your budget.

Amazon PPC is tricky enough without throwing money at clicks that don’t convert. Yet, many sellers unknowingly burn cash on irrelevant searches because they don’t use negative keywords properly.

If your ACoS is creeping up and your budget disappears faster than your patience, chances are you’re letting Amazon decide where your ads show up instead of taking control.

Good news? Amazon PPC negations can fix that. Bad news? Most sellers get it completely wrong.

Let’s talk about why PPC negations matter, how they reduce wasted spend, and how you can use them to cut your ACoS today.

Amazon PPC Negations: Stop Throwing Money Away!?

Ever feel like you're just tossing dollar bills into a fire when running Amazon PPC? Yeah, me too. We've all been there. But guess what? There's a secret weapon in your arsenal that can save you a ton of cash and boost your profits: amazon ppc negations.

First, let's review how Amazon charges for PPC campaigns.

Amazon PPC runs on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning sellers are charged every time someone clicks on their ad—whether that click leads to a sale or not. You’re essentially bidding against other sellers for ad placements, and the cost of each click depends on competition, keyword relevance, and bid strategy.

For sellers, every dollar spent is precious and should be put to good use. But here’s the harsh reality: not every click turns into a sale. Some clicks come from window shoppers, irrelevant searches, or customers who simply aren’t ready to buy. And yet, Amazon still takes your money for those clicks.

That’s where Amazon PPC negations come in. To avoid unnecessary costs and make sure your ad budget is actually working for you, you need to tell Amazon which searches you don’t want your ads to show up for. By blocking low-converting or irrelevant terms, you cut wasted spend and focus your budget on traffic that actually leads to sales. Let’s break it down.

What Are Amazon PPC Negations?

Negative keywords tell Amazon when NOT to show your ad in a shopper’s search results. They act as filters, blocking irrelevant or unprofitable searches that could drain your ad budget.

Think of it like this: Imagine you sell leather wallets on Amazon, and you’re bidding on the phrase match keyword “wallets.” Without negative keywords, your ad might show up for “free wallets” or “DIY wallets”—neither of which is relevant to your business.

Now, what happens if someone clicks on your ad thinking they’ll get a free wallet, only to realize it costs money? They leave. You get charged. No sale.

That’s why Amazon PPC negations matter. Without them, your ad budget gets drained by:

• Irrelevant searches
• Low-converting clicks
• Window shoppers who were never going to buy

The fix? Master negative keywords and cut the wasted spend.

Negative Keywords vs Regular Keywords

It’s simple:

• Regular (or "positive") keywords tell Amazon where to show your ad.
• Negative keywords tell Amazon where NOT to show your ad.

For example, if you sell running shoes, you want your ad to show for “men’s running shoes” but NOT for “kids' running shoes” if you don’t sell kids' sizes.

Match Types: Regular vs. Negative Keywords

Regular keywords have three match types:

• Broad
• Phrase
• Exact

Negative keywords have two match types:

• Negative Phrase Match
• Negative Exact Match

Negative Keyword Match Types (With Examples)

Negative Phrase Match

This blocks searches that contain the exact phrase in the same word order, with minor variations (like plurals or misspellings).

Example: You sell ceramic coffee mugs, and you add “plastic coffee mugs” as a negative phrase match.

What happens?

Your ad still shows for “ceramic coffee mugs” or “large coffee mugs” (because “plastic” isn’t in those).

But your ad won’t show for “plastic coffee mugs” or “cheap plastic coffee mugs”

Negative Exact Match

This blocks searches only when they match the negative keyword exactly, with minor spelling variations.

Example: You sell organic dog treats, and you add “cheap dog treats” as a negative exact match.

What happens?

Your ad still shows for “cheap dog treats for puppies” (since extra words were added).

But your ad won’t show for just “cheap dog treats”—keeping bargain hunters from?

Adam Weiler shared in his post that they helped increase one client's sales using a combination of strategies, including a strategic use of amazon ppc negation.

The Ten Commandments of Amazon PPC Negations

Amazon PPC negations are one of the most misunderstood and mismanaged parts of ad strategy.

