B2B SaaS Negative Keywords: The Complete List

Your Google Ads SaaS campaign is probably showing up for searches that will never convert.

Not because your targeting is wrong, but because SaaS keywords attract specific audiences who look like buyers but aren’t: job seekers, students, consumers in the wrong segment, and people hunting for a free tool.

None of them will pay for your software. But you’ll pay for their clicks. In this article, we’ll share the exact negative keywords to block all four - ready to copy into your account.

HubSpot Example

Here’s a real example of the problem.

“Free lifetime CRM” is a search term that real advertisers are actively bidding on. Anyone searching that phrase has already made their decision - they want free software, permanently. They are not evaluating paid options.

Every click from that query is wasted budget. And it’s not an edge case. Search term reports for B2B SaaS campaigns are full of variations like this.

This is what negative keywords are for. Not tidying up a few irrelevant queries, but systematically cutting off entire audiences who will never convert.

Why SaaS Campaigns Bleed More Than Most

Most Google Ads campaigns deal with some wasted spend. SaaS campaigns deal with more than most.

Search “project management software” and you’ll find someone evaluating tools for their team, a student writing an essay about project management, a developer looking for an open source alternative, and someone who just got laid off searching for skills to put on their CV.

Same keyword. Four completely different intents.

The fix isn’t to go ultra-narrow with your targeting. It’s to systematically exclude the audiences who will never convert - and that requires understanding who they are before you can identify the keywords they use.

That’s what the next section covers.

The Four Audiences You’re Accidentally Targeting

Before you add a single negative keyword, it helps to understand who you’re actually filtering out. There are four distinct audiences that can quickly drain SaaS ad budgets.

Job seekers. Someone searching “Salesforce CRM jobs” or “HubSpot marketing coordinator” isn’t buying software, they’re looking for work.

Students and learners. “How to use project management software,” “CRM tutorial for beginners,” “best invoicing tool for freelancers course” - these are research and learning queries. High click volume, zero purchase intent.

Wrong-segment consumers. A small business owner searching for “accounting software” might be a genuine buyer - or they might be looking for a $10/month personal finance app, not your $200/month B2B platform. Same keyword, completely different budget and intent.

Free-tier hunters. “Free CRM software,” “open source helpdesk,” “free project management tool forever” - these searchers have already decided they won’t pay. If your product is paid-only or trial-based, these clicks may be wasted.

Each audience needs its own set of negatives. A blanket list of 50 generic terms won’t cut it - you’ll block legitimate traffic alongside the waste. The sections below break down each category separately so you can add what applies to your specific situation.

A Note on Match Types Before You Start

Before adding anything from these lists, three rules apply across every category:

Default to phrase match . Exact match negatives are generally too narrow - adding “jobs” as exact match only blocks the literal query “jobs,” not “remote jobs” or “HubSpot jobs.” Phrase match gives you coverage without accidentally blocking legitimate traffic.

Avoid broad match negatives. Adding “free” as broad match will block queries like “X software free trial” - searches with genuine buyer intent. Broad match negatives are almost never the right choice in SaaS campaigns.

Add context-dependent terms at the campaign level, not account-wide. Terms like “API,” “small business,” “freelancer,” “vs,” and “alternatives” could be core keywords depending on your product. Start at the campaign level and review your search terms before promoting anything to account-level.

Each section below flags which specific terms need this extra caution.

1. Job Seeker Negatives

Job seekers are one of the most consistent sources of wasted spend in B2B SaaS campaigns. They’re searching for employment at companies that use your software category, not for the software itself.

The searches look like this: “Salesforce admin jobs,” “HubSpot specialist hiring,” “ServiceNow careers.” If you’re bidding on broad match keywords containing your software category or competitor names, these queries will trigger your ads.

Why this happens

Job boards and LinkedIn aren’t the only places people search for work. A significant portion of job-related searches happen directly on Google, and those searches frequently include software tool names as skill requirements.

Copy this list (paste directly into Google Ads Editor ):

jobs, hiring, careers, salary, job description, job posting, resume, CV, interview questions, how to become, certifications, training course, bootcamp, entry level, junior, intern, internship, apprenticeship, staffing, recruiter, work from home jobs, remote jobs, freelance jobs

2. Student and Learner Negatives

Students and learners are trickier to filter than job seekers. The intent isn’t always obvious from the keyword alone - “how to use CRM software” could be a student writing an assignment or a new hire trying to get up to speed at a company that just bought your product.

The difference matters because one is a potential future buyer, and one isn’t buying anything right now.

