📉 Negative Keywords for Law Firms

For Lawyers Running Google & Microsoft Ads: Stop Paying for Clicks That Go Nowhere

If your law firm uses Google Ads or Microsoft Ads without a strong negative keyword list, you’re likely wasting a big chunk of your monthly budget — and attracting the wrong people.

💸 The Problem: You’re Paying for the Wrong Clicks

Even well-targeted ads can show up in irrelevant searches like:

• “Free legal advice”
   
• “How to become a lawyer”
   
• “Legal TV shows”
   
• “Law school rankings”
   
• “Car accident statistics”
   

These people aren’t hiring attorneys. But every one of their clicks still costs you $12 to $35 or more.

📊 Real Numbers, Real Losses

If your firm spends $10,000/month on PPC ads:

• You could be wasting $3,500–$6,500/month on clicks that will never convert
   
• Even exact match ads allow up to 28% irrelevant clicks
   
• Phrase & broad match ads can waste 43%–68% of your ad spend
   

✅ Our Solution: Legal-Specific Negative Keyword Lists

We build lists of 2,000–4,000 negative keywords that:

• Block irrelevant traffic before it clicks
   
• Focus your ads on real, hire-ready prospects
   
• Work seamlessly with Google & Microsoft Ads platforms
   

🔒 Think of them like a legal filter — screening your ad traffic like a paralegal screens cold calls.

Only the good ones get through.

📈 Why This Works for Law Firms

• 🧠 Stops bad clicks: Keeps out students, job seekers, and tire-kickers
   
• 💰 Improves ROI: More of your budget goes to real cases
   
• ⚖️ Increases efficiency: Spend less to get better results
   
• 🎯 Targets serious clients: Filters for legal intent and local relevance
   

💼 Who This Helps Most

Perfect for firms running ads for:

• Bankruptcy Law
   
• Business Law
   
• Criminal Defense
   
• Employment Law
   
• Estate Planning
   
• Family Law
   
• Mass Torts
   
• Personal Injury Law
   
• Real Estate Law
   
• Truck Accidents
   
• Vehicle Accidents
   
• And more
   

💥 May 2025 Special – Only $1,000 (Reg. $1,200)

Includes:

• Custom 2,000–4,000-word negative keyword list
   
• Built for your practice area + location
   
• Delivered in Google Ads & Microsoft-ready format
   

📞 Call 888.253.0980 today for a free 15-minute consultation.

📆 This offer ends May 31st — lock in your savings and stop wasting ad dollars.

What every attorney needs to know about protecting your PPC budget and improving ad performance

👉 Law firms without negative keyword strategies waste up to 50% of their ad budget on irrelevant clicks.
Source: Legal PPC Performance Study

1. What Are Negative Keywords in PPC?

They’re words or phrases you tell Google or Microsoft Ads to ignore. If someone searches using those terms, your ad won’t show — saving you money on clicks that won’t convert.

2. Why Do They Matter for My Law Firm?

Without them, your ads may appear for irrelevant searches like “free legal advice,” “law school rankings,” or “TV court shows.” These clicks cost you money without bringing in real clients.

3. How Do Negative Keywords Save Me Money?

They prevent your budget from being wasted on bad traffic. One irrelevant click can cost $25–$100. Blocking 10–20 of those a day adds up fast.

4. Do I Still Need Negative Keywords If I Use Exact Match Ads?

Yes. Even exact match ads can pull in off-topic queries due to Google's variant matching. Negative keywords give you control Google won’t.

5. What Are the Key Benefits?

✅ Reduce wasted ad spend
✅ Increase return on investment
✅ Improve lead quality
✅ Make ads more targeted and efficient
✅ Stretch your budget further

6. What Are Some Examples for Law Firms?

Common negative keywords include:

• “free,” “cheap,” “DIY,” “jobs,” “internship,” “news,” “TV shows,” “pictures,” “statistics,” “insurance”
   

These terms don’t reflect buyer intent and should be filtered out.

7. How Many Negative Keywords Should I Have?

Most law firms need 2,000–4,000 terms to cover variants, irrelevant topics, and search trends. A strong list is built over time — or delivered fully ready by experts.

8. Can Negative Keywords Hurt My Ads?

Only if misused. That’s why we carefully vet every list to avoid blocking terms that might stop valid leads. Proper strategy = protection without overblocking.

 9. How Often Should I Update My Negative Keyword List?

At least once a month. Search trends shift often, and keeping your list updated helps block new irrelevant terms and maintain performance.

10. Will They Improve My Lead Quality?

Yes. Negative keywords help ensure only high-intent clients see your ads—cutting out job seekers, researchers, and freebie hunters.

📈 Bottom Line:

Negative keywords are the silent MVP of PPC advertising. They save you money, improve lead quality, and give your campaigns the precision lawyers expect. Don’t run ads without them.

📞 Call 888.253.0980 today for a free strategy consult and your custom-built list of high-performing negative keywords for law firms.

4o 

 1. Identify Irrelevant Searches

Identify and exclude keywords that are not relevant to your legal services. For example, if you specialize in personal injury law, exclude keywords related to "criminal defense" or "estate planning."

Source: WordStream - The Importance of Negative Keywords in PPC

2. Use Broad Match and Phrase Match Negative Keywords

Use broad match and phrase match negative keywords to prevent your ads from appearing for variations of unwanted search terms. This can help avoid irrelevant clicks and save budget.

Source: SEMrush - How to Use Negative Keywords Effectively

3. Regularly Update Negative Keyword Lists

Regularly review and update your negative keyword lists to adapt to changing search behaviors and new trends in the legal industry. This ensures your ads remain relevant.

Source: Google Ads Help - About Negative Keywords

4. Exclude Competitor Names

Exclude competitor names and brands from your keyword lists to avoid wasting budget on searches that are unlikely to convert into clients for your law firm.

Source: Search Engine Journal - How to Use Negative Keywords to Save Your PPC Budget

5. Filter Out Job Seekers

Add negative keywords related to job searches, such as "jobs," "careers," or "employment," to avoid clicks from individuals looking for employment rather than legal services.

Source: WordStream - How to Use Negative Keywords to Increase ROI

6. Avoid Geographic Mismatches

Exclude geographic terms that do not align with your service area to ensure your ads are shown only to users within your target location.

Source: Google Ads Help - Excluding Locations

7. Eliminate Informational Queries

Exclude informational keywords that indicate research rather than purchasing intent, such as "how to" or "what is," to focus on high-intent searches.

Source: SEMrush - How to Use Negative Keywords Effectively

8. Exclude Low-Intent Keywords

Identify and exclude low-intent keywords that are unlikely to convert into leads or clients, such as "free advice" or "pro bono."

Source: Crazy Egg - Using Negative Keywords to Improve Conversions

9. Monitor Search Query Reports

Regularly check your search query reports to identify new negative keywords that can be added to your list to refine targeting and improve ad performance.

Source: WordStream - How to Use Negative Keywords in Google Ads

10. Use Negative Keywords for Ad Groups and Campaigns

Apply negative keywords at both the ad group and campaign levels to ensure comprehensive coverage and prevent unwanted clicks across different ad segments.

Source: Google Ads Help - Add Negative Keywords to Campaigns

By implementing these strategies, law firms can optimize their PPC campaigns, reduce wasted ad spend, and attract more relevant leads, ultimately increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their marketing efforts.