The question often arises for many marketers whether or not to bid on branded terms, especially if they already rank number one in the natural search results.  While this argument may hold some ground on the surface, bidding on brand related terms enables marketers to occupy more search engine real estate and have greater control over the brand messaging.

Trust and credibility are also factors to consider. When a consumer searches for a branded term, and other search results are returned (perhaps retailers or affiliates), a customer can loose trust in that brand; and the company image loses credibility.

In my opinion, brand related terms are the most valuable terms in any search campaign. They are the most likely to attract the highest levels of relevant traffic because consumers are already interested in the company’s value proposition.  The result is higher conversion rates and a more positive customer experience.

Okay, I know this is old news but I am blown away at how many high profile companies are still not doing this!!! Case in point – I just searched for the term “Epson printer” and Epson is number one in the natural but nowhere to be found in the paid.  On the other hand, I did a search for “hp printer” and HP owned the first 5 natural listings and had three paid search listings as well. It’s no wonder why HP is the market leader in the printing category.

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