Negative keywords for roofers: stop paying for junk clicks

Updated October 2026 · 5 minute read

Google matches your roofing ads to any search that looks related — so a roofing company bidding on “roof replacement” 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 “roofing jobs near me”, “roofer salary”, “roofing laborer 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 patch a roof leak”, “diy shingle repair”, “roof coating diy”.

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

3. Parts and store shoppers

Searches like “shingles home depot”, “roofing nails”, “metal roofing panels for sale”.

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

4. Schools, training and licences

Searches like “roofing license test”, “haag certification”, “roofing course”.

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

5. Manuals, codes and research

Searches like “roof pitch calculator”, “what is a drip edge”, “gaf vs owens corning”.

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

6. Manufacturer support and freebies

Searches like “gaf warranty phone number”, “owens corning customer service”.

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

7. roofing-specific extras

calculator "shingles for sale" tarp sealant "roof coating" "shed roof" "dog house" "car roof" "rv roof"

If you do insurance claims, don't block insurance — those can be your best leads. And if you sell metal roofing panels direct, keep for sale off the list.

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: “rv roof repair”, “car roof liner”, “shed roof”, “gutter guards” (if you don't install them), out-of-area towns, “roofing calculator”, 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 roofers 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