“But we are already the number one organic result when someone searches our name.” I hear it all the time, why would I spend ad budget on buying my own branded keywords? There are two very compelling reasons why you would do this.

1 Everyone else is doing it.

I know your mother always said “if everyone jumped off a bridge would you do it?” – suggesting you shouldn’t do something just because someone else is, however in this case things are a bit different. Perhaps a better example “Why should you pay attention to your girlfriend/boyfriend?” because everyone else is, and if you don’t you will lose him/her.

Did you know that 46% of clicks from a google search go to the first three ads that pop up? That means nearly half of the google searches made never even make it to organic results. So, when a potential customer searches for your brand or business, they are very likely to be drawn to the ad results that show above where your website organically ranks, even if it is number one. These are your competitors – the one’s that are paying attention to your significant other.

You’re probably buying the names of your competitors as keywords as well, as you should be, in an attempt to sway potential customers towards your brand rather than theirs. So why wouldn’t your competitors be buying your name trying to do the same? It’s almost like playing defense, but in this case, it’s less expensive for you compared to your competitors. If you buy your brand name, your ads and your landing pages are likely to rank the highest among Google’s quality score, meaning not only will you secure the top spot in the search results above any sneaky competition but you will also pay less to have that spot.

2 Tailor your message.

Google search ads are all about putting your best foot forward. That’s why companies use bold, attention-getting headlines with sales, promotions, or offers. Your brand may be providing these same values – sales, free express shipping, etc. However, in most cases these compelling stories and offers don’t show up in your organic search. By creating paid search ads calling out these offers as the top result in search can quickly turn a casual browser into a serious buyer, something the headlines on you organic website aren’t likely to do.

When it comes down to it, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to put your brand in front of potential customers with your greatest Unique Selling Proposition or value proposition. Buying your own branded terms allows you to do this. You get to call out exciting deals and your brand’s best features while prohibiting competitors from sneaking in and stealing customers. When doing this, don’t be afraid to create an entirely separate ad group just for branded ads and variations of brand keywords like phrase match, broad match, and exact match. You’ll often find yourself spending very little money to get a great return on ad spend turning browsers into buyers.