Competitors’ Names are Tangential Keywords
Some Advertisers like bidding on their competitors’ names as keywords. We don’t bid on them for search, because we’ve never been able to convert them efficiently. But then, that’s for search; what about buying tangential keywords, like competitors’ names, for content advertising?
Try Bidding on Competitors’ Names for Content
Many consumers research vendors before buying, especially for high dollar purchases. It’s not uncommon for a buyer to refer to review sites, blogs, and forums, as well as social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, to research a company. Whether the information about your competitor is positive or negative, we believe it often makes sense to show ads alongside such content.
Conclusion – Bidding on Competitor Names
We’ve yet to find an instance where it has been efficient for any Advertiser to bid on their competitors’ names as keywords. However, for advertisers selling high dollar items, it may make sense to bid on competitor names for content, and we often recommend doing so.