When people search for your company online, should you be bidding on those branded keywords and paying for ad clicks?

(Yes.)

What if your website already has the #1 Organic search result position for your business name? Is it a waste to spend money on branded search ads, too?

(Nope, not a waste.)

Our clients ask us these questions all the time. After all, StubGroup’s job is to spend our clients’ money as effectively as possible, and who wants to pay for a click when you can capture that website visitor for free?

(That’s the rub — many of the people who click on your ad actually WOULD NOT click on your Organic listing if your ad wasn’t there.)

So the short answer is, YES, you should be bidding on your own business name — even if your website consistently displays as the top Organic result.

And here’s why. . .

1. Capture 50% More Clicks

In an ideal world, your website will appear at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) twice when someone Googles your business name: once as the top Paid search position (ad), and again as the top Organic search result.

Why?

Well, Google conducted a study on businesses whose websites regularly captured the top Organic position when people searched for their brands. Google wanted to find out how many of the people who clicked a branded ad would have clicked the top Organic result if the ad was not there.

Google found that, on average, 50% of the clicks on brands’ ads would not have transferred to those brands’ Organic results if those ads hadn’t displayed. In other words, for every 100 clicks your business name’s Organic listing receives in the #1 Organic position slot, you should expect to capture an additional 50 clicks if you also run branded search ads for your business.

To be clear, this figure reflects an averaged performance across multiple industries. And the search results landscape is constantly changing, so we’re not going to live and die by the “50% metric.” But there’s no doubt that running branded ads drives significant additional, incremental traffic to your website even when your business has a great Organic presence online.

2. Protect Your Branded Traffic from Competitors

If any of your competitors are using Google AdWords, there’s a good chance they are bidding on your brand / business name and serving ads to people searching for you online.

It’s important to understand that there is nothing wrong with your competitors bidding on your branded keywords. It’s actually a smart strategy, perfectly legal and ethical (as long as they don’t pretend to be you in their corresponding ads or landing pages), and it’s a strategy we regularly use for our clients as well.

But, that doesn’t mean you have to sit back and let your competitors’ ads siphon traffic away from your website simply because they’re running ads for your branded keywords and you’re not.

By showing your own branded ads when people search your business name, you push your competitors down the page so that your website is the first result people see on Google.

And, the good news is that typically you will pay far less for clicks on your branded ads than your competitors will pay for clicks on their ads targeting your business name. That’s because Google’s auction takes into account how likely people are to click on your ad when they’re looking for your business. If your ad is crafted well, it’s going to be obvious to Google that your website is the most relevant search result to display when folks are searching for your business online.

3. Branded Ads = More SERP Real Estate

When people Google your business name, you want them finding and engaging with you (duh).

And the more ways you can control what those searchers see, the better off you are.

You want your website appearing at the top of the Organic results, you want your business details (if you’re a brick-and-mortar business) showing up in the sidebar, and you want your search branded ad showing at the top of the page — above the top Organic listing.

The more real estate you occupy on Google, the larger you look, the more space you have to communicate your message, and the less likely people are to click on a competitor’s Paid or Organic listing.

4. Customize Your Message & Landing Page(s)

Getting your website to the top of Google’s Organic listings is important, and will pay big dividends.

But, you’re limited by which of your website’s pages Google ranks for your branded terms, and you don’t get much control over the title and description that Google shows.

Ads can be used to hyper-customize what people see when they search your brand / business name, or your brand / business name plus other relevant keywords.

For example, you can use your branded ads to:

  • Promote ongoing sales
  • Test wording to see which approach entices the most people to click and convert (e.g. “Official Site” vs. “Free Shipping”)
  • Use extensions such as phone numbers, ratings, reviews, and more, to make your results more professional/helpful

Perhaps even more importantly, when you run branded ads you get to pick which landing page(s) to send people to depending upon the time of year, what sale you’re running, etc.

For example:

  • Send people to the most relevant product or category page, instead of your home page
  • Split-test your landing pages to see which version makes you more money
  • Take people to deals pages, bestseller lists, or optimized squeeze pages

5. Brand Bidding Delivers Big Bang for Your Buck

Showing your ads to people Googling your business name gets you more clicks, helps prevent competitors from stealing your customers, and lets you customize the messaging and landing pages you use.

Don’t risk losing customers on your virtual doorstep. If you’re not bidding on your business name yet, start today!