Do you need a Brand campaign in Google Ads?

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

Do you need a brand campaign in your Google Ads strategy? It's a question I hear often from small business owners and marketers alike. While it's not an absolute necessity, it can be a valuable tool to protect your brand, maximize visibility, and ensure potential customers find you easily.

What is a Brand Campaign in Google Ads?

A brand campaign in Google Ads is a Search campaign with keywords related to your brand name. For instance, if someone searches for "Disney+," an ad for Disney+ might appear above the organic search result. This is different from a competitor campaign, where you bid on your competitor's brand name (like Disney bidding on "Netflix").

Why Run a Brand Campaign?

If people are already searching for you, why do you have to pay for an ad click? Can't you just rely on your SEO to pick up that traffic?

Perhaps. But there are a few reasons why it can still be beneficial to run a brand campaign in Google Ads.

1. Competitor Defense: If your competitors are bidding on your brand name, running a brand campaign can help you outrank them and maintain control of your brand's presence in search results. Your Quality Score on your own brand will naturally be higher than your competitor's, giving you an edge.

2. Maximized Visibility: Even if your competitors aren't bidding on your brand, a brand campaign can be beneficial. It ensures your ad appears at the top of the search results, maximizing visibility and making it easy for users to find you. While organic results are valuable, they're not always guaranteed, especially with the ever-evolving nature of Google's AI Overviews, snippets, etc.

3. Cost-Effective: Bidding on your own brand name is typically very affordable. Since you're targeting users who are already searching for your brand, your ads are highly relevant, resulting in higher click-through rates and lower costs per click.

Also, you may be bidding on your brand without even knowing it. Even if you don't have a specific brand campaign, you might still be bidding on your brand name through Performance Max or Dynamic Search Ads. This is one of many reasons why you should check your search terms report regularly!