Is competitor keyword bidding still worth the spend?

Traditional competitor campaigns often generate expensive clicks and disappointing results. People searching for a competitor's brand are usually close to making a purchase, making your ad little more than a detour on their path to conversion. Bidding on competitor brand terms isn't your only option.

What Happened

Search Engine Land published a tactical breakdown from Sarah Vlietstra on June 25, 2026, arguing that bidding on competitor brand terms in Google Ads burns budget on buyers who rarely switch. The piece recommends two alternatives: Demand Gen campaigns using custom segments built from competitor search terms, and negative-intent search campaigns targeting phrases like "alternatives to X," "cheaper than X," and complaints about specific competitor weaknesses.

Why This Matters for B2B Marketing Leaders in HR Tech and FinTech

If you run paid search against Workday, ADP, Plaid, or any category leader, you already know competitor CPCs in HR Tech and FinTech routinely clear $40 and convert poorly. The searcher typed the incumbent's name for a reason. Demand Gen custom segments let you reach that same competitor-aware audience across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail at a fraction of search CPCs, while negative-intent keywords intercept the consideration-stage buyer who is actively looking to leave. For categories with 9 to 18 month sales cycles, that earlier touch compounds. You stop paying premium rates to lose a coin flip and start funding the moments where switching intent is real.

The Starr Conspiracy's Take

We have been telling clients for years that competitor conquesting is a vanity tactic dressed up as a growth lever. The real win is mapping competitor weaknesses to your differentiated message and meeting buyers in the demand states where they are genuinely open to switching. Negative-intent terms are gold for HR Tech and FinTech because dissatisfaction is public: G2 reviews, Reddit threads, layoff news. Build your keyword list and your Demand Gen creative off that signal, not off the competitor's logo. And invest in the conquesting landing page. A clicked ad with a generic homepage behind it is worse than no ad at all.

What to Watch Next

Watch for Google to tighten Demand Gen custom segment targeting as the format matures through late 2026. Likely changes include stricter audience size minimums and more aggressive Smart Bidding defaults. Lock in your competitor custom segments now and document baseline CPA before the platform shifts pricing leverage back to Google.

Related Questions

What is negative-intent conquesting?

Negative-intent conquesting targets searches that signal dissatisfaction with a competitor, such as "alternatives to," "cheaper than," or "X reviews complaints." Unlike brand bidding, it reaches buyers who have already decided to leave, making conversion rates and economics meaningfully stronger.

Should HR Tech brands bid on competitor names at all?

Rarely. Most competitor brand searchers in HR Tech are existing clients logging in or finalizing renewal. A small defensive budget makes sense, but the bulk of conquesting spend belongs in Demand Gen and negative-intent search. See our view on paid media allocation for B2B SaaS.

How do you build a custom segment for competitor targeting?

In Google Ads Demand Gen, create a new audience, select custom segments, then choose "people who searched for any of these terms on Google" and list every competitor brand you can identify. Refresh quarterly as the competitive set shifts.