8 Reasons to Bid on Your Own Branded Keywords in Paid Search
We're sometimes asked "why should I bid on my own branded keywords?" In most cases, the asker wants to know if they can save money (or improve ROI) by not bidding on their brand keywords. It's an interesting question, with a not-so-simple answer. Each click costs money, so yes, theoretically, you can save money by not bidding on your own branded searches. But with that same logic, can't you also save money by keeping it under your mattress instead of in a 401k?
It's understandable to initially focus more on the cost of branded keywords, rather than the value. Cost is a measurable, absolute number that's seen in paid search accounts and credit card statements. The value is usually less-measurable, with some shades of gray in the calculations.
Sometimes it can be tough to quantify the effect of branded exposure, especially in dollars and cents. Our experience shows that branded keywords almost always convert at pennies on the dollar, with very high profitability. That's only for the immediate, measurable traffic though. What about the long-term effects in customers' minds or residual traffic that may come later on? In my opinion, the harder-to-measure effects of "bidding on your own branded keywords" are almost always a reason to spend more on them, not less.
Here are eight reasons why bidding on branded keywords can be a good idea (and a good investment):
- Professional appearance - An ad at the top of the page can give an impression of a bigger, more established and a more savvy company. It suggests that you're anticipating the visitor and welcoming them to your site with a paid ad.
- Ads are ads, organic results are not. With ads, you have absolute control over which messages your searchers will see. You can instantly get a message in front of your customers without waiting 2 months for your site to get re-indexed. You can quickly and systematically test different brand messaging in your ads. You can set start and end dates to your messaging. I wouldn't recommend trying those things with organic listings.
- Better traffic control through a paid ad can help your customers reach your site's best page (according to you, not Google's crawler). Believe it or not, a company's home page is not always the best place to send branded traffic. Your company's top organic search result may not be the most ideal landing page. Is there a different page that's better designed and has a higher conversion rate? If so, use a branded ad to get people there.
- Two links are better than one. One more link on the page makes your site easier to find. It's one more search result that you have control over, and one more chance to create a positive impression of your company. Own as much of the results page as you can.
- Guard your customers from distraction. If someone's on their way to shop at your store, you don't want them seeing other people's ads, offers or companies along the way. Bid on your terms and be the first one to catch their eye.
- If you don't, someone else will. Competitors' ads can show up for your terms too, potentially robbing you of sales and customer loyalty. More commonly, ads from your own affiliates and authorized resellers can chip away potential profits and erode your bottom line. Consider the example of Reebok (below). Each pair of shoes they sell on their own site is likely worth considerably more for them than each sale through one of their distributors. Would they be wise to only rely on their #1 organic ranking in this case?
- Make it tough for your competition - If competitors bid on your branded keywords, then you can raise their costs substantially by simply slapping your ad next to theirs. Yours will very likely have a higher CTR, better position and better quality score. Great for you, bad for them. As a result, you'll reduce their conversion rates, increase their CPA, lower their position and diminish their traffic volume - all while requiring them to jack their bids to compete for your same ad slot. If you don't bid on your own branded terms, you make it much easier (financially) on your competitors who might.
- Prepare customers for their visit. A paid search ad can effectively reroute the visitors' attention to specific events or issues:
- Promotions & Sales - If you have a sale or a special promo, branded ads are the best and fastest way to get the word out to people before they come to your site. Holiday specials, upcoming sales, coupons, etc.
- Company Info - News, product launches, contests, slogans, mottos, credibility, testimonials, phone numbers, etc. Search engines might not show the text you want. If you have a clear and effective "value proposition" that's nowhere to be read in your organic rankings, think branded ads.
- Public Relations or clarifications - Taco Bell recently received some bad press when word got out that their beef was 88% beef. Never a better time for a branded search ad. They bid on "taco bell" and wrote an ad to welcome researchers to their page and prepare them to learn more about their high quality beef (their words, not mine).
Notice that in their ad, they also offered a "limited-time-only" promo for people to try the beef for themselves: An 88¢ Crunchwrap Supreme. While I didn't "convert" on the Taco Bell site or partake of the Crunchwrap, I was impressed at their reaction to the press, and it had a positive impact on how I viewed the company. Price of a click - maybe $0.15. Price of losing a lifetime customer? That's another story.
