11/02/2026
5 Negative keyword lists you should add to your Google Search Ads today (if you want more bookings for less money)
Running Google search ads for your party rental business?
You're probably focused on the keywords you do want your ads to show for…
But are you thinking about the keywords you don’t want them to show for?
Remember, even though Google charges you only when someone clicks, it still tracks how often people don’t click.
If your ads keep showing for irrelevant searches, Google sees it as a poor user experience, and penalizes you with higher costs per click.
That’s why negative keywords are so important.
They tell Google: “Hey, don’t show my ad for this search.”
So here’s how to organize them in 5 buckets:
1. Items Not in Inventory
If you don’t rent out something, block those keywords.
Example: If you don’t offer obstacle courses, add that to your list.
Create a list called “Items Not in Inventory.”
2. General Negatives
Block searches that are not about renting party equipment at all.
Examples:
• “buy bounce house”
• “repair bounce house”
• “house for lease”
• “house for rent”
Call this one “General Negatives.”
3. Items Not in Campaign
Let’s say you’re running a bounce house campaign. You don’t want clicks for your water slides or obstacle courses here.
Create a list called “Items Not in Campaign Category.”
This helps keep your ads focused and relevant.
4. Competitors
Let's say your ads are showing up for your competitor's searches, and people aren’t clicking…
In that case, add those names to a list called “Competitors.”
(Unless you're purposely trying to target competitor traffic, that’s a different strategy.)
5. Low-Intent Keywords
Some searches show curiosity, not buying intent.
Example:
• “how much does it cost to rent a bounce house”
• “how to clean a bounce house”
Words like “how much,” “how to,” and “DIY” usually mean they’re not ready to book.
Block these using a “Low Intent” list.
To recap, here are the 5 lists you should build:
1. Items Not in Inventory
2. General Negatives
3. Items Not in Campaign Category
4. Competitors
5. Low-Intent Keywords
When you organize your negative keywords this way, it’s easy to review and update them.
And the benefits are:
• Your ads show up for the right searches.
• You get more clicks from people who actually want to book.
• Google rewards you with lower costs per click.
• These lists can be redeployed for the news campaigns you create.
• And most importantly… more bookings for your ad budget.
So go ahead, build these 5 lists and plug them into your campaigns.
Lower ad costs, more bookings. It’s a win-win.
If you need help with Google or Meta ads for your bounce house business, feel free to reach out to me.