The core problem: tutorial and educational queries

When someone searches “how to use project management software” or “CRM software for beginners,” they’re in learning mode. They’re not evaluating vendors. They’re not comparing pricing. They’re consuming information, and your ad is interrupting that with a sales message they’re not ready for.

These clicks cost real money and convert at near zero.

Copy this list:

tutorial, how to use, for beginners, beginner guide, introduction to, learn, learning, course, free course, online course, certification, study guide, homework, assignment, essay, university, college, school, students, academic, research paper, thesis, dissertation, textbook, what is, definition, explained

A note on “what is” and “definition” queries

These deserve a mention because they’re tempting to leave in. “What is CRM software” sounds like top-of-funnel awareness - someone who might become a buyer. In practice, these queries skew heavily toward students and researchers, not buyers. Unless you’re specifically running a content campaign targeting informational keywords, add them as negatives on your conversion-focused campaigns.

3. Consumer and Wrong-Segment Negatives

This is the category most SaaS negative keyword guides skip entirely, and it’s one of the more expensive mistakes in B2B campaigns.

The problem isn’t that these searchers have bad intent. They want software. They’re just not your buyer.

What wrong-segment traffic looks like

A mid-market B2B invoicing platform bidding on “invoicing software” will catch searches from sole traders looking for a $10/month personal tool, small business owners who need something simple, and consumers looking for personal finance apps. None of them are evaluating a platform with a sales cycle and an annual contract.

Same keyword. Completely different buyer profile.

Copy this list (review before applying - remove terms that match your ICP):

personal, personal use, for personal, home use, for home, individual, sole trader, self employed, freelancer, small business, one person, solopreneur, startup, side project, side hustle, cheap, cheapest, affordable, budget, low cost, inexpensive, simple, easy, basic, lightweight

A note on “small business” and “freelancer”

These are judgment calls. If your ICP includes small businesses or freelancers, don’t add them. If your product starts at $500/month and requires an implementation team, add them. The list above is a starting point - not every term applies to every SaaS product.

The competitor mismatch problem

If you’re running competitor campaigns , wrong-segment traffic gets worse. Someone searching “Notion alternative free” or “cheaper alternative to Salesforce” has already told you they’re price-sensitive. If your product isn’t in the same price bracket as what they’re comparing, add “alternative” modifier combinations as negatives at the ad group level.

4. Free-Tier Hunter Negatives

This category needs more nuance than the others, because “free” isn’t always a signal of bad intent. It depends entirely on your product model.

If you’re paid-only or trial-based

Someone searching “free CRM software” or “free project management tool forever” has already made a decision. They’re not evaluating paid options. Adding “free” variants as negatives is straightforward.

If you offer a freemium tier

Don’t add “free” as a blanket negative. You want free-tier signups - they’re your pipeline. Instead, get more specific. Block “free forever,” “open source,” and “no credit card” variants from competitors, but leave general “free” queries open.

Copy this list (paid-only / trial-based):

free, free forever, free plan, free tier, free version, free tool, free software, free app, free download, permanently free, always free, no credit card, no credit card required, open source, open-source, self hosted, self-hosted, community edition, freeware, cracked, pirated

Copy this list (freemium products):

free forever, free plan forever, open source, open-source, self hosted, self-hosted, community edition, freeware, cracked, pirated

A note on “open source”

Open source deserves its own callout. Someone searching for an open source alternative isn’t just price-sensitive - they have a specific technical requirement. They want to host it themselves, modify the code, or avoid vendor lock-in. That’s a fundamentally different buyer profile from your target, regardless of your pricing model. Add “open source” and “self hosted” as negatives across all B2B SaaS campaigns.

5. General B2B SaaS Negatives

The four audience categories above cover the majority of wasted spend in SaaS campaigns. This section covers everything else - the queries that don’t fit neatly into one bucket but consistently appear in search term reports as non-converting traffic.

These are the terms worth adding account-wide as a baseline for any B2B SaaS campaign.

Review and comparison shopping (wrong stage)

These searchers are comparing options, which sounds useful, but often signals they’re in early research mode with no urgency to buy, or they’re looking for a roundup article rather than a vendor.

A note on “vs” and “alternatives”

These are judgment calls depending on your campaign structure. If you’re running dedicated competitor campaigns targeting “[competitor] alternative” queries, you don’t want these as account-level negatives - you’ll cannibalize your own campaigns. Add them at the campaign level on non-competitor campaigns only.

Technical and integration research

Queries around API, SDK, and documentation typically indicate a developer or technical evaluator in research mode - often not the economic buyer.

