Match types and negative keywords for lead offers
This guide shows you how to control which searches trigger your Google Ads on lead offers. By the end you will be able to pick a match type for each keyword on purpose, start a negative keyword list for MVA or home improvement campaigns, and run a search terms review that keeps unsellable clicks out as the campaign grows.
Published 5 October 2026. How we write and check guides: editorial standards.
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Why this matters more for lead offers
You are paid rev share on sold leads, and unsold leads are not paid. A click from a person who wanted a job, a news story or a do-it-yourself video costs the same as a click from a person who needs help. Match types decide how far Google can stretch each keyword. Negative keywords decide where it must stop. Together they are the main quality control on a search campaign.
If you have not built a keyword list yet, start with keyword research for lead gen offers. For how search fits with Summit overall, see Google traffic for publishers.
The three match types
Google describes the options in about keyword matching options. Broader match types include all the searches a narrower one would match, plus more.
| Match type | How you enter it | What Google says it matches | Use on lead offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact match | [car accident lawyer] | Searches with the same meaning or same intent as the keyword | Your proven, highest-intent terms |
| Phrase match | "roof replacement" | Searches that include the meaning of the keyword | Core terms while you learn which variations appear |
| Broad match | tub to shower conversion | Searches related to the keyword, which can be much wider | Discovery, in its own ad group with strict negatives |
Google notes that exact match gives the most control and reaches the fewest searches. Google's help page also pairs broad match with Smart Bidding. If you use broad match on a lead offer, remember that automated bidding optimizes toward whatever conversion you report to Google, which may not be a sold lead.
Step 1: Assign a match type to each keyword
- Start core Hire keywords, such as "motorcycle accident lawyer" or "window replacement", in phrase match.
- Add exact match versions of the same terms once you see which exact searches produce sold leads.
- Put any broad match keywords in a separate ad group with its own budget, so they cannot drain the core.
- Never mix match types for the same keyword inside one ad group unless you can read them apart in your sub IDs.
- Pass the match type into a sub ID where you can, so your Summit reports can be split the same way. See tracking links and sub IDs explained.
Step 2: Understand how negatives match
Negative keywords work differently from regular keywords. Google's help page about negative keywords says negative keywords do not match close variants or other expansions. A negative for 'job' will not block 'jobs'. Add both.
| Negative type | Blocks a search when | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Negative broad | All the negative words appear in the search, in any order | Single words that are never relevant, such as "salary" |
| Negative phrase | The words appear in the same order, with other words allowed around them | Phrases like "how to" or "for sale" |
| Negative exact | The search is exactly the negative words, with no extra words | Blocking one specific search while keeping longer ones |
Step 3: Start a negative list for each vertical
Build a shared negative list for each vertical and apply it to every campaign in that vertical. Then add campaign-level negatives for the specific offer.
MVA starter themes
- Work and study: jobs, job, careers, salary, paralegal, law school, internship.
- Records: accident report, police report, crash report, records.
- News: today, yesterday, live, news, traffic, closed, highway names you see in search terms.
- Repairs and rentals: body shop, repair, rental car, tow, junkyard.
- Insurance shopping: quote, compare rates, policy, renew.
Home improvement starter themes
- Do it yourself: how to, diy, tutorial, video, yourself.
- Work and study: jobs, careers, salary, apprentice, training, license class.
- Retail and parts: for sale, buy, store, nails, caulk, single part names.
- Other meanings: car window, window cleaning, gutter cleaning, game, app.
- Renters: rent, landlord, apartment, when they appear in your search terms.
Treat these as starting points. Your search terms report will show the negatives that matter for your keywords and states.
Have tight search campaigns ready for lead offers? Apply with your keywords, states and volume.
Apply as a publisherStep 4: Run a search terms review routine
The search terms report shows the real searches that triggered your ads. Review it every few days in the first weeks, then on a fixed routine once the campaign is steady.
- 01
Export and sort
Export search terms for the period and sort by cost so the expensive ones are first.
- 02
Label each term
Mark each term as keep, add as keyword, or add as negative. Use the same intent labels as your keyword research.
- 03
Add negatives at the right level
Add vertical-wide terms to the shared list and offer-specific terms to the campaign.
- 04
Promote winners
Add terms that produce sold leads as exact match keywords in the right ad group.
Match the search terms against your Summit reports by sub ID. A term that brings leads but no sold leads is a candidate for a negative, even if it looks relevant. See reading your publisher reports.
Worked example: a roofing campaign
Here is how the steps above fit together in one campaign for roofing offers. The same pattern works for an MVA campaign with accident terms in place of roofing terms.
| Ad group | Keywords and match types | Negatives added here |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement, core | "roof replacement", "new roof", [roof replacement near me] | Campaign negatives only |
| Roofer, local | "roofing contractor", "roofer near me" | jobs, hiring, apprentice |
| Storm damage | "storm damage roof", "hail damage roof" | insurance claim form, adjuster jobs |
| Discovery | roof replacement options (broad) | Everything in the shared list, plus repair, patch, leak kit, tarp |
The campaign uses the shared home improvement negative list, plus campaign-level negatives such as "shingles for sale" and "roofing nails". The discovery ad group has the smallest budget. Every search term from the discovery ad group that produces a sold lead gets promoted to the core or local ad group as an exact match keyword. Terms that bring no sold leads become negatives.
After a few rounds of review, most of the budget should sit in exact and phrase keywords you have proven, with broad match kept small and used to find new terms.
Checklist before each change
- The negative does not block any of your own keywords in the same campaign.
- Singular, plural and common misspellings are added where needed.
- Shared list changes are checked against every campaign that uses the list.
- Each new keyword has a match type chosen on purpose and a sub ID value.
- You wrote down what changed and when, so you can read results before and after.
Common mistakes
- Broad match with no negatives. Spend moves to loosely related searches within days.
- Assuming negatives cover plurals. They do not match close variants.
- Negatives that block your own keywords. Common with words like "free" or "cost" that appear in both lists.
- Reviewing search terms only when results drop. By then the budget is spent.
- Judging terms on lead count. Only sold leads are paid, so judge terms on what sold.
Frequently asked questions
Which match type should I start with on a new lead offer?
Phrase match on core terms is a common starting point. It gives reach without the width of broad match, and the search terms report stays readable.
Do negatives slow down a campaign?
They reduce the searches you can show on, which is the point. If volume drops too far, check whether a negative is blocking a term you want.
Should every campaign share one negative list?
Use one shared list per vertical. MVA and home improvement have different off-target searches, and a word that is negative in one may be useful in the other.
Why is a negative keyword not blocking a search?
Check the form of the word first. Negatives do not match close variants, so a plural or misspelling gets through. Google also notes that very long searches can still show an ad if the negative word appears after the sixteenth word. See about negative keywords.
How do I know a search term is bad if it looks relevant?
Match it against sold leads by sub ID. If it brings leads that do not sell, add it as a negative or move it to its own ad group to test.
Related guides
How Google search works with Summit landers.
Build the list before you set match types.
Apply these settings to an MVA campaign.
Apply these settings to service campaigns.
What to change once leads are flowing.
Sources
- About keyword matching options, Google Ads Help
- About negative keywords, Google Ads Help
- About the search terms report, Google Ads Help
Bring clean search traffic to Summit offers
Every publisher is reviewed before going live. Email us your offers, states and Google Ads setup.
Apply as a publisherOr write to team@summitleads.ai. We reply by email.
Already generating leads on your own forms? Sell your leads instead.