Why Brand Search Needs a Smarter Approach

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Brand search campaigns are often treated as a “must-run” in every ecommerce Google Ads account. After all, protecting your brand name and ensuring you appear at the top of search results sounds logical.

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But here’s the catch - many brands overspend on their own name. They end up paying for clicks they could have captured organicially.

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As an experienced ecommerce marketing agency, we have seen countless accounts where brand search consumes 20-40% of total ad spend with minimal incremental value.

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1. Understand the True Value of Brand Search

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Before deciding how much to spend, start by analysing performance metrics that actually matter

• Incremental clicks: Use Google’s experiments to test how many brand clicks are truly incremental vs what you’d receive organically.
  
  
• Cost per incremental conversion: If removing brand search doesn’t change conversion volume significantly, you’re likely overspending.
  
  
• Attribution paths: Many brand search conversions originate from other channels (like Meta or Email) — meaning you may be double-counting them.

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2. Adjust Bidding to Reflect Incremental Value

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Not all brand clicks are created equal. Lower your bids to ensure you’re not paying premium CPCs for traffic that would have found you anyway.

• Use Target Impression Share (70–80%) instead of aiming for 100%. You’ll still dominate top results while cutting unnecessary spend.
  
  
• Exclude irrelevant queries — e.g. competitors or unrelated product names — to tighten control.
  
  
• Monitor CPC trends regularly; a sudden increase often signals competitors bidding on your name

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3. Refine Keyword Match Types and Negatives

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A broad match on your brand name might capture thousands of unnecessary searches.
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Instead:

• Use Exact and Phrase match for your brand name variations.
  
  
• Add negatives like “jobs”, “reviews”, “returns”, or “customer service” to avoid wasted clicks.
  
  
• Review the Search Terms report weekly to keep brand campaigns lean and relevant.
  
  

Small optimisations here can reduce brand spend by 10–20% overnight.

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4. Protect Your Brand Strategically (Not Emotionally)

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It’s natural to want to “own” your brand name at all times. But emotional bidding often leads to inefficiency.

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Instead:

• Check if your organic listing already ranks #1 with strong site links. If so, brand ads might not add much incremental reach.
  
  
• Run brand ads only during sales or product launches when competition peaks.
  
  
• Use RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) so your brand campaign only targets high-value audiences — e.g. cart abandoners or recent visitors.
  
  

This ensures your spend goes where it matters most.

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5. Optimise Ad Copy and Extensions for Efficiency

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If you’re running brand ads, make them count.

• Highlight unique value propositions — free delivery, fast shipping, or exclusivity.
  
  
• Use sitelinks and promotion extensions to push users directly to high-converting pages.
  
  
• Keep testing ad variations, ensuring CTR and conversion rates justify the spend.
  
  

For fashion brands, emphasise your differentiators: craftsmanship, sustainable materials, or best-selling collections — learn more via our Fashion Marketing page.

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6. Consider Consolidating Brand into a PMax Campaign

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Performance Max can already capture branded queries, especially if your asset groups include your brand name in titles and feed data.

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To avoid duplication:

• Review your Search Term Insights in PMax vs Brand campaigns.
  
  
• Pause brand search temporarily and monitor for changes in impressions or conversions.
  
  
• If performance remains stable, let PMax handle brand coverage and focus search budget on non-brand growth.
  
  

This consolidation can streamline your ecommerce PPC strategy and improve overall ROAS.

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7. Reinvest Savings into Growth Campaigns

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Every pound saved from brand search can drive more impactful results elsewhere — whether that’s testing new creative on Meta, expanding into YouTube, or launching category-specific Performance Max campaigns.

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Conclusion

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Running brand search isn’t wrong — running it inefficiently is.

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By analysing incremental value, adjusting bids smartly, tightening keyword control, and leveraging automation wisely, brands can maintain visibility while freeing budget for growth.

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If you’d like a Google Ads audit or to learn more about how we can optimise your campaigns, get in touch with our team today.

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