Google's released a slew of new ad formats over the last few years that are both eye-catching and functional. You can do some creative stuff with your branded ads to increase the value of your company and give a better user experience. Some new ad formats include:
- Click-to-call mobile ads - shows on mobile devices only.
- Site links - you can send traffic to up to 4 more highly-targeted pages.
- Location extensions show a map of your store(s) underneath your ad.
- Seller ratings place your 4 or 5 star rating next to your ads.
- Phone extensions can track phone calls from your AdWords ads.
Each advertiser's situation is very different so I won't recommend branded ads in all cases. In most accounts that I've seen, branded ads can be utilized and tested much more efficiently, and can really help influence both direct sales and customer perceptions.
If brand loyalty is a big deal to you, then branded ads are certainly worth rethinking.
8 Reasons to Bid on Your Own Branded Keywords in Paid Search
We're sometimes asked "why should I bid on my own branded keywords?" In most cases, the asker wants to know if they can save money (or improve ROI) by not bidding on their brand keywords. It's an interesting question, with a not-so-simple answer. Each click costs money, so yes, theoretically, you can save money by not bidding on your own branded searches. But with that same logic, can't you also save money by keeping it under your mattress instead of in a 401k?
It's understandable to initially focus more on the cost of branded keywords, rather than the value. Cost is a measurable, absolute number that's seen in paid search accounts and credit card statements. The value is usually less-measurable, with some shades of gray in the calculations.
Sometimes it can be tough to quantify the effect of branded exposure, especially in dollars and cents. Our experience shows that branded keywords almost always convert at pennies on the dollar, with very high profitability. That's only for the immediate, measurable traffic though. What about the long-term effects in customers' minds or residual traffic that may come later on? In my opinion, the harder-to-measure effects of "bidding on your own branded keywords" are almost always a reason to spend more on them, not less.
Here are eight reasons why bidding on branded keywords can be a good idea (and a good investment):
- Professional appearance - An ad at the top of the page can give an impression of a bigger, more established and a more savvy company. It suggests that you're anticipating the visitor and welcoming them to your site with a paid ad.
- Ads are ads, organic results are not. With ads, you have absolute control over which messages your searchers will see. You can instantly get a message in front of your customers without waiting 2 months for your site to get re-indexed. You can quickly and systematically test different brand messaging in your ads. You can set start and end dates to your messaging. I wouldn't recommend trying those things with organic listings.
- Better traffic control through a paid ad can help your customers reach your site's best page (according to you, not Google's crawler). Believe it or not, a company's home page is not always the best place to send branded traffic. Your company's top organic search result may not be the most ideal landing page. Is there a different page that's better designed and has a higher conversion rate? If so, use a branded ad to get people there.
- Two links are better than one. One more link on the page makes your site easier to find. It's one more search result that you have control over, and one more chance to create a positive impression of your company. Own as much of the results page as you can.
- Guard your customers from distraction. If someone's on their way to shop at your store, you don't want them seeing other people's ads, offers or companies along the way. Bid on your terms and be the first one to catch their eye.
- If you don't, someone else will. Competitors' ads can show up for your terms too, potentially robbing you of sales and customer loyalty. More commonly, ads from your own affiliates and authorized resellers can chip away potential profits and erode your bottom line. Consider the example of Reebok (below). Each pair of shoes they sell on their own site is likely worth considerably more for them than each sale through one of their distributors. Would they be wise to only rely on their #1 organic ranking in this case?
- Make it tough for your competition - If competitors bid on your branded keywords, then you can raise their costs substantially by simply slapping your ad next to theirs. Yours will very likely have a higher CTR, better position and better quality score. Great for you, bad for them. As a result, you'll reduce their conversion rates, increase their CPA, lower their position and diminish their traffic volume - all while requiring them to jack their bids to compete for your same ad slot. If you don't bid on your own branded terms, you make it much easier (financially) on your competitors who might.
