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PPC on competitor's names

by Counselor
10 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I found an interesting article regarding whether PPC directed at keywords which are modeled after your competition's company name could be viewed as a matter of Google TOS and ethics.

http://certifiedknowledge.org/blog/q...me-in-ad-copy/

What do you guys think if I targeted my competitor's company name with adwords?
#competitor #names #ppc
  • Profile picture of the author 0oo0
    Be careful.

    I would not use other people's product names without approval.
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  • Profile picture of the author RyanLB
    If you poke around on adwords you can see some pretty large brands doing it consistently. I don't have any legal knowledge on the subject though.
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    • Profile picture of the author Counselor
      Originally Posted by RyanLB View Post

      If you poke around on adwords you can see some pretty large brands doing it consistently. I don't have any legal knowledge on the subject though.
      My concept was more along the lines of ethics and what role it plays in targeting a competitor's prospects by way of PPC. I wouldn't ask for legal advice on warriorforum.
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  • Profile picture of the author anoopsparx
    [DELETED]
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  • Profile picture of the author drewfioravanti
    You can use competitor's brand names as keywords, but you cannot use them in your ad copy.
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    • Profile picture of the author ppcmanager
      Originally Posted by drewfioravanti View Post

      You can use competitor's brand names as keywords, but you cannot use them in your ad copy.
      Exactly. And usually, Adwords displays an error message when you try to save an ad with a Trademarked word in it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Counselor
      Originally Posted by drewfioravanti View Post

      You can use competitor's brand names as keywords, but you cannot use them in your ad copy.
      Can you please provide a source?
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Originally Posted by drewfioravanti View Post

      You can use competitor's brand names as keywords, but you cannot use them in your ad copy.
      You can use them both. Google only says they "may" restrict them.
      Pretty hard to do in the US. Free speech. A company must really
      be able to prove something. Darn near impossible.

      If you sell iphones, well, what else are you going to use? ephone?

      Google clearly allows it.

      When such ads can show in these regions:
      Resellers:

      The ad's landing page is primarily dedicated to selling (or clearly facilitating the sale of) the goods or services corresponding to a trademark term.
      OR
      The ad's landing page is primarily dedicated to selling (or clearly facilitating the sale of) the components, replacement parts, or compatible products relating to the goods or services of the trademark.
      The product or services must be the primary focus of the ad's landing page. The landing page must clearly provide a way to purchase the product or services OR display commercial information about the product or services.

      Informational sites:

      The primary purpose of the ad's landing page is to provide informative details about goods or services corresponding to the trademark term.
      The product or services must be the primary focus of the ad's landing page.
      Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author aars14
    Targeting competitor keywords is not an issue, unless it is trademark or something, however be careful before using your competitor's name in your ad.
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  • Profile picture of the author a2hosting
    In addition to whether you can use it in the ad text or not, you probably will have a low quality score unless you have your competitor names on your site somewhere. The clicks could get pricey.
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