Should I Bid on Brand Keywords in Google Ads in 2024?
Updated for 2024
It’s a constant debate in the PPC search industry as to whether bidding on brand keywords adds value to the account - in fact there’s over 51,800,000 results on Google debating this whole argument…
It’s a valid argument and there are many ways of approaching it, clearly demonstrated by the 51,800,000 results. So if you’re asking ‘should I bid on brand keywords’ then read on, you just might find the answer.
Should I bid on Brand Keywords?
While the situation differs from business to business, I think in most cases the good generally outweighs the bad… if you have the budget! Brand keywords are often cheaper to advertise on, which is great, but they also only attract users who are already looking for you. So whilst brand keyword campaign shouldn’t be a priority - they’re great to fill out a well structured campaign. It’s like the cherry on top!
What are the upsides of bidding on brand keywords?
Maximise your coverage on the search results page
Searching just your brand name compared to a longer search term, such as your brand name and a product or a location can bring very different results on the search page.
In my experience, searching a basic brand keyword provides what you’d expect – your natural listing at the top. However, more complicated, longer-tail keywords associated with your brand might not have the same results.
Competitors bidding on broad keywords associated with your brand could start showing ads on the search results (e.g. competitors bidding on the broad keywords ‘estate agents’ would start showing ads for keywords like ‘Joe Bloggs estate agents’).
In addition, keywords featuring locations, such as ‘Joe Bloggs estate agents Clapham’, could prompt Google Maps to offer even more competitors based in this area before the user even reaches the organic search results.
You could be ranking 4th or even 5th on the page even though, organically, your website is in the number one spot and this is only going to get more complicated as Google’s new AI, Gemini AI, changes how search results are shown.
Read more about how AI is changing the advertising landscape by looking our our Meta AI insights or learn about Google’s Gemini AI.
Bidding on brand keywords gives you the opportunity to maximise your coverage on the search results, ensuring you have all opportunities to capture loyal customers so that lead isn’t snapped up by any competitors.
Take advantage of lower cpc
What’s not to love about low cost per acquisition (CPA) and low cost per click(CPC)?
A lot of people believe spending on a brand keyword could lead to wasted media spend but when the cost per click is so low (one client of ours has brand terms costing just £0.01) and you’re still getting actionable results then it’s a no-brainer.
You can use a brand campaign to mop up the excess budget after you’ve prioritised the high intent keywords. That way you you can bring more leads straight to your site or product without having to compete as harshly.
Improve quality scores and account health
We know that brand keywords come with a high click-through rate as users searching for the brand will have a high intent audience. High click-through rate combined with high ad relevancy will boost the quality scores helping with the account’s overall health, even of the non-brand keywords.
Branded keywords are also known to improve conversion rates and even Google has said that brand keywords can have double the conversion rates of non-brand keywords.
In a similar way to high click-through rates improving overall account health, having a high conversion rate for brand keywords will increase the account’s overall conversion rate which can help your account’s performance when using Google’s automated bidding.
Google doesn’t just look at your ad and budget when choosing which ads to show. They look at a whole number of things to try and show the most relevant AND high quality ads to users. So, if your brand keywords can help to boost the health of your account, why wouldn’t want to bid on them?
To wrap up, there’s no definitive answer as to whether you should be bidding on brand keywords or not. It’s always subjective to the goals of the campaign and also personal preference. But like with most PPC and Google Ad campaigns it completely depends on the account build.
If you’re curious about learning whether or not a branded keyword campaign is right for your business, take a look at Roar and find out about your brand and the cost of adding a branded keyword. You may also be interested to learn about Google’s New AI and how it will affect the search results and website ranking.
FAQs
Can you bid on branded Keywords?
Yes, you can bid on branded keywords. It’s a great idea to help boost the health of your account whilst not spending a huge amount of your budget. If you’re running your own account then look at the cpc and other ads that show around your brand words and try to fit them in. If an agency runs your account, talk to them and find out if brand keywords are right for you.
How much should I spend on branded keywords?
The amount you should spend on branded keywords depends on your specific goals, industry competition, and budget. Allocate enough to maintain a strong presence but prioritize cost-effectiveness. Regularly monitor and adjust based on performance data to optimise spending.
