Google Search Partners and Negative Keywords

Alon TAlon T·

December 23, 2025

If you've ever looked at your search terms report and wondered "where did THAT come from?", there's a good chance it came from a search partner. Google's Search Partner network is often overlooked—and often a source of wasted spend that's harder to control than regular Google Search traffic.

What Are Search Partners?

Google Search Partners are websites that partner with Google to show search ads. This includes:

  • Other search engines (Ask.com, etc.)
  • Website search functions (when you search within a site)
  • Directory sites
  • Various other properties Google doesn't fully disclose

When you create a Search campaign, search partners are enabled by default. Many advertisers don't even realize their ads are showing on these networks.

The Problem with Search Partners

Search partner traffic often underperforms Google Search:

Lower Intent

Users on partner sites may be:

  • Casually browsing (not actively searching)
  • Using built-in site search (different intent than Google)
  • On sites with different user demographics

Different Matching

Google's matching algorithm works differently on partner sites:

  • Search queries may be interpreted differently
  • Your negative keywords may not filter as effectively
  • Context of the search is different

Less Transparency

Google provides limited visibility into partner traffic:

  • You can see aggregate partner performance
  • But you can't see which specific sites showed your ads
  • Hard to identify and address specific problems

How Negatives Work (Differently) on Search Partners

Here's the key issue: negative keywords don't always behave the same way on search partners.

On Google Search:

  • Negative keywords work predictably
  • You block a term, searches with that term don't trigger your ads

On Search Partners:

  • Matching is less precise
  • Context may override negatives in some cases
  • Same search term might be treated differently

Example: You add "free" as a negative. On Google, searches containing "free" are blocked. On a partner site, the same query might still trigger your ad depending on how that site categorizes the search.

This inconsistency makes it harder to control quality through negatives alone.

Analyzing Search Partner Performance

Before deciding what to do, analyze your data:

Step 1: Segment by Network

In Google Ads:

  1. Go to Campaigns or Ad Groups
  2. Click "Segment" → "Network (with search partners)"
  3. Compare Google Search vs. Search Partners metrics

Step 2: Compare Key Metrics

Look at:

  • CTR: Often lower on partners (less relevant placements)
  • Conversion Rate: Usually lower
  • CPA: Often higher
  • Quality Score: N/A for partners, but impacts your Search traffic

Step 3: Calculate True Cost

If partner traffic converts at half the rate:

Partner CPA = Search CPA × 2

Is that still profitable for your goals?

Your Options

Option 1: Keep Partners, Optimize Harder

If partner traffic is marginally profitable, you might keep it with extra attention:

  • Apply more aggressive negative keywords
  • Accept some waste as cost of volume
  • Monitor closely and re-evaluate monthly

Best for: High-margin businesses where volume matters more than efficiency.

Option 2: Opt Out Entirely

You can disable search partners at the campaign level:

  1. Edit campaign settings
  2. Under "Networks," uncheck "Search Partners"
  3. Save

Pros:

  • Eliminates partner waste immediately
  • Simplifies optimization
  • All budget goes to Google Search

Cons:

  • Lose any good partner traffic
  • May reduce total conversions

Best for: Tight budgets, low-margin businesses, accounts where partners consistently underperform.

Option 3: Separate Campaigns

Create parallel campaign structures:

  • Campaign A: Google Search only
  • Campaign B: Search Partners only (lower bids)

This lets you:

  • Bid appropriately for each network
  • Apply different negative strategies
  • Easily pause partners if needed

Best for: Sophisticated accounts wanting to maximize both channels.

Negative Keyword Strategy for Partners

If you keep search partners enabled, adjust your negative keyword approach:

Go Broader

Since negatives are less precise on partners, use broader match types:

  • Instead of "free software", use free
  • Cast wider net to catch variations

Add More Negatives

Partner traffic often includes lower-quality searches. Be more aggressive:

  • Add informational query negatives
  • Add review/research query negatives
  • Add price-sensitive query negatives

Review Partner-Specific Searches

Filter your search terms report by network:

  • What searches came from partners?
  • Are there patterns unique to partner traffic?
  • Add negatives based on partner-specific waste

The Hidden Partner Problem

Here's something many advertisers miss: you can't see which partner sites showed your ads or how they matched your keywords.

This means:

  • You can't block specific low-quality partner sites
  • You can't understand why certain matches happened
  • You're somewhat flying blind

This lack of transparency is why many experienced advertisers opt out of search partners entirely. The control you lose isn't worth the incremental volume.

When Search Partners Make Sense

Search partners aren't always bad. They can work well when:

  • You have brand campaigns: Brand searches on any network are often high-intent
  • You have excess budget: Some incremental volume at reasonable cost
  • You're in certain verticals: Some industries see good partner performance
  • You're tracking properly: With conversion tracking, unprofitable traffic eventually gets deprioritized by Smart Bidding

Making the Decision

Ask yourself:

  1. What's my partner CPA vs. Search CPA? If partner is 2x+, seriously consider opting out.

  2. How much of my spend goes to partners? If it's 5%, maybe not worth the hassle. If it's 30%, definitely worth optimizing or removing.

  3. Do I have time to manage this? Partner optimization takes extra effort. If you can't commit the time, opt out.

  4. What's my margin? High-margin businesses can absorb inefficiency. Low-margin can't.

Conclusion

Search partners are a hidden complexity in Google Ads that can quietly drain your budget. Negative keywords help, but they're less effective on the partner network than on Google Search.

For most advertisers, I recommend one of two approaches:

  1. Opt out entirely and focus your budget on Google Search
  2. Run dedicated partner campaigns with adjusted bids and expectations

What rarely works: keeping partners enabled by default and hoping your regular negative keywords will handle the quality issues.

For more on protecting your budget, see why negative keywords matter and building negative keyword lists.