Should You Bid on Your Brand Keywords in Google Ads?

Let’s dive into a hot topic: bidding on your own brand name in Google Ads. If your business is already ranking number one organically and no competitors are running ads on your brand terms, why pay for something you’re already getting for free?

Agencies often pitch brand bidding as a "must-do strategy" to protect your space on the SERPs (search engine results pages). But let’s be honest: if competitors aren’t in the picture, you’re essentially paying Google for traffic you’ve already earned through your SEO efforts. Here’s why I challenge this approach:

Why I’m Skeptical:

Your SEO Is Already Doing the Heavy Lifting: If you’ve worked hard to rank number one organically, you’re already claiming the top spot. Paying for an ad above is like charging yourself extra for VIP access to your own party.

Fear-Driven Spending: Brand bidding is often recommended to "stay ahead of competitors." But are you making this decision based on actual threats or hypothetical scenarios? If no one else is bidding on your brand terms, you might be burning budget unnecessarily.

Who Really Benefits?: Spoiler alert: it’s Google. Every click on a brand ad means more money in their pocket. But does it bring more value to your business? If you’re already getting the traffic organically, the ROI on brand bidding becomes questionable.

Exceptions to the Rule: Brand bidding isn’t always bad—it can be a powerful tool if used strategically. Here’s when it makes sense:

• Control Over Your Messaging: Want to highlight a special promotion or seasonal offer? Paid ads let you craft messaging that goes beyond your static organic listing.

• Testing Campaign Goals: Brand ads are great for running A/B tests on CTAs, landing pages, and messaging. Insights from these tests can inform not just your ads but your broader marketing strategy.

• Cross-Channel Synergy: If a specific message performs exceptionally well in your brand ads, it could work wonders across social media, email, or other channels. The data from these campaigns can drive cohesive and effective cross-channel strategies.

Here’s the Catch:

Brand bidding can work—if it’s done right.

• Are your analyzing why certain messaging works and applying those insights to your other campaigns?

• Are you testing landing pages to see what converts better?

• Are you asking if brand bidding is even necessary for your specific situation?

If they’re not having these conversations with you, they’re not using brand bidding to its full potential.

Why an Advocate Makes All the Difference

Here’s the thing: brand bidding can work, but it needs to be intentional. That’s where I come in. I work with clients to collaborate with their agencies or work with their own marketing team to ask the tough questions and make sure every marketing dollar is doing real work.

The Bottom Line:

Your budget is precious. Spend it where it matters. If your SEO is working hard for you, don’t feel pressured to bid on your own brand name unless there’s a clear and measurable reason to do so. Instead, use that budget to innovate, expand your audience, or refine your weaker channels.

So, what’s your take? Do you think brand bidding is worth it, or are we just paying Google to give us back what we already own?

Data-fueled growth, fact-based success.

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