- Prepare customers for their visit. A paid search ad can effectively reroute the visitors' attention to specific events or issues:
- Promotions & Sales - If you have a sale or a special promo, branded ads are the best and fastest way to get the word out to people before they come to your site. Holiday specials, upcoming sales, coupons, etc.
- Company Info - News, product launches, contests, slogans, mottos, credibility, testimonials, phone numbers, etc. Search engines might not show the text you want. If you have a clear and effective "value proposition" that's nowhere to be read in your organic rankings, think branded ads.
- Public Relations or clarifications - Taco Bell recently received some bad press when word got out that their beef was 88% beef. Never a better time for a branded search ad. They bid on "taco bell" and wrote an ad to welcome researchers to their page and prepare them to learn more about their high quality beef (their words, not mine).
Notice that in their ad, they also offered a "limited-time-only" promo for people to try the beef for themselves: An 88¢ Crunchwrap Supreme. While I didn't "convert" on the Taco Bell site or partake of the Crunchwrap, I was impressed at their reaction to the press, and it had a positive impact on how I viewed the company. Price of a click - maybe $0.15. Price of losing a lifetime customer? That's another story.
Google's released a slew of new ad formats over the last few years that are both eye-catching and functional. You can do some creative stuff with your branded ads to increase the value of your company and give a better user experience. Some new ad formats include:
- Click-to-call mobile ads - shows on mobile devices only.
- Site links - you can send traffic to up to 4 more highly-targeted pages.
- Location extensions show a map of your store(s) underneath your ad.
- Seller ratings place your 4 or 5 star rating next to your ads.
- Phone extensions can track phone calls from your AdWords ads.
Each advertiser's situation is very different so I won't recommend branded ads in all cases. In most accounts that I've seen, branded ads can be utilized and tested much more efficiently, and can really help influence both direct sales and customer perceptions.
If brand loyalty is a big deal to you, then branded ads are certainly worth rethinking.
8 Reasons to Bid on Your Own Branded Keywords in Paid Search
We're sometimes asked "why should I bid on my own branded keywords?" In most cases, the person asking wants to know if they can save money (or improve ROI) by not bidding on their own branded keywords. It's an interesting question, with a not-so-simple answer. Each click costs money, so yeah, theoretically, you can save money by not bidding on your own branded searches. But with that same logic, can't you also also theoretically save money by never investing in a 401k?
It's understandable to initially focus more on the cost of branded keywords, rather than the value. Cost is a measurable, absolute number that's seen in paid search accounts and credit card statements. The value is usually less-measurable, with some shades of gray in the calculations.
I admit, it can be tough sometimes to quantify the effect of branded exposure, especially in dollars and cents. My experience is that branded keywords almost always convert at pennies on the dollar, with very high profitability. And that's only for the immediate, measurable traffic. What about the psychological effects in customers minds or the residual traffic that may come later? In my opinion, the harder-to-measure effects of "bidding on your own branded keywords" are often a reason to spend more on them, not less.
Here are eight reasons why bidding on branded keywords can be a good idea (and a good investment):
- Professional appearance - An ad at the top of the page can give an impression of a bigger, more established and a more savvy company. It suggests that you're anticipating the visitor and welcoming them to your site with a paid ad.
- Ads are ads, organic results are not. With ads, you have absolute control over which messages your searchers will see. You can instantly get a message in front of your customers without waiting 2 months for your site to get re-indexed. You can quickly and systematically test different brand messaging in your ads. You can set start and end dates to your messaging. I wouldn't recommend trying those things with organic listings.
- Better traffic control through a paid ad can help your customers reach your site's best page (according to you, not Google's crawler). Believe it or not, a company's home page is not always the best place to send branded traffic. Your company's top organic search result may not be the most ideal landing page. Is there a different page that's better designed and has a higher conversion rate? If so, use a branded ad to get people there.
- Two links are better than one. One more link on the page makes your site easier to find. It's one more search result that you have control over, and one more chance to create a positive impression of your company. Own as much of the results page as you can.
- Guard your customers from distraction. If someone's on their way to shop at your store, you don't want them seeing other people's ads, offers or companies along the way. Bid on your terms and be the first one to catch their eye.
