Brand Exclusions

Definition

A brand exclusion tells Google not to serve a campaign when someone searches for a named brand. You pick the brands from Google's list, or add your own if it is verified.

They exist because Performance Max and broad match campaigns decide their own matching. Without brand exclusions you have no way to keep those campaigns out of branded searches, and branded searches behave very differently from everything else.

Where brand controls apply

[table]
Campaign type | Brand control available | Why you would use it
Performance Max | Brand exclusions | Stop it absorbing your own branded traffic
Search with broad match | Brand exclusion lists | Stop broad match drifting onto brand terms
Standard search | Negative keywords | Same job, done keyword by keyword
Demand Gen | Not applicable | No search terms to exclude
[/table]

The setting matters most in Performance Max, where you otherwise have very little say in what triggers your ads.

Why this matters so much in B2B

Here is the problem brand exclusions solve.

Performance Max will happily take your branded searches. Those searches convert extremely well, because the person already knows who you are and has decided to look you up. So your Performance Max campaign reports a wonderful cost per conversion.

But it did not create that demand. Something else did. Your LinkedIn campaigns, your founder's posts, a podcast. Performance Max simply collected traffic that was already coming to you, and then took the credit for it.

Add brand exclusions and the picture changes. Performance Max now has to find new people. Its numbers usually get worse, and those worse numbers are the true ones. That is the read you actually want before deciding how much budget it deserves.

Which brands to exclude

• Your own brand. Cover it with a dedicated branded search campaign instead, where you control the ad and the cost.
• Your competitors, in Performance Max. Competitor traffic deserves its own campaign with tailored messaging, and our notes on bidding on competitor keywords explain how to run it properly.
• Brands you integrate with. Someone searching for a partner tool is usually looking for that tool, not for you.
• Any brand producing junk traffic. Check the search terms report and exclude anything clearly unrelated.

Why most B2B SaaS accounts get this wrong

Two mistakes.

Nobody sets them, and Performance Max looks like a hero. The campaign reports the best cost per conversion in the account. Budget moves to it. Six months on, total pipeline is flat because the campaign was never adding anything, only harvesting.

Own brand is excluded but never covered elsewhere. Someone excludes their own brand from Performance Max and does not build a branded search campaign to catch it. Now competitors bid on your name and you are not there. Branded search is the cheapest pipeline you will ever buy, so never leave it uncovered.

Brand exclusions at a glance

• A setting that stops a campaign serving on chosen brand names.
• Most important in Performance Max, where you have little other control.
• Also available as brand lists for broad match search campaigns.
• Excluding your own brand reveals what Performance Max is really adding.
• Always pair an own-brand exclusion with a dedicated branded search campaign.
• Exclude partner and integration brands too, since that traffic rarely wants you.

The rule for B2B SaaS

Exclude your own brand from Performance Max, then cover it with a separate branded campaign.

Do these two things together, never one without the other. The exclusion gives you an honest read on whether Performance Max is finding new buyers or just collecting people who were already searching for you. The separate branded campaign makes sure you still show up when someone types your name.

Expect the Performance Max numbers to get worse after you do this. That is the point. You are removing a flattering effect, not breaking the campaign. Judge it on the new numbers, and decide its budget from there.

Review the brand list each quarter. New competitors appear, and old integrations get dropped. In standard search campaigns the same job is done with negative keywords, which give you finer control.

Common questions about brand exclusions

What are brand exclusions in Google Ads?

A setting that stops a campaign appearing for searches containing brand names you select. It is used mainly in Performance Max and in broad match search campaigns, where you otherwise have little control over matching.

Should I exclude my own brand from Performance Max?

Usually yes, as long as you also run a dedicated branded search campaign. Excluding your brand shows you what Performance Max is genuinely adding, rather than letting it take credit for traffic that was already coming.

Will my results get worse after adding brand exclusions?

The reported numbers for that campaign usually do, because branded searches convert very well and you have removed them. Total pipeline should not change. What you now have is an honest picture of what the campaign contributes.

What is the difference between brand exclusions and negative keywords?

Negative keywords block specific search terms in standard search campaigns. Brand exclusions block whole brand entities and work in Performance Max and broad match campaigns, where individual keyword control is not available.

Which brands should I exclude?

Your own brand, your competitors, and any tools you integrate with. Competitor searches deserve their own campaign with tailored copy, and partner searches are usually people looking for the partner rather than for you.

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