Google Ads Trick:  When Competitors Bid on Your Name

Just imagine — someone searches your brand name on Google.

But whose ad shows up? Your competitors.

For example:

A user types “Nike shoes”

And the top ad says: “Puma shoes – 50% off”

This is a hidden trick in Google Ads called: Brand Keyword Bidding War.

What is Brand Bidding?

When you run Google Ads, you decide:

“Which keywords should show my ad?”

Now imagine — you own a shoe brand: SneakerX

What will your competitor do?

They’ll pay Google to show their ad when someone searches “SneakerX” —

With a message like: “Better than SneakerX!”

And Google’s like: “If I’m getting paid, why not?”

So your competitor uses your brand name… and takes away your traffic.

Real Example:

You search: “Asana”

But the ad you see says:

“Monday.com – Better deals than Asana”

Now you’re confused:

“I wanted to visit Asana — why am I seeing Monday.com?”

Exactly, this is the Google Ads game.

A brand bidding strategy that makes you question your choice —

and sometimes even switch, without realising.

But what’s the downside of it?

The user may end up visiting your competitors’ website if their ad copy sounds more convincing or appears on top of yours—even though they searched your brand name in the first place.

But Google allows this?

Yes, it’s legal.

Google doesn’t stop this — just one rule:

Your competitor can’t use your brand name in ad copy.

But they can add your brand name to their keyword list.

Which means — your competitor can bid on your brand keywords,

and you can’t stop it — unless you also spend money.

Read also: Google Ads Trends In 2025

What’s the downside?

• Someone was searching for you, but landed on your rival brand.
• You built the brand, they got the conversion.
• Even loyal users get confused.
• You’re forced to run PPC ads on your own brand name, by paying!

How to Protect Your Brand in Google Ads Bidding?

Clearly, you can’t stop competitors from bidding on your brand name. But here’s what you can do:

First, run ads on your own brand keywords.

This way, when someone searches for you, your ad will show up too.

Basically, you and your competitors fight to appear for your brand name.

Second, if your competitors use your trademarked brand name in their ad text,

you can file a trademark complaint with Google. They might remove those ads that misuse your name.

Third, write clear and strong ad copy that builds trust.

Even if you and your competitors appear together, users will click your trusted ad.

Use ad extensions like site links and callouts to give more info and stand out.

Last, keep an eye on who’s bidding on your brand keywords using tools like Google Ads Auction Insights.

Change your bids and ad copy regularly to stay ahead

Read also: The Future of Paid Advertising

Final Thought:

Digital marketing is a war —

And sometimes, you have to pay to protect your own name.

So next time you search for a brand, look closely at the ads — you might be clicking on a competitor, not the real deal!

Thanks for reading! Are you looking for a Google Ads management company in London? Contact us; we can help.