Should you target your own branded keywords in search advertising?

Bidding on your own brand name in Google Search Ads is a strategy that sparks debate among marketers.

While some argue that it unnecessarily diverts budget towards clicks that could be obtained organically, others see it as a powerful tool for increasing visibility and protecting brand presence. But how does it impact your organic click-through rate (CTR)?

This blog post explores the potential advantages and drawbacks of running a branded search campaign, helping you weigh the costs and benefits to make an informed decision.

If bidding on your own brand name is part of your advertising strategy, here’s an analysis of the potential impacts it could have on your business:

Increased SERP Real Estate

Running both a paid ad and an organic listing ensures your brand dominates the search engine results page (SERP). This dual presence pushes other competitors further down the page, making it more likely that users will click on your brand rather than a competing result.

More visibility often translates to a stronger perception of authority and credibility, reinforcing brand trust. Additionally, with features such as ad extensions, your paid listing can take up even more space, providing extra information that might not be available in the organic listing alone.

Control Over Messaging

One of the major benefits of running a branded Google Ads campaign is the ability to control the messaging that appears in search results.

Organic listings rely on Google's algorithm to determine which page title and description to show, whereas paid ads allow you to customise the copy, highlight key selling points, and use ad extensions like sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets.

Unbounce do this strategy where their brand term ad goes to a different page to their organic result.

This means you can align your messaging with current promotions, highlight seasonal campaigns, or direct users to high-converting landing pages, ensuring more targeted traffic and potentially higher conversion rates.

Competitor Defence

If competitors are bidding on your brand terms, their ads could appear above your organic listing, potentially diverting traffic away from your site. By running your own branded ads, you can ensure that your business remains the most visible and authoritative result when users search for your name.

This strategy prevents competitors from capitalising on your brand recognition and reduces the risk of losing potential customers to alternative options. Additionally, having both a paid and organic result makes it less likely that users will be swayed by competitor messaging.

Potential Negative Impacts

Dilution of Organic Clicks

A branded ad campaign means your paid listing will appear above your organic search result. Since many users instinctively click on the first link they see, they may choose your ad over your organic result, even though they would have visited your site for free via organic search.

This can lead to a decrease in organic click-through rate (CTR), making it seem like your organic performance is dropping, even though the total number of visitors remains stable or increases.

Cost Implications

Paying for clicks that could have been acquired organically means you're spending part of your advertising budget unnecessarily.

While the cost per click (CPC) for branded keywords is typically lower than for generic or competitor keywords, these costs can still add up over time, especially if your brand has a high search volume.

If there is little competition for your branded terms, you may not need to run ads at all, as organic traffic will naturally direct users to your site without incurring extra costs.

Factors to Consider

User Behaviour

Understanding how users interact with search results is crucial when deciding whether to run a branded campaign. Some users inherently trust organic results more than paid ads, making them more likely to scroll past an ad and click on an organic listing instead.

Others, however, tend to click on the topmost result, regardless of whether it is an ad or an organic link. Analysing how your audience behaves in the search environment can help determine whether running a branded ad will significantly impact your organic CTR or if it will simply shift user behaviour towards the paid listing.

Search Volume and Competition

The necessity of running branded ads often depends on the search volume of your brand name and the level of competition in your industry. If your brand is well-known and receives a high number of searches, competitors may try to capitalise on this by bidding on your brand name.

In such cases, running a branded ad can help protect your traffic and ensure that users land on your site rather than a competitor's. However, if there is little competition for your brand name, you may not need to run ads, as your organic listing will likely be sufficient to capture all branded traffic.

Cost vs. Benefit

It’s essential to weigh the cost of running branded ads against the potential revenue generated from those paid clicks. If the return on ad spend (ROAS) is strong, then investing in branded ads may be justified, even if it slightly reduces organic CTR.

Conversely, if the majority of clicks would have been free via organic search, the cost may outweigh the benefits, making it a less efficient use of your marketing budget.

Running a cost-benefit analysis can help determine whether branded campaigns add value or simply shift traffic from organic to paid channels without a net gain.

Ad Positioning and Extensions

Ad extensions allow businesses to provide additional information directly within search results, making paid ads more engaging and useful.

Features like sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, and phone numbers can improve visibility, encourage higher engagement, and increase conversions.

When combined with organic listings, these extensions can create a more comprehensive presence on the SERP, helping users find exactly what they need without navigating away. This makes branded ads more valuable, as they offer a level of control and engagement that organic listings alone cannot provide.

Strategic Approach

A/B Testing

The best way to determine the impact of branded search ads is to conduct an A/B test. Run branded ads for a set period and then pause them to compare the performance of organic CTR, paid CTR, and overall traffic.

If you see a substantial increase in total clicks and conversions with ads running, it may indicate that branded ads are beneficial. Conversely, if most traffic remains consistent without ads, it may suggest that organic search alone is sufficient.

Monitor Metrics

Regularly reviewing performance data from Google Search Console and Google Ads can provide insights into how branded ads impact both organic and paid performance.

Track changes in organic CTR, conversion rates, and overall traffic levels to determine whether the investment in branded ads is yielding positive returns. Pay attention to user behaviour shifts, such as whether visitors who click on the paid advert engage more effectively than those who came through organic search.

Adjust Bids and Budgets

Based on the data gathered, refine your branded campaign strategy by adjusting bids and budgets accordingly. If your brand faces high competition, increasing bids on branded keywords can ensure your ad maintains top placement.

Conversely, if branded campaigns are proving costly with little added benefit, lowering bids or pausing the campaign may be a smarter approach. Continuous optimisation ensures that your marketing spend is allocated efficiently while balancing the impact on organic traffic.

To summarise

While targeting your own brand keywords in a Google Search Ads campaign can potentially reduce your organic CTR, the overall impact on your brand’s visibility and traffic might justify the cost.

By carefully monitoring performance and adjusting strategies as needed, you can balance the benefits of increased SERP dominance and controlled messaging against the costs and potential dilution of organic clicks.

 

If you need help with your paid advertising campaigns, or if you simply want to have an informal chat about how to develop a balanced strategy, then get in touch with us today.

You can drop us an email using the contact form below, or you can email us directly.

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