- If you don't, someone else will. Competitors' ads can show up for your terms too, potentially robbing you of sales and customer loyalty. More commonly, ads from your own affiliates and authorized resellers can chip away potential profits and erode your bottom line. Consider the example of Reebok (below). Each pair of shoes they sell on their own site is likely worth considerably more for them than each sale through one of their distributors. Would they be wise to only rely on their #1 organic ranking in this case?
- Make it tough for your competition - If competitors bid on your branded keywords, then you can raise their costs substantially by simply slapping your ad next to theirs. Yours will very likely have a higher CTR, better position and better quality score. Great for you, bad for them. As a result, you'll reduce their conversion rates, increase their CPA, lower their position and diminish their traffic volume - all while requiring them to jack their bids to compete for your same ad slot. If you don't bid on your own branded terms, you make it much easier (financially) on your competitors who might.
- Prepare customers for their visit. A paid search ad can effectively reroute the visitors' attention to specific events or issues:
- Promotions & Sales - If you have a sale or a special promo, branded ads are the best and fastest way to get the word out to people before they come to your site. Holiday specials, upcoming sales, coupons, etc.
- Company Info - News, product launches, contests, slogans, mottos, credibility, testimonials, phone numbers, etc. Search engines might not show the text you want. If you have a clear and effective "value proposition" that's nowhere to be read in your organic rankings, think branded ads.
- Public Relations or clarifications - Taco Bell recently received some bad press when word got out that their beef was 88% beef. Never a better time for a branded search ad. They bid on "taco bell" and wrote an ad to welcome researchers to their page and prepare them to learn more about their high quality beef (their words, not mine).
Notice that in their ad, they also offered a "limited-time-only" promo for people to try the beef for themselves: An 88¢ Crunchwrap Supreme. While I didn't "convert" on the Taco Bell site or partake of the Crunchwrap, I was impressed at their reaction to the press, and it had a positive impact on how I viewed the company. Price of a click - maybe $0.15. Price of losing a lifetime customer? That's another story.
Google's released a slew of new ad formats over the last few years that are both eye-catching and functional. You can do some creative stuff with your branded ads to increase the value of your company and give a better user experience. Some new ad formats include:
- Click-to-call mobile ads - shows on mobile devices only.
- Site links - you can send traffic to up to 4 more highly-targeted pages.
- Location extensions show a map of your store(s) underneath your ad.
- Seller ratings place your 4 or 5 star rating next to your ads.
- Phone extensions can track phone calls from your AdWords ads.
Each advertiser's situation is very different so I won't recommend branded ads in all cases. In most accounts that I've seen, branded ads can be utilized and tested much more efficiently, and can really help influence both direct sales and customer perceptions.
If brand loyalty is a big deal to you, then branded ads are certainly worth rethinking.
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There’s *always* a superior way. Always….
20 years ago, Paul Pilzer said monopolies are impossible because markets have no corners. It’s true. No matter what your competition is, there is always a way over, under, around, behind.
Whatever you face, a solution exists.
The solution could be to abandon your current assumptions and embrace something new.
The solution could be to stop chasing shiny metal objects and commit to something.
But there is a solution. You only need one thing to find a solution: You need to ask yourself the right question.
This past Thursday, a client from Michigan was in my office telling me about a business he started last fall which has already sold $157,000 to date. Ships physical products. Good start.
He’s still a tiny player in his market and he’s way behind in the SEO department.
I asked him if it might be possible to buy out another website in his market who has good SEO. We hunted. Another guy at the Intensive discovered that the #1 site in this category – which has a GREAT domain name – is currently not accepting orders because the owner is battling health problems.
It’s not at all difficult to envision a situation that would be highly advantageous to everyone. Regardless of who decides to play ball with him, our friend from Michigan will probably be a major force in that market by the end of the year.
A client from Queensland Australia was having success with software he sells for $99. Within an hour we crafted a plan to convert it to Software-As-A-Service and re-position it to sell *instant* results to people who are having a major crisis. It becomes 3X easier to use than any information product on that subject. Instant gratification.
*Are you asking yourself the right questions?
*Are you surrounding yourself with people who ask you great questions?
*Do they challenge you to the depths of your soul to be the very best you can be?
Perry
