Why Google Ads Brand Campaigns Are Essential (Even If They Feel Like a Waste of Money)

brand campaigns smart investment Aug 22, 2024

If you’re questioning whether Google Ads branded campaigns are worth the spend, you’re not alone. It’s a common frustration: “Why pay for clicks on my own brand name when I rank #1 organically?” It seems wasteful—until you understand how branded campaigns actually protect your brand, boost conversions, and support your entire funnel.

In this article, I’ll show you why branded search campaigns aren’t just worth it—they’re essential for businesses serious about performance marketing in 2025. You’ll learn how to structure a high-performing brand campaign and defend your most valuable real estate on the search results page.

Key Takeaways

Branded search campaigns protect your brand visibility by ensuring you appear above competitors—even when you already rank #1 organically.
Running brand ads acts as a defensive strategy, preventing rivals from bidding on your name and capturing your potential customers.
Branded campaigns support your full-funnel strategy, capturing warm users who’ve already seen your ads on YouTube, PMAX, or display.
They're highly efficient, with lower CPCs and high-quality scores due to relevance and brand familiarity.
You should structure branded campaigns with exact match keywords, impression share bidding, and clear brand messaging for the best results.

What Is a Google Ads Branded Campaign?

A Google Ads branded campaign is a type of search campaign where you bid on keywords that include your business name, brand name, or branded product names. These campaigns are specifically designed to target users who are already aware of your brand and are actively searching for it.

For example, if your company is called "Swift Plumbing Services," branded keywords might include:

swift plumbing
swift plumbing reviews
swift plumbing emergency contact

These campaigns often deliver excellent performance metrics: high click-through rates (CTR), low cost-per-click (CPC), and strong conversion rates. That’s because people searching your brand name are usually warm leads—they’ve heard of you, trust you more than competitors, and are closer to converting.

Branded campaigns are especially useful for:

Reinforcing brand authority on the search results page
Controlling messaging for high-intent searches
Capturing lower-funnel traffic efficiently

Even if you’re ranking organically, a branded campaign ensures you stay visible at the top of the page—without giving that space to competitors.

Are Branded Keywords a Waste of Money?

Many business owners ask, “Why should I pay for my own name?” It feels redundant if you already rank well organically—but that assumption can lead to missed revenue and lost leads.

Here’s why branded keywords aren’t a waste of money:

Paid ads appear above organic listings. If a competitor runs ads on your brand name, they can take the top spot—even when you’re the most relevant result.
You control the message. With a branded campaign, you decide the headlines, calls-to-action, and sitelinks that show up for your name—not Google.
They’re cost-effective. Because you have high relevance and quality score for your brand name, your CPCs are typically much lower than non-branded campaigns.
You protect your conversion funnel. Many users will see a YouTube or display ad, then search your brand name later. If you’re not bidding on it, a competitor’s ad might poach that lead.

The bottom line: branded campaigns offer high ROI, strong CTR, and strategic brand protection—for a fraction of the cost of other campaigns.

Brand Bidding on Google Ads: Should You Do It?

Brand bidding refers to targeting search queries that include your brand name—sometimes by your own business (defensive bidding) or by competitors (aggressive bidding).

So, should you do it? The short answer: yes, defensively.

If you’re not bidding on your brand name, someone else might. Google allows competitors to bid on your brand as long as they don’t use your trademarked name in the ad copy (unless you’ve restricted it). This opens the door to brand hijacking, where users searching for your business get redirected to a rival.

On the flip side, offensive brand bidding (bidding on competitor names) is possible, but comes with legal and ethical risks—plus lower performance, since you won’t have the same quality score as the brand you’re targeting.

Defensive brand bidding helps you:

Own the top of the search results page
Reduce risk of competitor poaching
Maintain a cohesive, branded user journey from search to click to landing page

In highly competitive niches—like legal, SaaS, healthcare, or ecommerce—brand bidding is a standard best practice for performance marketers. You can’t afford to ignore it.

1. Paid Ads Appear Above Organic Results

When it comes to Google search results, ads dominate the top positions. Typically, search results display up to four paid search ads at the very top, and this could be above a shopping ads feed or map listings. Your #1 organic rank could be pushed lower on the page—especially on mobile, where the top spot often requires users to scroll down.

