The debate on whether to engage in competitor bidding for Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns resurfaces regularly among digital marketers. Recently, a discussion in the PPC Live WhatsApp group reignited this conversation, highlighting varied perspectives from industry professionals.
The Core Debate: To Bid or Not to Bid?
Pros and Cons of Competitor Bidding
Proponents argue that competitor bidding can drive incremental revenue, especially for large brands in competitive spaces.
For instance, Marjorie Vizethann shared an example of a $500k/month campaign in the travel sector that successfully generated additional revenue. In contrast, critics like Lou Kozlevcar highlighted cases where such campaigns led to confusion and ultimately, customer cancellations.
Steve Gibson emphasized the importance of strategic considerations: the relative size of your company versus the competitor and whether the competitor is already bidding on your brand name. This strategy can work well for smaller companies targeting larger competitors.
Context-Specific Approaches
Alexander Gilburg advocated for tightly controlled campaigns with bid caps and specific, tactical objectives.
Meanwhile, Daniel O. suggested that bidding on terms associated with the category or used generically (like “Google” or “Hoover”) can be effective.
Comments from Industry Experts
Several industry experts contributed nuanced views
Lisa Erschbamer sees value in competitor bidding for specific scenarios such as common brand names, B2B sectors with low search volumes, and when offering significantly better-priced products.
Gideon Roberts warned against the potential arms race that competitor bidding can trigger, often benefiting only Google due to increased costs without substantial ROI.
Ana Kostic and Marta Montis highlighted the importance of transparency and relevance, particularly in B2B and SaaS campaigns.
Strategic Recommendations
For those considering competitor bidding, William Moore advised ensuring all other product/service campaigns are optimized first and closely monitoring CPCs to avoid inflated costs.
Joshua Barr noted that for brands with generic names, competitor bidding might be unavoidable but should be approached with caution.
Sophie Fell and Gareth Westhead both echoed the sentiment that competitor bidding is highly context-dependent. It’s crucial to tailor your approach based on specific circumstances and strategic goals.
Conclusion
The consensus among digital marketers seems to be that competitor bidding can be a double-edged sword. While it offers potential benefits in terms of visibility and revenue, it requires careful planning, execution, and monitoring to avoid pitfalls such as increased costs and customer confusion. As always in PPC strategy, the best approach is often nuanced and context-specific.
