How to Find and Fix Bad Keywords in Your Google Ads for Home Service Businesses

by | Jan 22, 2026

If you’re a home service business owner running Google Ads, you know how frustrating it can be to spend money on clicks that don’t turn into calls or form leads. You might even be working with an agency and still feel like your ad spend isn’t producing results.
 
Here’s the hard truth: even if someone is actively managing your Google Ads, it doesn’t mean they’re making the right changes. One of the biggest areas where home service businesses waste money is with bad keywords. These are the search terms that bring traffic, but not customers.
 
In this guide, you’ll learn how to identify if your keywords are hurting your campaigns, how to use negative keywords effectively, and how to protect your ad spend from useless clicks.

Why Bad Keywords Kill Your Google Ads Performance

I once had a pest control client who said, “Mike, I don’t understand it. We’re getting a ton of clicks, but almost no phone calls.” When we looked at their account, we found keywords like:

  • DIY ant killer
  • Homemade pest spray
  • How to get rid of mice naturally
These clicks weren’t coming from people ready to hire a professional. They were people looking to do it themselves. Every click cost money, but no customer was gained.
 
This is exactly why negative keywords exist. Negative keywords tell Google: Do not show my ad if someone searches this term. Without them, your campaigns are bleeding money on clicks that will never convert.

How to Check Your Keywords in Google Ads

To see if your keywords are working or wasting money:
  1. Open your Google Ads account.
  2. Click on the campaign you want to review.
  3. Navigate to the Keywords tab.
  4. Look for the Search Terms report under Insights & Reports.
This report shows the actual search terms people typed before seeing your ad. Scroll through this list and ask one simple question: If someone typed this, would they realistically hire me?

Examples

Bad keywords (wasted clicks):

    • Free furniture removal
    • DIY drain cleaner
    • How to fix a leaky toilet

Good keywords (buyer intent):

    • Junk removal company near me
    • Plumber for leaky toilet
    • Local HVAC service

If your search terms include words like free, cheap, DIY, or how to, those clicks are probably wasting money.

How to Use Negative Keywords

Negative keywords prevent Google from showing your ads to people who are not likely to hire you.
 
To add negative keywords:
  1. Go to your campaign and click Keywords > Negative Keywords.
  2. Hit the plus button to add new negative keywords.
  3. Add any terms you don’t want showing up, like:
    • Free
    • Cheap
    • DIY
    • How to
    • Jobs / career / training
    • Home remedies

Pro tip: Many home service agencies maintain a list of 800–1,000 negative keywords before even turning on a campaign. This stops wasted clicks before they happen.

A well-built negative keyword list can save you thousands of dollars every month. For example, in one junk removal campaign, over $700 was wasted on just a handful of bad keywords. Imagine multiplying that across multiple campaigns.

Common Mistakes Home Service Businesses Make

  1. Ignoring negative keywords: If your account has none or just a few, you’re wasting money.
  2. Not reviewing search terms regularly: Bad keywords creep in over time. Weekly or bi-weekly checks are necessary.
  3. Copy-pasting negative keyword lists without reviewing: Some negative keywords may block legitimate searches. Always check your list carefully.
  4. Focusing on clicks instead of leads: High traffic doesn’t matter if it doesn’t convert to calls or forms.

How Often Should You Update Negative Keywords?

  • Check your Search Terms report weekly.
  • Add new negative keywords as you spot non-converting searches.
  • Review old negative keywords periodically to ensure you’re not blocking profitable traffic.

Consistency is key. Google Ads is not a set-it-and-forget-it system. Regular adjustments keep your campaigns efficient, your costs down, and your leads high quality.

Free Negative Keyword List

Over the years, we’ve compiled a list of over 2,000 negative keywords for home service businesses. These cover: DIY searches, Job-related terms, Common “free” or “cheap” searches, Swear words and other low-quality traffic. You don’t have to copy everything blindly. Review the list and adjust it to your business. The goal is to block traffic that wastes money without blocking potential buyers.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Final Thoughts

The biggest reason Google Ads campaigns for home service businesses fail is not Google. It’s bad keywords and unmanaged campaigns. Even if someone is changing things in your account, the right adjustments matter.
 
To recap:
    1. Check your Search Terms report to see what people are actually searching.
    2. Identify non-buying keywords that waste money.
    3. Build a negative keyword list and update it regularly.
    4. Monitor campaigns weekly to keep costs down and leads high.
A well-optimized Google Ads account focuses on buyer intent. Fewer wasted clicks mean more leads, more calls, and better ROI.

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