Here’s a 2023 study from SEMrush on organic CTR:

Position #1: 22.4%
Position #2: 13%
Position #3: 10%

So even if you’ve secured the #1 organic spot, competitors can use Google Ads brand bidding to claim the top position in the paid results above you. If you’re not running branded search campaigns, they could outrank you with your own brand name.

2. Branded Campaigns Act as a Defensive Strategy

One of the fastest ways to prevent competitors from stealing your top spot is to run defensive Google Ads brand campaigns. Since it’s your own brand, you’ll benefit from:

Higher Ad Rank: You’ll enjoy higher ad relevance and keyword quality scores when you bid on your brand name, reducing your CPC and improving placement.
Control Over Ad Copy: You can leverage your brand name freely in your ads, and if you hold a trademark, you can prevent competitors from using it in their ads.

By running a branded keyword strategy, you effectively block competitors from diverting traffic meant for you, maintaining your visibility in search results.

3. Users Search Your Brand After Seeing Other Ads

Another benefit of branded campaigns is that they capture searches from users who have seen your top-of-funnel campaigns, such as Performance Max or YouTube ads. They may have come across your brand in a display ad, and search for your name days or weeks later when they’re ready to convert.

I’ve experienced this myself. Sometimes I’ll see an ad, click on it, and later search the brand name when I’m closer to making a purchase. With a Google Ads brand campaign, you’ll be ready when those customers come back to search for your brand.

👉This is how you maximize your Google Ads budget

How to Structure a Winning Branded Campaign

To ensure your Google Ads brand campaign is effective, it’s crucial to set it up correctly. Here’s how:

Add Brand Keywords as Negatives in Other Campaigns: Ensure that your branded keywords don’t overlap with other campaigns. For Performance Max campaigns, add your brand name to the “brand exclusions list.”
Use Exact Match Keyword Targeting: Focus on exact match keywords for your brand to ensure you're reaching the right audience. Regularly audit your search terms to add negative keywords as needed.
Make Your Brand Name the Highlight of Your Ad Copy: Prioritize your brand name in the first headline and the first description. After mentioning your brand, include popular products, services, or promotions to entice clicks.
Leverage Sitelink Extensions: Use sitelinks to direct users to your core products, services, and any promotions or new offerings. These extensions are great for highlighting key areas of your business.
Utilize Target Impression Share Bidding Strategy: This strategy helps ensure your ads appear at the top of search results. With target impression share, you can define where you want your ads to appear and set your desired impression share and CPC.

Conclusion: Google Ads Brand Campaigns as a Smart Investment

While branded search campaigns may seem unnecessary, they play a vital role in maintaining control over your brand in search results. Whether you’re preventing competitors from hijacking your traffic or reinforcing your brand presence after top-of-funnel efforts, branded campaigns are essential for protecting your brand and driving conversions.

To ensure all your Google Ads campaigns are optimized for success, grab my Google Ads optimization checklists—tailored for both ecommerce and service-based businesses. Make sure your brand stays top of mind when it matters most.

FAQ: Google Ads Brand Campaigns

Should I bid on my own brand name in Google Ads?

Yes, bidding on your brand name is a smart defensive strategy. It ensures your ad appears above organic results, protects against competitors bidding on your name, and improves visibility when users search after seeing your top-of-funnel ads.

What is a Google Ads branded campaign?

A branded campaign is a search campaign that targets keywords related specifically to your business or product name. These campaigns help reinforce brand awareness, boost conversions, and maintain control over how your brand appears in search results.

Is running a branded campaign in Google Ads a waste of money?

No. While it may seem redundant if you already rank organically, branded campaigns provide added visibility, prevent competitor hijacking, and often deliver high ROI at a low CPC due to strong relevance and quality scores.

What is one benefit of running search ads for brand keywords?

The main benefit is increased control. You control your ad messaging, landing pages, and visibility—especially on mobile, where paid ads often dominate screen space before organic results even appear.

How much of my Google Ads budget should go to branded campaigns?

Branded campaigns should typically account for about 10–15% of your total Google Ads budget. This allows you to maintain brand visibility without over-investing in low-competition terms.