If you are running a Google Ad campaign you've had to decide, should I have a campaign or ad group dedicated to bidding on your own brand name?
The answer is maybe.
Don't hate me, but it's not a clear cut yes or no. Let's dive into the benefits and disadvantages of each.
A Case for Bidding On Your Brand
Step 1 is looking to see if someone else (like your competition) is already bidding on your brand, product or company name. If you find that someone is already bidding on your brand related keywords, then you should too to ensure traffic doesn't go to your competitor.
Tip: If you find a competitor is bidding on your brand AND they have used your trademarked company or product in their search ad, you can take steps to file a copyright infringement complaint with Google. Here's a quick link to that form to get started. You'll need to be prepared with proof of your trademark and the process can be a little lengthy but ultimately worth it if you are losing customers to a competitor who is pretending to be you.
By bidding on your own brand you can direct searches directly into an optimized landing page. This user already knows your brand and is looking for you, that means they don't need the build up of proving why you are great. Direct them right to the page focused on conversion whether that be purchase, form submission or any other ideal action.
If your SEO strategy is non-existent, you may want to consider bidding on your brand name. If you organically don't hold the first few spots when your brand name or product name is searched then putting some ad spend here would be well worth it.
Why You Shouldn't Bid On Your Brand
If you have a strong SEO strategy it may be a waste to bid on your brand. Organically appearing in the search results in the first few spots means you'll probably get the clicks you deserve, so no need to pay for them. Additionally, bidding on your brand means that the organic results are bumped down the page in order to show the paid ads.
Many times users are clicking on the first link for your business just to find your contact information. If customers (who you already paid to convert) are clicking your ads simply to login to your platform or call their rep with a question, this can be wasted spend. Those site visitors are not taking buying or converting actions which makes the ROI for your ad spend harder to hit.
If your competitors are not bidding on your brand you can probably skip the branded campaign. Especially if you don't have the budget. Take your budget and spend it on keywords that are tied to your service or product, instead of spending it on your name which many people may not even know exists.
Still not sure if bidding on your brand makes sense? Learn more about our Search and SEO Services or contact us to start a conversation with one of our Account Managers.
