I’m often asked why ad budgets should be spent bidding on branded terms. These are most often the name of your charity, your URL, or anything uniquely identifying you or your programs. Because they are so unique, you likely already rank #1 organically for Google searches. So, why ‘waste’ grant funds bidding on branded terms?

A few reasons to bid on branded terms

1. Ads are typically shown ABOVE organic results. Even if you are #1, you are still not at the top of the page.
2. You want to “own the page” meaning take up as much real estate as possible. When you are first both in the ads section and the organic section, it lends credibility to your organization.
3. Because you are so relevant to unique terms these are often the cheapest bids you will win.
4. YOU control the messaging. With organic results, Google is pulling titles and descriptions from your page to best match the users’ queries. That may not always be the exact perfect messaging. With AdWords ads, you define the header, display URL, description, call outs, and site links. You can promote yourself however you want, or highlight upcoming events – anything you want! Look at all the real estate available to curate your specific message to every user on Google:
   

And if you are a registered 501(c)(3) charity, it can be completely free of cost to you! Get started today taking advantage of this immensely effective means of reaching your target audience.