Negative keywords for cleaning services
Cleaning company ads sit right next to job postings and endless 'how to clean X yourself' content, so a large share of broad-match traffic isn't shopping for a cleaner at all. This list separates those searchers from the ones who actually want to book recurring or one-time cleaning.
Why negative keywords matter for cleaning services
Because 'cleaning jobs' and 'cleaning service' overlap so heavily in wording, residential and commercial cleaning accounts tend to waste spend on job-seeker clicks faster than almost any other local service category. The jobs group here catches that pattern directly.
The DIY group covers the huge volume of searches for homemade solutions and cleaning hacks, while wrong-service exclusions route away adjacent categories like pest control, laundromats, and junk removal that sound similar but need a different crew entirely.
The full list
40 terms. Review each one before adding — remove anything you actually sell.
Jobs and careers
- cleaning jobs
- house cleaner jobs near me
- janitorial jobs
- maid service jobs
- cleaning jobs hiring
- housekeeper salary
- commercial cleaning jobs
- cleaning company careers
- cleaner job openings
- part time cleaning jobs
DIY and free
- diy carpet cleaning
- how to clean grout yourself
- homemade cleaning solutions
- diy window cleaning
- natural cleaning products recipe
- free cleaning tips
- how to deep clean house yourself
- diy upholstery cleaning
- vinegar cleaning hacks
- free stain removal guide
Education and training
- cleaning business course
- how to start a cleaning business
- janitorial training certification
- cleaning technician certification
- osha cleaning training
- cleaning business license requirements
- maid service training program
- green cleaning certification
Wrong service
- carpet installation
- pest control
- laundromat
- dry cleaning
- pressure washing
- gutter cleaning
- junk removal
- moving company
- home renovation
- plumbing
- hvac duct cleaning
- chimney sweep
Competitors (add your own)
Add the names of local competitors you don't want to pay for. Review these case by case.
If you offer pressure washing as an add-on service, keep 'pressure washing' as a keyword instead of a negative.
How to add these in Google Ads
- Sign in to Google Ads and open the campaign you want to protect.
- Go to Keywords, then Negative keywords, and click the blue plus button.
- Choose whether to add them to this campaign, an ad group, or a negative keyword list you can share across campaigns.
- Paste the terms, one per line. Remove any you actually want to show for first.
- Click Save. Check the search terms report again after a week or two to see what's still getting through.
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Frequently asked questions
Why exclude 'dry cleaning'?
Dry cleaning is a garment service, not a home or office cleaning service, and the two get confused constantly in broad match.
Should 'carpet cleaning' be a negative?
No — keep plain 'carpet cleaning' if you offer it; only the DIY-flavored searches in that group should be excluded.
Does this list work for commercial cleaning too?
Yes, the jobs and wrong-service groups apply equally; you may want to add facility-specific competitor names of your own.
Related guides and tools
- Negative keyword list generator — A ready-to-copy negative keyword list for your industry.
- How to add negative keywords in Google Ads — Step-by-step: how to add negative keywords in Google Ads at the ad group, campaign or list level, and how to avoid blocking good traffic by mistake.
- Which Google Ads search terms are wasting your money — How to find the search terms wasting your Google Ads budget, group them into patterns, and exclude them with negative keywords without blocking real customers..
- Google Ads audit for cleaning services — Job-seeker searches, DIY tips and unrealistic price searches are the common leaks.
Sources
Last updated · Written by the Claritad team (Kyle Edward Gilligan LLC). Claritad is independent software and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.