Most sellers? They’re doing it wrong.

Here are the 10 golden rules of Amazon PPC negations that too many sellers break—and how to fix them.

1. Thou Shalt Not Negate a Winning Keyword

Years ago, sellers were told to move keywords from Auto campaigns to Exact Match and then negate them from Auto. That advice is now absolute garbage.

If a keyword is converting well in Auto or Broad Match, do NOT negate it. Keep it running in both places while also adding it to your Exact Match campaigns for better control.

Fix It: Let winning Auto/Broad keywords run alongside their Exact Match counterparts. You get cheaper CPCs and more traffic, instead of overpaying for Exact Match alone.

2. Thou Shalt Audit Negative Keywords Every Week

Negations aren’t a set-it-and-forget-it thing. They require weekly maintenance.

Without regular audits, sellers let irrelevant, costly searches keep draining their budget.

Fix It:

• Check Auto and Broad campaigns?every week.
• Identify keywords with 20+ clicks and no sales (or based on ACoS thresholds).
• Negate them strategically (see Rule #3).

3. Thou Shalt Not Blindly Negate Keywords Without Testing

Negating too soon is just as bad as not negating at all.

A keyword with a high ACoS might just need a bid adjustment, not full-on banishment.

Fix It:

Before negating, lower bids by 5-10% every 3 days and monitor. If performance doesn’t improve, then negate it.?

4. Thou Shalt Not Over-Negate and Kill Traffic Flow

Some sellers get trigger-happy with negative keywords, blocking out way too many search terms.

This chokes traffic and limits keyword discovery, especially in Auto campaigns.

Fix It:

• Only negate keywords that consistently waste spend—not just underperforming ones with potential.
• Use broad, phrase, and exact negations wisely (see Rule #5).

3 Signs You’re Over-Negating

• Exact match spend >70% of total budget?(ideal: 40-50%)?444.
• Top keywords have <30-day history?(indicates constant restarting)?2327.
• Auto campaigns under 5% of spend?(you’re missing discoverability)?1729.

5. Thou Shalt Use the Right Negative Match Type

Amazon gives two types of negative keywords: Phrase Match and Exact Match. Most sellers? They use them wrong.

Fix It:

• Negative Exact Match: Blocks only the exact term (e.g., "cheap dog leash" won’t trigger, but “cheap dog leash for small dogs” might).
• Negative Phrase Match: Blocks any search containing the phrase (e.g., "cheap dog leash" will block all searches with "cheap dog leash" in them).

Use Exact Match for precision and Phrase Match for broader filtering.

6. Thou Shalt Not Let Manual Campaigns Starve by Negating Auto Success

Auto campaigns are not your enemy—they are your allies in keyword discovery and cost-effective conversions. Negating winning keywords from Auto to force traffic into Manual campaigns can backfire, leading to higher costs and reduced visibility.

Fix It:

Let Auto, Broad, and Manual campaigns work together. Instead of negating strong performers, optimize bids and placements to balance traffic flow and maximize conversions without overpaying for Exact Match.

7. Thou Shalt Not Let Keywords Cannibalize Each Other

When the same keyword exists in multiple campaigns, Amazon decides which one gets shown.

This often pushes less relevant products up while burying better-converting ones.

Fix It:

• Negative match keywords across ad groups to prevent overlap.
• If you sell multiple variations (e.g., regular and travel-size deodorant), negate “travel” in the regular ad group and vice versa.

8. Thou Shalt Not Overload Ad Groups with Too Many Keywords

When you dump 50+ keywords into an ad group, only 5-10 of them get most of the impressions.

The rest? Ignored.

Fix It:

• Keep 5-10 high-performing keywords per ad group.
• Separate winners from losers in different campaigns.
• Negative match duplicate keywords across campaigns to avoid internal competition.

9. Thou Shalt Not Overcomplicate PPC with 10,000+ Campaigns

Some PPC automation tools create thousands of tiny campaigns with one keyword per campaign.

Sounds smart? It’s a nightmare to manage manually.

