Getting junk clicks for local service campaign. How to stop this?

Hey guys,
I’m running a Google search campaign for a local junk removal business (targeting a specific city in the US).
My problem is that my budget gets eaten up by completely irrelevant searches, even though I've added a ton of negative keywords. People are clicking but they are looking for jobs or completely different services.
Should I switch from phrase match to exact match only? Or is there a better way to filter out this junk traffic?
Thanks!

Personally, I would swap to exact match and laser target my keywords.

Of course, you should refine your search terms to avoid losing money on unnecessary fees. Consider signing up for Local Services Ads if your area supports it, as this is the best way to avoid paying for clicks that don't bring value.

berryblushie said:

Hey guys,
I’m running a Google search campaign for a local junk removal business (targeting a specific city in the US).
My problem is that my budget gets eaten up by completely irrelevant searches, even though I've added a ton of negative keywords. People are clicking but they are looking for jobs or completely different services.
Should I switch from phrase match to exact match only? Or is there a better way to filter out this junk traffic?
Thanks!

Click to expand...

I wouldn’t switch to exact match only. First check the Search Terms report and add the irrelevant queries as negative keywords.

Also check:

Location setting → People in or regularly in your target location
Turn off Search Partners for testing
Add negatives like jobs, salary, DIY, free, tools, etc.
Keep exact + phrase match for your main service terms.

I check the search terms report regularly. Sometimes you find new irrelevant searches there that are not obvious in the beginning.

I faced a similar issue before. The best fix was reviewing actual search queries and removing unwanted patterns, because match type alone doesn’t always solve irrelevant traffic.

However, I would not recommend an exact match only. Make sure to monitor your Search Terms report, add negatives, and break up your keywords into smaller ad groups with more targeted ad copy. This tends to eliminate many unnecessary clicks.

the same happened to me i even changed to exact match its still the same until i start pausing them one after another

I think you should double-check your "Location Options" to make sure you're only targeting people who are actually in that area.

berryblushie said:

Hey guys,
I’m running a Google search campaign for a local junk removal business (targeting a specific city in the US).
My problem is that my budget gets eaten up by completely irrelevant searches, even though I've added a ton of negative keywords. People are clicking but they are looking for jobs or completely different services.
Should I switch from phrase match to exact match only? Or is there a better way to filter out this junk traffic?
Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hey there,

This is super common with local service campaigns.

Even with a lot of negatives, junk searches still slip through — especially job seekers and people looking for related but different services.

A few things that usually help:

- Check the search terms report regularly and keep adding negatives (this is ongoing work)
- Try exact match on your main keywords, but don’t rely only on that or you’ll lose volume
- Use phrase match + a strong negative list as a middle ground
- Tighten location targeting (presence only, not interest)
- Add audience exclusions if possible (job seekers etc.)

Now, searching by exact match can reduce junk, but it often cuts good traffic too. Most people end up using a mix and just staying on top of the search terms.

How long has the campaign been running and roughly what % of clicks look junk?

I think don't go only with exact match. First check your search terms report and see what kind of bad searches are triggering your ads. Add those words as negative keywords, especially job related words like jobs, hiring, salary, career, etc.

Also try using more high intent keywords like "junk removal service near me" or "hire junk removal company" instead of broad words like just "junk removal".

You can keep some phrase match keywords but monitor them regularly. Exact match can reduce junk clicks but it can also reduce good traffic.

100% switch to exact match and be a hawk on the 'Search Terms' and add negatives daily