Why Your Google Ads Are Showing on Competitor Searches (and How to Fix It)

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

Have you ever been puzzled (or perhaps a bit peeved) to discover your Google Ads appearing when someone searches for your competitor's brand? If so, you're not alone. Many advertisers have experienced this phenomenon, especially with the recent changes to Google's keyword match types.

The Truth About Match Types and Competitor Searches

While you might be using Phrase or Exact Match keywords, Google's evolving match type behavior means your ads can still show up for competitor searches. This isn't some nefarious plot by Google to inflate bids or make you pay for unwanted clicks. It's simply a consequence of how the system now interprets and matches keywords to search queries.

How to Stop Your Ads from Showing on Competitor Searches

The solution is straightforward: add your competitor's brand names as negative keywords. This tells Google not to show your ads when those terms are searched for, even if they match the intent of your keywords.

Remember Performance Max Plays By Different Rules

If you're running Performance Max campaigns, be extra vigilant. These campaigns can also trigger your ads on competitor searches, but the reporting is less transparent than in Search campaigns. There's no search terms report for PMax, so you'll need to rely on the search themes report to identify potential issues. Add Brand Exclusions for competitors if you don't want to advertise on searches for them.

Key Takeaways

• Even Phrase and Exact Match keywords can trigger ads on competitor searches due to Google's evolving match type behavior.
• Adding competitor brand names as negative keywords / brand exclusions is the most effective way to prevent this from happening.