Bidding on Branded Keywords

One of the most debated topics in PPC advertising is whether or not to bid on brand keywords. Brand keywords are search terms that are unique to a business’ brand(s). There is not a universal answer to this question, instead it depends on various factors for each advertiser. Two things you should consider when exploring this topic are 1) competition and 2) organic ranking. First, if you notice other PPC advertisers bidding on your brand keywords, this could mean you are missing out on conversions that are being swiped from your competitors. Second, if you do not have maximum organic search visibility on your brand terms, meaning you don’t have the top two positions, indented listings, and/or Sitelinks, then PPC ads could act as a legitimate substitute for this void. To further the case for bidding on brand keywords, Google has recently launched a new product in AdWords, which allows advertisers to include up to four Sitelinks in their ads. Work with your PPC vendor to develop a brand keyword bid strategy.