PPC advanced strategies and placing bids on branded keywords is a hot topic for debate these days. We will be exploring these in this article.
A study conducted by Hitwise shows that out of every seven search queries, one does not give the desired result i.e. it does not take the searchers to the right brand website. This shows a few of the search trends out there:
- Placing bids on branded keywords, including keywords of the competitors as well as your own, is an extremely important thing
- When a user makes a query for a specific brand name then out of seven, they know where they want to be directed to six times.
- The important thing to look at here is that even when the user types in a specific branded keyword that does not necessarily mean that he wants to buy from there. They just might be exploring other options that are similar. They know that a certain category has this good brand but they are still in the research phase of the buying cycle.
Using this strategy means that you have to be really clear about the copyright rules, trademark laws and the editorial rules that govern of the search engines. Playing by the rules, you can get hold of the branded keywords of your competitors and snatch that one user who did not get directed to the right place and are not committed to buying from that brand.
Placing a bid on a competitor’s name is acceptable as long as the ad using the keyword is not misrepresenting the brand or misleading the customer in to believing in something untrue about the brand. If this criterion is met then the ad is legal. Each of the search engines Yahoo, Google and MSN have their own rules to sop such things from happening. These should be followed while making the ad.
There is a fine distinction between using the competitor’s name and their logo. The logo is completely prohibited and cannot be used anywhere in the ad until or unless you get a written permission from the concerned people. The symbol or logo cannot be used otherwise.
Secondly, if you place bides on a company’s brand name or its brand terms then your intentions should not be malicious. Ensure that usage of these terms will not affect the brand perception of your competitor and not misinform the potential customers in any way. Show to the search engines that your intentions are pure buy focusing on what your client has to offer in comparison to the competitors. People searching out there want the best deal possible i.e. the right price, quality and product/service. If your company offers a better alternative for their needs then show it to them and lure them to your website.
