TAKE POLL Bidding on your own Dealership Name in Ads

[douglaskarr]

We've been having a great internal conversation recently about whether dealerships should spend ad dollars on their own name. Some say it’s a waste of money because you’ll show up organically anyway; others swear it’s a mandatory line item.

Here’s the breakdown of why this is such a polarizing topic in the industry:

The Argument FOR Bidding on Your Own Dealership​

• Defense Against Conquesting: If you don’t bid on your own name, your competitors definitely will. When a customer searches for "City Ford," the first thing they might see is a "Huge Sale at Metro Ford" ad. Buying your own name keeps your brand at the top of the page.
• Controlling the Narrative: Brand searches usually mean the customer has already put you on their shortlist. They are looking for your reputation, hours, or specific inventory. An ad allows you to direct them to a specific landing page (like a Current Specials page) rather than just your homepage.
• Dominating Real Estate: Search engine users are click-happy and often don't distinguish between Ad and Organic. Having both gives you more above-the-fold space on mobile devices, pushing competitors further down the screen.

The Argument AGAINST Bidding on Your Own Dealership​

• The "Cannibalization" Effect: If you already rank #1 organically for your name, you are essentially paying for clicks you may have received for free.
• Opportunity Cost: Every dollar spent on your own name is a dollar taken away from high-intent Make/Model keywords for your inventory. If someone searches "2026 SUV for sale," that’s a live buyer you might miss because your budget was spent on someone who already knew who you were.
• The "Google Tax": Many feel that bidding on your own name is just paying a tax to search engines to protect what you’ve already built.

The Bottom Line​

In many ways, having competitors bid on your name is a backhanded compliment—it means you’re a big enough threat that they want to poach your traffic. Whether you choose to defend that territory or pivot those dollars toward specific vehicle intent depends entirely on your local market's aggression.

 

[Landing Garage]

I think bidding on your own name is a waste of money. A customer searching for you will find you eventually. Usually, they might click the first result, but once they realize they’re in the wrong place, they’ll just keep scrolling until they hit your link. Customers feel betrayed when a specific keyword search lands them somewhere they didn't intend to go.
Claudio