Before we get going, want to see how we handle marketing rivals the Philly way? Watch me take down a Rangers dummy on rollerblades in my old high school jersey in this week’s video!
Nothing gets your blood pumping like some stiff competition.
You notice one of your competitors show up, bidding on your brand terms. I get it.
Your instincts go into fight mode.
Where I’m from, we’re known as the Broad Street Bullies (that’s what they call the Philadelphia Flyers, anyway).
My brother even has a tattoo of Gritty (The Flyers’ mischievous mascot) eating a Philly cheesesteak.
Now let’s talk about your marketing competitors.
Here’s the thing. You typically have two options when competitors are bidding on your brand terms:
Option 1: Play for ROI, Not Pride
Here’s the deal: bidding on a competitor’s brand usually isn’t a winning strategy. Why?
- The cost-per-click (CPC) on their brand terms is unnecessarily high.
- The conversion rate? Not great. You’re spending big for a minimal return.
There are better ways to get ROI up on the scoreboard.
Like focusing on conversion rate optimization (CRO). CRO helps turn more of your qualified traffic into leads. If high lead costs are an issue, it’s worth checking whether your landing pages are fully optimized. Read my Ultimate Guide to Creating High-converting Landing Pages.
This could also be the right time to revisit your Google Ads strategy and identify key factors driving up your lead costs.
But, there is a route to engage in competitor campaigns:
Sending a message. Cue the hockey fight videos.
Option 2: Send a Message
In 1976, the Philadelphia Flyers, known as the Broad Street Bullies, became the first team to beat the Soviet Union. This was even before the Miracle on Ice in 1980. (It’s actually a pretty cool story—YouTube it.)
While their physicality didn’t directly score goals, the Flyers’ relentless aggression forced those commies the Soviets to walk off the ice. There’s something to be said about going on the offensive.
Competitor bidding can send a signal to your rival: We see you.
- This will drive up their cost per click
- And puts them on notice you will not idly sit back while they poach your brand traffic.
What Kind of Marketer Are You?
As a hockey player, I played a physical game.
As a marketer, I’m more of a finesse player.
Either way, your first move should be professional. You could always reach out directly too! Here’s a smooth email template to get the ball (or puck) rolling:
Subject: Request to Cease Bidding on Our Brand Terms
Hi [Competitor’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well.
We’ve noticed that your ads are appearing in search results for our brand name, “[Your Brand Name],” and related terms like “[Example Terms]. While we understand this may not have been intentional, we kindly ask you to add our brand name as a negative keyword in your campaigns to prevent further overlap.
Brand bidding situations like this often result in increased CPCs and reduced efficiency for both parties, with the primary beneficiary being Google. In the interest of avoiding unnecessary competition and focusing on our respective core audiences, we believe resolving this matter would be mutually beneficial.
If we don’t hear back from you within 7 business days, we may need to reevaluate our campaign strategy, including bidding on competitor terms to maintain balance. While this is not our preferred course of action, we are prepared to take the necessary steps to protect our brand if needed.
We value your cooperation and are confident we can resolve this collaboratively. Please confirm once the necessary changes have been made or let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you for your understanding. [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Contact Information]
And if this is still a problem, it might be time to rethink your approach. Learn how to select the best lead generation channels based on your goals and gain an edge in areas where competitors can’t compete.
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