le’s new brand restrictions: How to gain control of your spending //
PPC strategies should consider the brand coverage and presence of the business. Others avoid bidding on brand names altogether. Brand advertising is something that every business considers at some point.
As the advertising platforms evolve, you may want to reconsider your brand strategy.
In the past couple of years, Google Ads Match Types have undergone updates. Some brands struggle to target their audience using broad match variants for branded terms without targeting irrelevant queries.
Google recently launched brand restrictions on search ads to help users do this. We’ll explain what brand settings are and how to use them. Then we’ll give you some tips on how to get the most out of them.
What are Google Ads Brand Restrictions?
Google Ads’ brand restrictions let advertisers use broad match keywords for their brand campaigns, but restrict the ads so that they only appear on searches related to their brand. Before these brand controls, advertisers had no way to filter their broad-match branded keyword’s potentially matching search queries.
Prior to this, your brand keywords that were set to broad match displayed anything similar to the name of your company and its variations. With Google Ads restrictions applied to brands, advertisers now have peace of mind knowing that their branded keyword will only match people specifically looking for their business.
Google ensures relevancy by linking lists of brands with campaigns. Advertisers can use this to increase their reach, attract more customers and remain relevant to their brands.
You can also use our free Google Ads Grader to identify other ways to optimize Google Ads campaigns.
Brands and keywords
Google Ads restrictions work by identifying brands and not keywords. This is explained in more detail on the screenshot below, taken from Google’s Help article.
Brands are a collection of information about an organization, its trademarks, products or services. They have a consistent, clear branding. These keywords are more inclusive than simple keywords or negative keywords that we might use in regular campaigns.
How to create a Google Ads Brand List
To make a list of brand restrictions in Google Ads click on Shared Library then Brand Lists.
You can start adding brand names to your list after you click the blue “plus” button. I started with Coca-Cola, because it is a brand that everyone knows and has many brands associated with.
After you have added all the brands that you wish to your list, click on the Save button.
You can add a brand to Google’s list if you are unable to locate the brand that you are looking for. Click “+ Request A Brand” at the bottom to provide Google more information.
Enter the brand name, category URL and any related product names.
Google states that it can take up to six months to review a brand suggestion, depending on the interface. Google will note that you can use your brand in the brand list, even if its status is pending. Once approved, the brand will be added to the library and available to all advertisers. If the submission is not approved, your account will be deleted.
Search campaigns using brand lists
Brand lists can be applied to a campaign, whether you are creating a new one or updating an old one.
You must enable broad match keywords to use brand lists. The brand list section will still be visible, but you will not have the option to create a list.
Click on “More Settings”, once you have enabled broad match keywords to see the options for brand lists. Click Save to save up to 10 lists.
Google Ads Brand List Best Practices
We have mostly discussed creating a list of brands to use in your brand campaigns. This will help you focus on the brand name. There are other ways to use brand lists based on their functionality. Here are some quick tips on how to leverage this type restriction in Google Ads:
1. Separate lists for brands and products
While many brands use their business name to create a cohesive brand, there are also likely trademarked terms or products within the brand.
Coca-Cola’s core brand is Coca-Cola. However, you will also find slight variations like Coke Zero and Coke Vanilla. You may even see larger deviations such as Sprite, Fanta Dasani and Minute Maid.
To keep these brands and their sub-brands separate, I suggest making individual brand lists. It’s obvious that some brands are very different from others. So, it would be better to target people who want Minute Maid in a way that is different from Vanilla Coke. But your strategy will depend on the brands and sub-brands you have, as well as their differences or similarities.
There are two options when it comes to structure for campaigns:
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Create separate campaigns for each brand, and only apply the brand list of that particular brand to the campaign.
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Create one “brand” campaign for all your brands, and then add multiple Brand Lists. This will capture all relevant traffic.
Only 10 lists can be used in a campaign. The structure you select is entirely up to your preference.
2. Compare your brand with those of your competitors
This brand library is available to all, not just those who own the brand. What stops me from making a list of my competitors’ brands and including their terms?
Honestly, nothing.
While there may be some debate or at least personal preference as to whether you should bid on your competitor’s terms in Search campaigns there’s no question that brand lists can be a great tool for helping you reach users who are searching on Google’s network for your competitor’s brands.
Use Google Ads restrictions to your advantage with brand lists
Advertisers can now use brand lists to enhance their search campaign. This is a sign that Google has been listening to the concerns and issues brands have faced and is working to address them.
The effectiveness of these lists is yet to be determined, but the new interface is a welcome one. See how and our solutions help you maximize the performance of your branded campaign.
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