What Should I Do If a Competitor’s Name Appears in My Search Terms?

Short Answer: If a competitor’s name shows up in your search terms, you should prevent your ad from appearing for those searches by adding that competitor’s name to a negative keyword list. This ensures your ad won’t display when someone searches using your competitor’s name.

Full Explanation

When running ads, it’s possible that your competitor’s name will appear in the search terms that trigger your ads. In these cases, you usually do not want your ad to show because it can lead to irrelevant clicks and unnecessary spending.

To avoid this, you need to add your competitor’s name as a negative keyword. Negative keywords tell the advertising system to exclude your ad from showing up whenever those specific terms are searched.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Monitor your search terms regularly to identify if your competitor’s name appears.
Create a negative keyword list or add the competitor’s name to your existing negative keywords.
Apply this negative keyword list to your campaigns so that your ads do not show for those competitor-related search terms.

Real Examples

When someone searches for your competitor’s brand name, your ad will be blocked from appearing because that term is part of your negative keyword list. This helps you avoid wasting ad budget on clicks that are unlikely to convert and maintain the relevance of the audience you target.

Common Mistakes

Failing to regularly check search terms allows competitor names to trigger your ads without control.
Not adding competitor names to negative keyword lists, which results in unwanted ad impressions and lower ROI.
Removing competitor names from negative keywords, accidentally allowing ads to show where you don’t want them.

FAQs

Q: Why should I add competitor names as negative keywords?
Adding competitor names as negative keywords stops your ad from showing when people search for those names, saving you from irrelevant clicks.

Q: How do negative keywords affect my ads?
Negative keywords prevent your ads from displaying on searches containing those terms, making your campaigns more focused and cost-effective.

Key Takeaways

Adding competitor names to a negative keyword list prevents your ads from showing in undesirable searches.
Regularly checking search terms helps identify competitor names you need to exclude.
Using negative keywords carefully improves the relevance and efficiency of your ad campaigns.