Should you run ads on your own brand name in 2025?

Do you think it’s a good idea? Let’s discuss!

Only if a competitor is targeting your brand name with ads.

What about when there are competitors with a similar brand name?

Yes, that would be a reason. But it usually only matters if your website isn’t optimized enough to rank at the top naturally or if competitors are pushing you down in search results.

I don’t agree. Even without competition, bidding on your brand name helps you dominate search results. It’s worth the cost for more visibility.

But doesn’t that take away from your organic traffic?

That sounds like an issue with brand clarity. Ads might help short-term, but fixing the confusion is better long-term.

We’ve tested this at our company and always found that paid ads on brand keywords drive more total traffic than organic search alone. Even when organic is strong, the paid ads provide a noticeable lift.

In one case, a client paused their ads due to billing issues, and traffic dropped significantly. Paid ads on brand terms always seem to pay off, even if it feels like Google is forcing you into it.

But if you’re a small business with a unique brand name, it might not be worth the expense.

One advantage of paid ads is controlling your message. You can highlight sales or special offers better than you can with organic results.

It can be smart for many brands to stay visible and prevent competitors from taking the top spot. Plus, it’s usually cheaper than other keywords. But if your organic rankings are strong, you might not need it as much. It depends on your goals.

It’s about how much space you take up in search results. If your site appears right at the top, you might not need ads. If not, ads can help you stay visible.

Yes, running ads on your brand name is important for staying visible and beating out competitors.

That’s what a chatbot told me, but honestly, I don’t even know what ‘bidding’ means here.

You know you’ve made it when your competitors start running ads on your brand name. That’s when you really need to protect it.