How to Determine if Competing for Your Brand Name in AdWords Steals Traffic from Organic Search

SEO and advertising are two key components of any digital marketing strategy. However, it can be challenging to balance the two. Specifically, bidding on your brand name in AdWords raises concerns about potential cannibalization of organic search traffic. This article will guide you on how to conduct a thorough analysis to determine if your brand name bidding in AdWords is impacting your organic search performance. We will also provide insights into the different scenarios you might face and the strategies to adopt.

Conducting the Analysis

Several tools and benchmarks can help you evaluate the impact of brand name bidding on organic search traffic. For instance, SEMrushoffers valuable insights into competitor strategies, including whether they are running search ads with your brand name. You can use this tool to track your competitors and gain a competitive edge.

Testing Bidding on Your Brand Name

A practical approach to this problem involves conducting a split test with a dedicated campaign. Start bidding on your brand name with a separate campaign. Ensure that this campaign runs for a sufficient period to gather comprehensive data. Ideally, this should span at least a couple of weeks to ensure that you have enough data to make an informed decision. The number of visits needed for significance can vary depending on your typical traffic volumes, but a few weeks of data collection should provide a reliable sample.

Analyzing Google Analytics Data

Once your data is ready, you can begin analyzing it in Google Analytics. Navigate to the Organic Search section, focusing on the landing pages table instead of the keywords table. This will give you a clear picture of where the organic traffic is landing. A good starting point is the home page; if your brand name bidding campaign results in a significant dip in home page traffic, it indicates that some users are being directed to paid ad results instead of organic listings.

Comparing Data Periods

To further validate your findings, compare the home page traffic during the AdWords campaign with the same period from the previous months and years. This multi-point analysis will provide a more accurate reflection of the impact of your brand name bidding. If the numbers indicate a significant decrease in home page traffic, it suggests that your brand name bidding is indeed impacting your organic search traffic.

Considerations and Scenarios

Scenario 1: Your Website Does Not Rank #1 for Your Brand Keywords

In this scenario, bid for your brand keywords to prevent your competitors from obtaining top positions. Higher quality scores for your own brand will often result in lower bids and better ad positions. Brand keywords are highly profitable as users are already familiar with the brand, making them more likely to convert. These keywords should be a priority for your ad campaigns.

Scenario 2: Your Website Ranks #1 for Your Brand Keywords

Although your website already ranks well organically, it might seem unnecessary to also invest in AdWords. However, bidding on your brand keywords ensures that your competitor does not hijack your brand name. Additionally, being No.1 in both organic and paid results can increase the overall visibility of your ads, leading to higher click-through rates (CTR). While traffic is an important metric, focusing on return on investment (ROI) might be a more effective strategy. If your brand keywords are profitable, justifying a bidding strategy can be relatively straightforward.

Conclusion

The decision to bid on your brand name in AdWords requires a careful balance between short-term and long-term strategic goals. Use tools like SEMrush to conduct thorough analyses, and remember that organic traffic and paid traffic can often coexist effectively, provided you manage them intelligently. By understanding the impact of your brand name bidding on organic search, you can make informed decisions to enhance your overall digital marketing strategy.