Fix It:

• Use structured segmentation—not just mass automation.
• Create scalable campaign structures that are trackable and adaptable.
• Balance manual control with automation for data-driven decisions.

10. Thou Shalt Prioritize Simplicity Over Complexity

Amazon PPC should be effective, not complicated. Too many sellers build bloated, messy campaign structures that are impossible to manage.

Fix It:

• Stick to?proven, simple strategies.
• Test and refine before scaling.
• Keep your negations intentional, not random.

How to Use Negative Keywords and Adjust Bids Like a PPC Pro

Amazon PPC is not a set-it-and-forget-it game. If you’re not adjusting bids and adding negative keywords regularly, you’re practically throwing money away.

Your PPC job? Cut the waste. Keep the winners. Optimize every week.

Here’s how to use negative keywords and adjust bids to bring down ACoS and make your ads work harder for you.

Step 1: Identify Underperforming Campaigns

• Go to your Amazon Advertising Console
• Set the date range to the last 7 days
• Sort by spend

Pro Tip: Start with high-spend campaigns for the biggest impact.

Check your ACoS:

• If it’s above target (e.g., 50%+), take action.
• If performance dropped suddenly, review past data for changes.

Step 2: Find Wasted Spend in Search Term Reports

• Click on high ACoS campaigns
• Go to Targeting → Search Term Report

What to look for:

• Keywords with 20+ clicks and no sales → WASTED SPEND
• Broad, irrelevant terms that don’t match your product

Example: Selling a Super Mario Coffee Mug but getting clicks on:

“coffee travel mug”

“tumbler”

“mug with straw”

Solution: NEGATE (Negative Exact or Phrase).

Step 3: Add Negative Keywords

• In the Search Term Report, find wasted keywords
• Add them as Negative Exact or Negative Phrase

Exact vs. Phrase:

• Exact: Blocks that exact phrase.
• Phrase: Blocks any phrase containing the word.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to negate ASINs if they’re wasting ad spend.

Step 4: Adjust Bids

• Go to the Targeting tab
• Sort by ACoS
• Lower bids on high ACoS keywords
• Raise bids on low ACoS, high-performing keywords

Example:

• Winning keyword at 20% ACoS? Increase bid.
• Keyword at 100% ACoS? Lower bid or pause.

Step 5: Pause Underperforming Auto Campaigns

Red flags to pause:

• ACoS consistently 100%+ with no improvement
• Multiple negations haven’t helped
• Search terms don’t match your product

Move good keywords to a manual campaign if needed.

Step 6: Set Up a New Exact Match Campaign

If Auto or Broad Match campaigns aren’t working, create a new Exact Match campaign with the best-performing keywords.

How to do it:

• Pick 5 top keywords from the Search Term Report
• Use Phrase or Exact Match targeting
• Set competitive bids based on performance

Advanced Tactics from My Amazon Guy’s Playbook

1. The “Reverse Negation” Hack

Problem: Competitors bid on your brand keywords.

Solution:

Launch a?brand defense campaign?with exact match bids on your trademarks.

Negate your brand terms in all other campaigns?to avoid self-cannibalization.

2. Dayparting + Negation Combos

My team found 63% of irrelevant clicks occur between 12 AM–5 AM. Our fix:

• Negate high-ACOS terms
• Reduce bids by 50% overnight
• Reinvest savings into prime buying hours

Use the Amazon PPC Bulk Negation Tool or Lose Your Mind

If you’re tired of wasting money on irrelevant clicks, it’s time to master the Bulk Negation Tool. This tool, created by our PPC specialists, lets you quickly negate thousands of wasted customer search terms with just a few clicks. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to use it to streamline your campaigns and optimize your ad spend.

What is the Bulk Negation Tool?

The PPC Bulk Negation Tool is a spreadsheet-based system designed to automatically filter out wasteful keywords from your campaigns. It helps sellers:

• Negate thousands of search terms in seconds
• Reduce wasted ad spend by blocking non-converting keywords
• Improve ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales) by refining campaign targeting

Instead of manually checking your Search Term Reports for high-click, zero-sale keywords, this tool automates the process—so you can focus on scaling your business.

