Conquesting in PPC Search Ads: Don’t Play the Game Until You Know the Rules

Conquesting is the process of bidding on competitor keywords. When a company targets another company’s brand name, they are using conquesting as a way to steal market share.

This can be an effective strategy, but it is important to understand the risks and rewards involved before deciding to start conquering your competition.

If your brand is on the other side of the conquesting game, you could be wondering what you can do to combat the battle in the SERP.

In any case, we’ll cover everything you need to know.

The Rules of the Conquesting Game

Conquesting is a competitive strategy, so it’s important to understand the rules of the game before you battle it out in the SERP.

Relevancy will matter

Ultimately, Google will look for relevancy in the auction to serve users the most direct answer to their search.

In the competition for a branded search, make sure that your ad sells the user what they are looking for.

In the example above, notice how each ad relates to “glasses.”

The branded term could be trademarked

If your brand has the term trademarked, you’re in luck!

You can submit a trademark violation, and Google will (eventually) remove any competitors who use your term in their ad copy.

Note that a trademark can’t block an advertiser from bidding on the keyword.

It can be expensive

Conquesting can be expensive.

You can quickly burn through your budget if the bid get’s too high.

The CPC (cost per click) will be less expensive for the brand since they have a higher Quality Score due to relevancy.

Using the above example, the CPC might look something like this:

Keyword: [warby parker]

Advertisers:

Warby Parker $1 CPC (the brand itself)

Eyebuy Direct $4 CPC (absolute top position)

Glasses USA $3 CPC (top position)

However, if all three competitors fight for the top spot, those CPCs can go from $3 to $20 really fast.

If you get 1,000 clicks, that’s the difference of $3,000 vs. $20,000.

You need to have a plan

Don’t just jump into conquesting without a plan. You need to know your goals and what you want to achieve with this strategy.

Are you looking to steal market share?

Are you trying to build brand awareness?

Do you want to increase traffic to your website?

On either side of the competition, bids and ad spend can quickly escalate, so be prepared with your max bid when investment increases.

Who do you typically see conquesting?

Think big brands more than anything.

Small to medium-sized brands may build conquesting campaigns to bid against their competitors, but these tactics are usually reserved for a business with money to play.

Where do you see conquesting in advertising?

Conquesting is most often found in the world of PPC search advertising.

Conquesting can also be used in other forms of advertising, such as display and social media.

What is brand conquesting?

Brand conquesting is when a company bids on another company’s brand name. The goal is to steal market share from the competition.

This strategy can be effective, but it should be used with caution. Bidding on competitor keywords can be expensive and, if not done correctly, result in wasted ad spend.

What does competitive conquesting mean?

Competitive conquesting is when a company targets another company’s brand name to steal market share.

What is Amazon conquesting?

Amazon conquesting is when a company bids on another company’s brand name to steal potential customers.

In the example above, Venustas is conquesting Ororo in the battle of heated jackets.

What are conquesting keywords?

Conquesting keywords are competitor keywords that you bid on to target their potential customers.

For example, the keyword [google ads] would be a conquesting keyword for Linkedin,

Final Thoughts

Conquesting can be an effective way for competitors to steal market share, build brand awareness, and increase traffic to your website.

However, it is important to understand the risks and rewards involved before deciding to start conquesting your competition.

If you’re on the other side of the conquesting game, you can do a few things to combat the battle in the SERP.

In any case, make sure you have a plan and know your goals before you start playing the conquesting game!