Negative keywords for electricians: stop paying for junk clicks

Updated October 2026 · 5 minute read

Google matches your electrical ads to any search that looks related — so an electrical contractor bidding on “panel upgrade” also pays for job hunters, DIYers, parts shoppers and students. Negative keywords tell Google “never show my ad when the search contains this word”. Here's a starter list, then how to find the leaks specific to your account.

Shortcut: export your search terms report and drop it into the free LeakyAds check. It shows how much each category below cost you and builds a negative list from your own data. Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

1. Job seekers

Searches like “electrician jobs”, “electrician apprentice pay”, “ibew hiring”. Usually the biggest single leak.

jobs job career careers salary hiring apprentice apprenticeship journeyman helper wage resume indeed "hourly rate" employment

2. DIY and how-to

Searches like “how to wire a light switch”, “diy outlet replacement”, “how to reset a breaker”.

"how to" "how do i" diy yourself myself youtube video tutorial "step by step" instructions reddit kit

3. Parts and store shoppers

Searches like “breaker box home depot”, “romex wire price”, “electrical supply near me”.

"home depot" lowes menards amazon walmart parts supply supplies wholesale "for sale" store tools used ebay craigslist

4. Schools, training and licences

Searches like “electrician license exam”, “electrical trade school”, “journeyman practice test”.

school course class classes training certification license exam "practice test" degree

5. Manuals, codes and research

Searches like “nec code outlet height”, “wiring diagram 3 way switch”, “gfci vs afci”.

manual pdf diagram specs "what is" "why does" meaning "error code" images pictures vs

6. Manufacturer support and freebies

Searches like “generac customer service”, “square d warranty”.

"customer service" "phone number" warranty recall login free grant

7. electrical-specific extras

"wiring diagram" nec "code book" "wire gauge" romex ibew "car electrician" "auto electrician" "electric bill"

Be careful with code — “code violation repair” can be a real job. And if you install EV chargers, keep tesla off the list (but add "tesla stock"-type junk).

How to add them

  1. In Google Ads go to Campaigns → Audiences, keywords and content → Search keywords → Negative search keywords.
  2. Click + and add them to a negative keyword list applied to all your Search campaigns.
  3. Paste one per line. Quoted words are phrase match; single words block any search containing that word.

What a generic list can't catch

Every account also pays for searches that only make sense to rule out for your business: “auto electrician”, “electric company” / “power outage” (they want the utility), “electric bill”, out-of-area towns, and competitors' names. The only way to find those is to read your search terms report regularly and look for anything that spent money without producing a call or form.

LeakyAds flags the usual junk automatically and lists every other search that spent money with no leads, so it takes a couple of minutes instead of an afternoon. Run the free check →

Want an independent audit?

We're doing free line-by-line audits for electricians this month: send your search terms report, get back a plain-English list of what to cut. No account access, no sales call.

Also see: plumbers · HVAC · roofing · electricians