How to Use the PPC Bulk Negation Tool (Step-by-Step Guide)

Once you have your reports, follow these steps:

1. Load Your Bulk File and Search Term Reports

• Open the Bulk File in Excel.
• Copy all Sponsored Products campaign names.
• Paste them into the Bulk Negation Tool under the "Campaign Name" section.

2. Paste Your Search Term Data

• Open the Search Term Report for Sponsored Products
• Copy all search term data.
• Paste it into the Negation Tool under the "Search Term Dump" tab.

Repeat this step for Sponsored Brands (if applicable).

3. Set Your Negation Rules

Now, it’s time to tell the tool which keywords to block.

Common filters:

• Negate search terms with 20+ clicks but 0 orders
• Negate keywords with high ACoS (e.g., 50%+ above your goal)

Example:

If your ideal conversion rate is 1 sale per 20 clicks, set your filter to negate any keyword with 20+ clicks and no sales.

4. Run the Bulk Negation Tool

• Click the "Run" button to filter out wasteful keywords.
• The tool will generate a cleaned-up list of bad keywords to negate.
• Review the list for any relevant terms that should NOT be negated.

5. Choose Negative Match Type (Exact or Phrase)

• Select between Negative Exact Match or Negative Phrase Match.
• Apply your selection to all customer search terms in the tool.

6. Copy and Paste the Final List into Your Bulk File

• Copy the cleaned-up keyword list from the Negation Tool.
• Paste it into the Bulk Operations File under the "Negative Keywords" section.
• Save your file.

7. Upload Your Bulk File to Amazon

• Go back to Amazon Advertising Console
• Navigate to Bulk Operations
• Click Upload File and select your saved Bulk File

You may also watch this video for a visual guide on using the bulk negation tool.

Why Broad Match and Auto Campaigns Are Still Underrated

Most sellers over-invest in Exact Match campaigns and ignore Broad and Auto.

Big mistake.

Auto campaigns and Broad Match often find cheap, long-tail keywords that cost less per click than Exact Match.

• Keep Auto and Broad campaigns running alongside Exact Match.
• Negate only bad keywords—don’t blindly cut Auto winners.
• Use negative phrase match to control irrelevant traffic.

Real-World Example: How PPC Negations Saved $8,000

A seller running a Mother’s Day campaign spent $8,000 on a Broad Match keyword: “gifts for mom.”

At first, ACoS was?100% (ouch).

But by?optimizing negations, irrelevant searches like “cheap gifts for mom” got blocked.

Within weeks, the ACoS dropped by 30%, and the product ranked #1 organically.

Lesson? PPC negations don’t just save money—they help you rank higher and win more organic traffic.

Final Takeaways: Winning Amazon PPC with Smart Negations

• Negate bad keywords weekly—don’t let wasted spend pile up.
• Keep Broad & Auto Match running—they often outperform Exact Match at lower CPCs.
• Use negative phrase match carefully—don’t block good traffic.
• Don’t follow outdated advice—test, optimize, and refine.

Struggling with Amazon PPC? Let Us Fix It.

Managing Amazon PPC is tough. High ACoS, wasted spend, and endless guesswork can drain your budget fast. If you’re tired of burning money on ads that don’t convert, we’ve got you covered.

At My Amazon Guy, we take the guesswork out of PPC. Here’s how we can help:

PPC Audits & Competitive Analysis – We pinpoint what’s working, what’s not, and how you stack up against competitors.

Optimized Campaign Management – We build and manage high-converting campaigns that maximize ROI without overspending.

Expert Amazon PPC Guide – A step-by-step blueprint for setting up winning campaigns.

MAG School PPC Course – Learn the fundamentals of Amazon advertising and take control of your PPC.

FREE PPC Strategy Call – Get a full PPC audit, uncover campaign issues, and create a custom plan to improve targeting, bids, and ROI.

Battle-Tested SOPs – The exact processes our experts use to manage ads and scale seller accounts.