Excluding branded searches is a critical topic for ensuring Performance Max (PMax) focuses on incremental growth rather than just capturing users who are already searching for your business by name.

There are two primary ways to handle this: Brand Exclusions (the modern, automated way) and Negative Keyword Lists (the precision way).

Brand Exclusions (Recommended)

Unlike standard negatives, this uses Google’s brand library to capture variations.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Navigate to Settings: Click on your Performance Max campaign, then click the Campaign Settings 

2. Navigate to “Other Settings”: Scroll to the bottom of the settings page. 

3. Open Brand Exclusions: Find and click on “Brand exclusions.” 

4. Create a Brand List:

   • If you haven’t done this before, click “+ New brand list.” 

   • Name your list (e.g., “My Brand – Main”).

   • Search for your brand: Type your business name into the search box. Select it from the list provided by Google. 

5. Apply and Save: Once selected, click Save. This campaign will now avoid serving on searches related to that brand entity.

If a brand is not in Google’s database, there is an option to “Request a brand” directly within that search box. 

Other Method Campaign-Level Negative Keywords

If you want to exclude specific misspellings, competitors, or phrases that the “Brand Exclusion” tool might miss, you use the Negative Keyword feature.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select The Campaign: Select your PMax campaign

2. Navigate to Audience, Keywords, And Content : Select Keywords > “Negative keywords” section .

3. Add Terms: Click the       and Add the specific keywords you want to block (e.g., brand discount, brand login, brand careers).

4. Save: Click Save.

Comparison: Which method to use?