- 1 Check who bids on your brand name
- 2 Run a separate brand campaign
- 3 Pause-test it to measure what it adds
- 4 Bid on 1 or 2 rival names as keywords only
- 5 Send rival clicks to an honest comparison page
Branded search ads come in two flavours. Defensive campaigns bid on your own brand name so you hold the top of the results page when people look for you. Competitor campaigns bid on rivals’ brand names to reach buyers comparing options. The first is cheap insurance. The second can work, but only with honest ads and a clear reason to switch. Both fit SaaS, B2B and D2C companies whose buyers search by brand name.
Why it works
People who type your name are close to buying or already customers. If a rival, a reseller or an affiliate appears above your organic link, some of that intent leaks away. Your own brand terms usually have strong relevance, so clicks tend to be cheap, and the ad lets you choose the message and landing page: a current offer, pricing or a login link.
Competitor terms reach a different person: someone already considering a product like yours. Some of them are unhappy with the competitor or still comparing. A clear, factual alternative can win a share of them. Expect lower conversion and higher costs, because the searcher came looking for someone else.
How to do it
- Check who bids on your name. Search your brand on desktop and mobile, in your main markets, and look at the auction insights report in your ad account. Note competitors, resellers and affiliates appearing above you.
- Set up a separate brand campaign. Keep brand keywords in their own campaign with their own budget, so their cheap, high-converting clicks do not hide the real cost of other campaigns.
- Write ads for each type of brand search. Searches for “[brand] pricing”, “[brand] login” and “[brand] reviews” need different ads and landing pages. Use sitelinks to cover the common ones.
- Test incrementality. Pause brand ads in one region or for a short period and compare total brand clicks and conversions, paid and organic combined. This shows how much the campaign adds.
- Pick competitor terms with care. Start with one or two rivals your buyers mention often. Use their names only as keywords.
- Keep their trademark out of your ad text. Google’s policy restricts direct competitors from using trademarks in ad text and restricts any confusing or misleading use. Describe your own product: “Simple payroll for small restaurants, switch in a day”.
- Send competitor clicks to a comparison page. Use an honest page that explains who each product suits and how switching works. A generic homepage wastes the click.
- Tag and review monthly. Use UTM parameters to separate brand and competitor traffic in analytics, and cap competitor budgets until the numbers justify more.
Example
A hypothetical D2C mattress brand notices that two comparison affiliates appear above its homepage when people search its name, often with discount codes the brand never approved. It launches a brand campaign with ads that mention its free trial and returns policy, plus sitelinks to reviews and the size guide. A two-week pause in one region shows that paid and organic clicks combined drop without the ads, so the campaign stays. It also tests a small campaign on one larger rival’s name, with ad text about its own trial period and a landing page that compares firmness options fairly. The competitor campaign brings few sales at a high cost, so the team keeps it small and focused on the rival’s most common complaint.
Metrics to track
- Impression share on brand terms. You want to appear for nearly every search of your name. Gaps show where rivals are taking the spot.
- Incremental conversions from brand ads. Measured through pause tests, this tells you whether the spend adds sales beyond organic results.
- Cost per acquisition on competitor terms. Compare it with your other paid channels. It should earn its budget.
- Conversion rate on comparison landing pages. If it is very low, the page or the switching story needs work.
When it backfires
- Trademarks in ad text. Using a rival’s name in your ad copy can get ads limited and invite legal complaints.
- Misleading claims. Ads that imply you are the competitor, or make claims you cannot back up, damage trust and break ad policies.
- Bidding wars. Attacking a rival’s brand often triggers retaliation on yours, raising costs for both.
- Blended reporting. Mixing brand and non-brand results makes paid search look far better than it is.
Growth Marketing Academy
Learn the framework behind this tactic
These lessons explain the math and the mental model, so you can adapt the tactic instead of copying it.
- Track 2 · Acquisition Paid Acquisition Architecture and Channel-Model Fit Structure paid accounts, run a creative testing cadence, read CAC by channel, blended CAC, MER and ROAS correctly, and pick channels your price point can afford.
- Track 2 · Acquisition Growth Loops: Build Acquisition That Compounds Funnels describe how users leak. Loops describe how users create more users. Learn to map, quantify and choose the loop that fits your product.
Questions people ask
Why pay for clicks on my own name when I already rank first?
Competitors, affiliates and resellers can bid on your name and appear above your organic result. A brand campaign keeps your message on top and lets you control the landing page. Test whether it adds sales by pausing it briefly in one region.
Is it legal to bid on a competitor's brand name?
Google Ads says it does not restrict trademarks as keywords, but it does restrict their use in ad text by direct competitors and in confusing or misleading ways. Trademark law differs by country, so check local rules and take legal advice if you are unsure.
What do I do if a competitor uses my trademark in their ad text?
Google lets trademark owners file a complaint through its legal help pages. Keep screenshots of the ads, the search terms and the dates before you file.