Existing customer queries

These are searches from people who already use software in your category - or your product specifically. They’re not evaluating vendors. They’re trying to log in, get support, or cancel.

They’re also one of the most overlooked sources of wasted spend in SaaS campaigns, because the terms look harmless in isolation. “Support” sounds neutral. “Login” sounds neutral. But when someone searches “HubSpot login” or “Salesforce password reset,” they’re an existing user, not a buyer.

Copy this list (review before applying - remove anything relevant to your product):

reviews, review sites, best reviews, top rated, rating, ratings, G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, TrustRadius, GetApp, comparison, compare, alternatives, competitors, list of, top 10, top 5, best tools, best software, API, API documentation, developer, SDK, integration guide, webhook, documentation, docs, github, enterprise pricing, custom pricing, pricing per user, per seat pricing, volume discount, bulk pricing, reseller, white label, whitelabel, OEM, news, press release, announcement, funding, IPO, acquisition, lawsuit, history of, founded, headquarters, CEO, login, log in, sign in, sign-in, forgot password, password reset, reset password, my account, account settings, customer support, help desk, support ticket, contact support, cancel subscription, cancellation, how to cancel, refund, billing issue, invoice download

How to Use This List

Copying these keywords into Google Ads is the easy part. Where most SaaS campaigns go wrong is in how they apply negatives - wrong match type, wrong level, or pasting everything in at once without reviewing what’s relevant.

Here’s how to do it properly.

Step 1: Build a shared negative keyword list

Don’t add negatives directly to individual campaigns. Use Google Ads’ shared negative keyword lists instead - you’ll find these under Tools > Shared Library > Negative Keyword Lists.

Create one list called “B2B SaaS - Universal Negatives” and add the terms that apply across every campaign: job seeker terms, student terms, and the general catch-all list. Apply this shared list to all campaigns in one click.

Create a second list called “B2B SaaS - Free Tier Negatives” for the free-related terms. Apply this only to campaigns where it’s relevant.

Step 2: Review before you paste

Don’t paste the full lists in blindly. Before adding any category, ask:

• Does this term describe my own product? (“Simple” might be your value prop. “API” might be your target keyword.)
• Does this term describe my ICP? (“Freelancer” or “startup” might be exactly who you sell to.)
• Am I running a campaign that specifically targets this intent? (Competitor campaigns need different negative structures.)

Remove anything that applies to your product before adding.

Step 3: Add at the right level

• Account level (shared list): Universal terms that are never relevant - job seeker, student, open source.
• Campaign level: Context-dependent terms - “vs,” “alternatives,” “API,” “small business.”
• Ad group level: Highly specific terms that only apply to certain keyword themes.

When in doubt, start at the campaign level. You can always promote a negative to account level once you’ve confirmed it’s not blocking anything useful.

Step 4: Don’t set and forget

Adding this list once isn’t enough. Search behaviour changes, new irrelevant queries emerge, and your own campaigns evolve. Set a monthly calendar reminder to review your search term report and add any new patterns you find.

Red Flags to Watch For

When managing negative keywords in B2B SaaS campaigns, watch for:

Over-blocking with broad match negatives. Adding “free” as a broad match negative will block searches like “software free trial” - queries with legitimate buyer intent. Always use phrase or exact match for SaaS negatives.

Applying negatives account-wide without reviewing. “API,” “developer,” “small business” - these could be core keywords depending on your product. Never paste a list account-wide without reading it first. See our guide on negative keyword conflicts for more on how negatives can silently block your own campaigns.

Ignoring negatives on Performance Max campaigns. PMax has its own negative keyword management , separate from standard campaigns. Your shared lists won’t automatically apply. Check this - it’s a common gap.

Setting and forgetting. A negative keyword list from 18 months ago doesn’t reflect current search behaviour. Stale negatives miss new irrelevant queries; worse, they might block terms that have evolved into legitimate buyer signals.

Conclusion

Negative keywords are one of the highest-leverage improvements you can make to a B2B SaaS campaign - and one of the most consistently overlooked.

Most SaaS campaigns launch with generic negatives or none at all. The result is budget quietly leaking to job seekers, students, and free-tool hunters who were never going to convert.

The lists in this article give you a structured starting point. Apply them by category, review them against your specific product and ICP, and set a recurring search term review to catch what slips through.

👉 If you’re managing multiple SaaS campaigns and want to automate the search term monitoring layer, PPC.io flags wasted spend patterns automatically - so you’re reviewing exceptions rather than scanning everything manually each month.