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Q4 2021 looks set to be the most important and eagerly anticipated trading quarters in modern history. Following the restrictions on business due to the global pandemic that has resulted in thousands of brands disappearing from malls around the world, the retail stakes have never been higher. Research conducted by DigitalCommerce360 predicts ‘U.S. consumer spending online to grow 12.1% year over year this 2021 holiday season’, further underlying a renewed consumer confidence and perhaps, a return to the good times.

However, competition for customers online is reaching new heights. Data from Statista for 2020 showed that over 800,000 businesses launched in the US alone. A high number for sure, but in fact it accounts for just 10.7% of the world’s start ups last year. In a marketplace with no borders and boundaries competition comes from everywhere and anywhere.

‘No-Brainer’

Geo-targeting ads is a ‘no-brainer’ for search marketers. It makes sense to tailor your ad copy, offer, and landing page for the user’s location. The ability to see how your marketing partners and search competitors behave by zip code, city, country, and even language give incredible insights into what is happening in the market, and the ability to adapt your strategy accordingly. But geo-targeting has other, often-overlooked applications in the world of search marketing.

Unexpected Benefits

Not only does it make your offer more compelling to the customer, but also conveys the feeling that this company understands me and the things I care about. Seeing a localized ad that ties in with local knowledge and cultural aspects I care about, means I am more likely to have a feel-good factor about the brand and their willingness to connect with me. This ‘customer-centric’ approach to marketing is not new, it’s been utilized in marketing for a long time, but in modern, scalable digital marketing has sometimes been lost in the day-to-day grind for more clicks and conversions. So not only can Geo-targeting your products and offers help secure more customers, it can also give additional softer marketing benefits that cannot be overlooked.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Europcar is a French car rental company operating in 140 countries throughout Europe, North America, Western Asia, and Africa.

CHALLENGE

Europcar competitors and partners were bidding on their trademark and branded keywords. Having campaigns in multiple countries and trying to monitor was an endless task that wasn’t producing the results they were looking for.

The Search Monitor announces new enhancements for Product Listing Ads to help support the needs of Retail Marketers in Paid Search

Orlando, FL – October 18, 2021 –

The Search Monitor announces new enhancements and added features for Product Listing Ads

Orlando, FL – September 28, 2021 – The Search Monitor announced today that it has released new and enhanced Product Listing Ads features. These exciting enhancements to The Search Monitor’s PLA Insights gives advertisers access to the most precise and comprehensive data available, resulting in the ability to make more effective campaign decisions and better compete in the online marketplace.

The Search Monitor announces support for Vehicle Listing Ads on Google and Bing

Orlando, FL – August 20, 2021 – The Search Monitor announced today that it has added support for Vehicle Listing Ads on Google and Bing. This exciting addition to The Search Monitor’s SEM and PLA Insights gives automotive advertisers unprecedented access to the data they need to compete effectively in the online marketplace.

Once you detect unwelcome competition, what can you do about it from a legal standpoint?

We won’t bore you with case law here, but you should be aware of a few basic principles and how the law views brand bidding.

If you have a brand worth protecting, competitors are already bidding on your brand name. Some bid directly on your name, while others will bid on obvious derivatives, such as when Marketo bids on phrases like “Pardot drip marketing” (and vice versa). Many large brands have competitors bidding to every available ad position for every imaginable brand and brand-plus keyword.

The question is, what can you do to deal with competitors brazenly showing up on your hard-earned name? Your best options include:

If you sell online, having an affiliate program can help you dominate page one, drive more revenue, manage costs, and build your brand. By carefully selecting a group of your best affiliates to work with you, you can use this powerful cost-cutting technique that can also boost clicks and sales.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into tactics that will help you better control the search engine results and your CPC prices by coordinating your brand bidding with partners and affiliates. Here are the basics:

With the “why” now out of the way, it’s time to discuss the best practices of “how” to implement brand bidding campaigns.

Keyword Development