So there I was, working on my own digital marketing, minding my own business on a Saturday afternoon. I dropped my brand name into Google – ‘Grahn Creative’ was the exact search term I used.
Why was I Googling myself, I hear you ask? Aside from the fact that I suggest everyone does it so they know what’s showing up for them online, I was actually trying to access my Google Business Profile so I could extract some killer reviews from past clients to use in my updated website design. When lo and behold, SOMEONE else’s business appeared at the top of the search results *sponsored*.
RUDE, right!
My first reaction was ‘Huh, what did I type?’. Nope, I definitely searched specifically for my brand name. So what’s the go here?
Turns out, some industry peers (whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting IRL) had taken it upon themselves to bid on my brand name in a Google Ad. Now the thing is, this isn’t illegal. But in my world, it’s not cool, brah. We don’t do that around here.
I get it, big corporations do it to their competitors (think searching for Pizza Hutt, only to find a Domino’s ad right at the top). But I ain’t no Pizza Hutt, Macca’s or Kmart. I’m just little old me, down in regional NZ, doing the mahi in the effort to get the treats.
First thoughts were confusion, second thoughts were my business name is so obscure (purposefully), third thoughts were ‘I trademarked this!’, fourthly ‘Maybe I should be flattered’, fifth thought was annoyance. Yes, ok, there were lots of thoughts but you get the picture.
So I did what any petty gal would do in this instance (coz in the fight or flight realm of things, ya gals got fight) and decided to take action.
So I set up my own Brand Search Campaign, because yep, I know how Google Ads work.
But it’s not just any Google Ad, it’s one that is set with a singular keyword, phrase matched “Grahn Creative”. It’s got a minuscule budget. It’s set to deliver nationwide. And it’s got kick ass cheeky ad copy to address the baddies who started these shennanagins.
Should I have to do this? No, I shouldn’t. And this is a strategy that a lot of digital marketers out there swear against. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BID ON YOUR OWN BRAND NAME – IT’S A WASTED BUDGET.
But, here’s the thing – it’s a very small price to pay to make sure the traffic that I worked so hard to earn lands in its rightful place. Because whilst I know how Google Ads work (how search results appear, what’s paid for and what’s organic), the truth of the matter is – lots of people don’t. And I don’t want to take the risk of one of my clients mistakenly clicking on someone else’s website when they were looking for me. Plus, it costs me next to nothing as my ad will always deliver effectively because it’s attached to my website, and the brand relevance can’t be beaten. I think that’s money well spent.
It’s worth noting here that in certain circumstances, it IS a good strategy to put aside a portion of your budget to ensure your brand is displayed right there, front and centre for all to find. This is why it’s so important to A) work with someone who takes a strategic approach to your paid ads and B) not take generic advice on how to set up your search campaigns, because it’s exactly that *generic*, it’s not determined by what you business actually needs.
Now we get into the nitty-gritty details of it all for anyone interested.
Yep, my brand name has an active trademark. But that doesn’t stop someone from bidding on your brand name. Any of your competitors can bid on your brand name, so long as they don’t use the trademark within the actual Ad Copy or headline. Nice little loophole right there.
Now that the brand name search campaign is up and running on my end, I can refer to the auction insights and see exactly which domains are *borrowing* my traffic. There are already two names on the list. Now I’m not going to name names, because I’m not that kinda girl on the internet (ask me in person and I’ll happily divulge), but they rhyme with smack lepper and a collective of sorts.
It’s giving a modern-day David vs Goliath vibe, except at the end of the day, we are all just Davids, and the only one that winning here is Google because they get more money *sigh*.
The moral of the story is: Be better. Do better. And protect your brand (even if it costs you).
Don’t resort to lazy marketing tactics or tear down others in your industry, because we know, and it doesn’t do you any favours. And now anyone searching my brand name, with leading or following words… sees my ad right at the top with all its wit and glory. Because you can bid on my name, but you can’t replicate my brain.
Here’s hoping one day I’ll be a household name like Pizza Hutt – ya girl can dream.