What is Keyword Anti Targeting & How Does It Impact Bloggers?
Written by Casey Botticello
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Keyword anti-targeting is a crucial aspect of digital advertising that allows brands to prevent their ads from appearing on certain pages. It involves creating a list of blacklisted keywords that advertisers want to target away from. This practice is designed to protect brands from associating their products or services with content that is not aligned with their values or messaging.
For bloggers, keyword anti-targeting can have a significant impact on their revenue streams. By blocking certain keywords, brands may inadvertently prevent their ads from appearing on relevant pages, which can result in a loss of income for the blogger.
Additionally, anti-targeting methods can sometimes be too broad, causing unintended consequences such as blocking ads on pages that are not actually problematic. As such, bloggers need to be aware of how keyword anti-targeting works and how it may affect their ad revenue.
What is Keyword Anti-Targeting?
Definition of Keyword Anti Targeting
Keyword Anti Targeting is a method used by advertisers to prevent their ads from being displayed on certain websites or pages. It is a way to exclude certain keywords or phrases that may be associated with a particular website or page.
By doing this, advertisers can ensure that their ads are not displayed on pages that are not relevant to their target audience or that may be considered inappropriate.
How Does Keyword Anti Targeting Work?
Keyword Anti Targeting works by using a list of blacklisted keywords. Advertisers provide a list of terms they want to target away from, and these keywords are then used to prevent their ads from being displayed on pages that contain those keywords.
For example, a company that sells vegetarian products may want to exclude pages that contain the keyword “meat.” By doing this, they can ensure that their ads are not displayed on pages that are not relevant to their target audience.
Keyword Anti Targeting is a way for advertisers to ensure that their ads are displayed only on relevant pages, and to prevent their ads from being displayed on pages that may be considered inappropriate or offensive. It is a useful tool for advertisers who want to ensure that their ads are displayed only to their target audience.
Takeaway for Bloggers
So, now that you understand what keyword anti targeting is, how or when should you adjust your blog content?
Generally speaking, there are two main instances in which bloggers should think about keyword anti targeting:
When Applying to a Display Ad Network. Probably the most important time to audit your blog for keywords that advertisers may not deem “brand safe” is when applying to a display ad network. This is especially true if you are applying to a higher tier display ad network, like Mediavine or AdThrive.
Sites that contain even just a handful of these blacklisted keywords can be rejected.
So if you have spent months or years preparing your site to apply to a top ad network, make sure that, in addition to having brand safe content overall, that your articles don’t include keywords that might be flagged in an automated scan of your website.
When Trying to Optimize Your Existing Blog RPMs. Even if you are already approved for an ad network, considering keyword anti targeting is essential to optimizing your blog RPMs. While there is no single set of keywords to avoid, it is good to familiarize yourself with the type of keywords that many advertisers tend to blacklist (explained below).
Most Blocked Keywords (Keywords to Avoid in Your Blog Posts)
Mediavine offers this useful graphic that highlights some of these more obvious blacklisted keywords:
We created a useful infographic, noting some of these problem keywords, how they might be interpreted by advertisers, as well as suggestions on alternatives you might consider using.
Obviously, you don’t need to eliminate every usage of the keyword on our “potentially problematic” infographic, but it is worth it if you want to optimize your blog RPMs.
Even if you choose to leave any of these keywords in the article body text, you should strongly consider removing them from any blog post URLs, article titles, or headings in your articles, as these portions of your article have an even greater chance of being flagged by advertisers.
It’s also worth noting that while blog content can be flagged because certain advertisers use very primative contextual advertising targeting, there have been some improvements in the space.
For example, some advertisers use sentiment analysis, page level body copy analysis, or pixel by pixel analysis, meaning you are less likely to be flagged for an inadvertent use of a questionable keyword.
Conclusion
Keyword anti-targeting is an important aspect of digital advertising that bloggers should pay attention to. While it can be tempting to use attention-grabbing keywords to attract more clicks and views, it’s important to consider the potential negative impact that these keywords may have on your audience and your brand.
By using negative keyword lists and other anti-targeting methods, bloggers can avoid inadvertently targeting sensitive or controversial topics and ensure that their content is reaching the right audience. This can help to improve engagement, increase brand loyalty, and ultimately drive more traffic and revenue to their site.
However, it’s important to note that keyword anti-targeting is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different audiences may have different sensitivities and preferences, and it’s up to bloggers to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in their industry.
