Run competitor campaigns on exact match: the competitor's name, plus the words people use while they're still choosing, like demo, pricing, reviews, alternative and replacement. On phrase or broad match, the same name also buys searches for the competitor's login page and its domain. Those come from people who already use the product and are on their way to work.
Then write the ads about you. Google doesn't restrict using a competitor's trademark as a keyword, but after a complaint it can restrict a direct competitor using it in ad text.
The campaign we reviewed
On a mentoring call, a marketer at a B2B software company showed us their new competitor campaign. They'd moved from one campaign mixing several competitors to one campaign per competitor, so the headlines could be specific. The keywords were the competitor's name plus modifiers: demo, sign up, create account, pricing, login. Not all in exact match.
Our advice was to switch everything to exact match and pause the login keyword. People searching a competitor's login have already bought that platform. We'd keep demo, sign up, replacement and software like the competitor, and treat the competitor's name plus company as a coin flip: fine to keep in exact match, worth watching.
There was a twist. This competitor had shut down, and the marketer saw its stranded users as the opportunity. We still paused login. The terms a switcher uses, replacement and alternative, stayed in.
Why match type decides who you pay for
- Exact match shows ads on searches with the same meaning or intent as the keyword. It gives you the most control and the least reach.
- Phrase match shows ads on searches that include the meaning of the keyword, including more specific forms of it. A competitor's name plus login is a more specific form of the name.
- Broad match reaches related searches, including ones that don't contain the keyword's direct meaning.
Exact match narrows things down, but it works on meaning, so add a backstop. A one-word negative like login, in broad match, blocks any search containing it, in any order. Add sign in and account too, if those show up in the search terms report.
Write the ad about you
The first draft used headlines like the competitor's name plus pricing, reviews or create account. That reads like the competitor's own ad, and create account could mislead someone into thinking they were signing up there. We rewrote them around the difference: transparent pricing, better pricing than the competitor, a replacement angle, and a demo headline with the company's own name.
Keep Google's Trademarks policy in mind. It won't restrict trademarks as keywords. But if the trademark owner complains, Google may restrict a direct competitor using the trademark in the ad, and any ad that uses it in a confusing or misleading way. Restrictions then generally apply to ads using the same domain. So write headlines that still work if the competitor's name has to come out. Running a brand campaign of your own? Our piece on competitors bidding on your brand covers the other side.
The takeaways
- Use exact match for competitor names and their buying modifiers.
- Never bid on a competitor's login. Those searchers already bought.
- Add login, sign in and account as negatives as a backstop.
- Lead the ad with your difference, not the competitor's product.
- Google may restrict a competitor's trademark in your ad text after a complaint, so don't depend on it.
Common questions
What match type should I use for competitor keywords in Google Ads?
We use exact match. Google says exact match shows ads on searches with the same meaning or intent as the keyword, while phrase match covers searches that include its meaning, and broad match reaches related searches. On a competitor's name, phrase and broad pull in navigational searches like their login page.
Is it allowed to bid on a competitor's brand name in Google Ads?
Yes, as a keyword. Google's Trademarks policy says it won't restrict using trademarks as keywords. What Google may restrict, after the trademark owner complains, is a direct competitor using the trademark in the ad itself, and ads that use it in a confusing, deceptive or misleading way.
Should I bid on searches for a competitor's login?
No. Someone searching a competitor's login page already has an account and is trying to get to work. Add login and sign in as negative keywords in the campaign, so a broader keyword can't pull those searches in.
Can I put a competitor's name in my ad headline?
You can, but it's at risk. If the competitor complains, Google may restrict use of its trademark in your ads, and restrictions generally apply on an ongoing basis to ads using the same domain. Write the headline so it still works if the name has to come out.
Should each competitor get its own campaign?
That's our approach, not a Google rule. One competitor per campaign lets the headlines name that competitor's weak spot, and keeps budget and search terms easy to read. For a few small competitors, one ad group each in a shared campaign also works.