I’m often asked, “Should I bid on my brand name with Google Ads?” My response is “maybe,” which is not a helpful answer, but let me explain my reasoning below.
Three Reasons Why You Should Bid on Your Name
Because your competitors are bidding on it.
I wish this didn’t happen because competitors bidding on each other only puts more money into Google’s pocket. But if there’s a competitor that’s comparable to you in terms of offerings and the reach in the marketplace, you may need to bid on your name so you come up in a Google search above them. This is especially important if the competitor is writing ads to highlight what they offer and you do not. However, if you have a friendly competitor with a similar offering, you could make a handshake agreement with them to not bid on each other’s terms. I’ve seen an example of this with two universities in a close location who agreed to not buy each other’s names.
Because your competitors may bid on it.
Are there new competitors in your field that you think may start bidding on your name? You may have heard people compare them to you, or you see them creeping up on other marketing channels. If you have the budget, you might want to bid on your name before they catch up to you in Google Ad-land. And yes, this contradicts my suggestion above, but not all competitors are interested in playing nice.
Because you need to control the message.
Sometimes it only takes a few bad ratings to hurt a business. If you need to get ahead of negative things people are saying about you, buying your brand name gets you above those results. It’s also possible that people aren’t being negative, but they’re talking about what you offer in a way that doesn’t represent you well. For whatever reason, if you need to control the narrative, this is a way to get your name above the organic results.
Three Reasons Why You Should NOT Bid on Your Name
Because no one knows who you are anyway.
If you’re a brand new business that came out of nowhere or perhaps have a really weird name, it doesn’t make sense to bid on your name initially. Searchers aren’t going to be looking for your name, so ad money is better spent on what you offer. People want to solve their problems; they don’t care about your unknown brand – yet.
Because you have no money.
If you have a small budget, focus on your organic presence. When you are ready for Google Ads, focus on one product line or service rather than your name.
Because people click on your organic results.
If you’re visible organically and you don’t have the issues mentioned above, you may never need to bid on your name. Paying for this traffic that you’re already getting may not be the best use of your marketing budget.
Now what?
Make your decision using the above suggestions as well as talking to other consultants and small businesses for their recommendations. If you’ve got competitors gunning for your spot or you want total control over your brand’s message, bidding could be a smart move. But if you’re already dominating the organic rankings and cash is tight, keep your wallet in your pocket (instead of putting it in Google’s).
