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When someone types your brand name into Google, they have usually already decided where to buy. That click is the cheapest traffic you will ever get – unless an affiliate gets there first, runs an ad on your name and collects commission on a sale you would have made anyway.
Brand bidding is one of the most common sources of wasted commission in affiliate programmes, and one of the easiest to prevent. This guide explains why it matters, how to write clear PPC rules, how to monitor them and where Google’s own trademark policy fits in.
Why brand searches need protection
Brand searches come from people who already know you. They convert well and, in your own campaigns, they are usually cheap. When an affiliate bids on them, three things happen:
- You pay commission on customers who were already on their way to your site.
- Your own cost per click on brand terms can rise, because you are now competing in the auction with a partner you pay.
- Your reporting gets distorted: the affiliate channel looks as if it drives sales, while paid search and direct traffic look weaker than they really are.
This is not an argument against PPC affiliates. Many add real value on generic and comparison searches. The problem is paid traffic on your own name, which adds cost without adding customers.
What Google’s trademark policy does and does not do
Many advertisers assume Google will stop others bidding on their brand. It will not. Google’s trademark policy for Google Ads states that it does not restrict the use of trademarks as keywords. What a trademark owner can do is file a complaint to restrict the use of the trademark in ad text, for example by direct competitors or in a confusing or misleading way. Resellers and informational sites can still use a trademark in ad text in certain cases, so a complaint is not a complete shield.
In the EU, the Court of Justice ruled in Google France v Louis Vuitton in March 2010 that Google does not itself use a trademark by selling it as a keyword, while an advertiser using an identical keyword without consent can be stopped by the trademark owner if the ad makes it unclear where the goods come from. In practice, keyword bidding by partners is mostly controlled by contract – and that is exactly where your affiliate terms come in.
There is one useful hook. Google’s unfair advantage policy, updated in April 2025, lists affiliates advertising on Google Ads in violation of the applicable affiliate programme rules as not allowed. Clear written rules therefore give you something concrete to point to – with the affiliate and, if needed, with Google.
How to write PPC rules affiliates can follow
Vague wording such as “no brand bidding” leads to disputes. Spell the rules out in your programme terms and use the PPC policy fields in your network – Awin, Adtraction, Partner-ads and most others have a dedicated section for this. A solid set of rules covers:
- Keywords: no bidding on your brand name, domain, misspellings or brand plus generic terms such as “brand discount code” or “brand sale”.
- Ad copy: no use of your brand or trademarks in headlines, descriptions or display URLs.
- Direct linking: whether affiliates may send paid traffic straight to your site via a tracking link, or must use their own landing page.
- Negative keywords: require affiliates running generic campaigns to add your brand terms as negatives.
- Platforms: say whether the rules cover Google Ads only, or also Microsoft Advertising, shopping ads and paid social.
- Markets: list every country and language where you trade, so a ban in Denmark also applies in Sweden or the UK.
- Consequences: commission on sales from a breach will be declined, and repeated breaches lead to removal from the programme.
Put the full list of protected terms in the terms themselves, including product names you want protected, and update it whenever you launch a new brand or domain.
Allowed exceptions that make sense
A blanket ban is simple, but selective permission sometimes makes commercial sense. Typical exceptions include:
- Named partners: a trusted cashback or comparison partner may bid on brand plus “cashback” if you approve it in writing.
- Uncovered markets: where you do not run brand campaigns yourself, a partner can cover the space – often at a reduced commission.
- Campaign periods: around Black Friday on 27 November 2026 and Black Week, competition on brand terms tends to rise, and some advertisers let one approved partner defend selected terms.
- Generic product terms: affiliates can usually bid on category terms such as “running shoes” as long as your brand is added as a negative keyword.
Any exception should be in writing, time-limited and specific about keywords, ad copy and landing pages. Verbal permission is almost impossible to enforce later.
Monitoring: trust, but check
Rules only work if you look. Affiliates who break them rarely do it openly: ads may run only at night, only in certain regions, on misspellings or with cloaked landing pages that hide the affiliate redirect. A practical monitoring routine:
- Search your main brand terms regularly in each market, on mobile and desktop, and note any ads that are not yours.
- Check the Auction insights report in your own brand campaigns for unfamiliar domains.
- Look for affiliates whose sales spike in the evening or at weekends, or who show an unusually short time from click to purchase.
- Consider a dedicated monitoring tool such as Bluepear, BrandVerity or Adthena, which records ads, screenshots and redirect paths across countries and devices.
- Keep evidence: screenshots, time, location and the landing URL make declining commission straightforward.
- Give one clear warning, then act. Consistency is what makes the rules credible.
Key takeaways
- Google does not block competitors or affiliates from bidding on your brand as a keyword, so your affiliate terms are your main protection.
- Write specific rules covering keywords, misspellings, ad copy, direct linking, platforms and markets.
- Allow exceptions only in writing, with time limits and named keywords.
- Monitor actively, keep evidence and decline commission consistently.
- Review the rules before peak season, when competition on brand terms is at its highest.
Brand protection is not about distrusting your partners. Clear PPC rules show good affiliates where they can add value and stop the few who try to take credit for sales you have already earned. Write them once, check them often and enforce them fairly.
Not sure your PPC rules would hold up in a dispute? Start with a free audit of your affiliate programme.
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