Why advertising using keywords you rank # 1 is bad?

The topmost common mistake most advertisers do is to advertise using the keywords for which they already rank in top position in search engines. But why and why not use such keywords when advertising online?

Let’s use an example: If you type ATT in Google search, you will see that AT&T already ranks # 1 for that keyword. There is no need to advertise using ATT keyword when they naturally appear in topmost position. Moreover, it’s their brand name.

But why not? - When someone types a particular keyword in the search engine, it can be safely assumed that they know what they are looking for. And when such keywords are the actual names of your product, website name or your brand name, you don’t need to advertise in the search engine for these keywords. Most people will click on the first result that shows up in their search. But if you do advertise for such keywords even when your website shows at #1 position for those keywords, people will end up clicking on the advertisement instead and you will pay for the click which you don’t need to. At this moment, I would like to bring your attention to an earlier post - How one line of javascript earns a billion dollars for Google? That will make things more clear to you!

What should you do then? - If you can avoid using such keywords while you advertise online, you will save a lot of money. Don’t advertise with keywords for which you naturally show up in top results and also don’t use your domain names and brand names while advertising, this will save you a lot of money over a long period of time. Remember - Every dollar saved is a dollar earned.

When should you not follow this tip? - When your competitor shows up at second and subsequent spots in search engine results and you don’t want a user to click on your competitor’s link, it would then be advisable to advertise for even those keywords. Another situation when you want to advertise using your brand names and websites is when you are running a promotional.

So, if you have been advertising for such keywords, think about it! Consider running an experiment for a week or a month and check if it affects your sales or conversion ratio in anyway? If it doesn’t, check how much have you saved by not using these keywords for your campaign. That’s what you saved by following this tip.

Please post your feedback and suggestions in the comments section below. If you consider using this tip and conduct an experiment, please share the results with us.

Tags: AdWords, Google, Search Engine, Keywords, Advertisement