Brand hijacking is the practice of using a competitor’s name as a keyword in a Google AdWords PPC campaign. For you, this means that, if your competitor wishes, he or she can put your firm’s name as one of their keywords. If they do so, and someone types in your firm’s name, the ad for your competitor will appear.

This can confuse prospective clients and, in the worst-case scenario, have them calling and hiring your competitor. Not cool.

Yes. You Should Be Concerned.

This is a pretty big deal. In some cases, it's taking away from the contacts an attorney gets and has a serious effect on business. In fact, hijacked law firms sometimes find their competitor’s location coming up on Google Maps! Clearly, this is a “black hat” practice. It's unfair—plain and simple.

But is it illegal? Not yet. In fact, a recent court case in Wisconsin found that freedom of speech allows businesses to use the names of their competitors in Google AdWords. The court recognized that individuals do have the right to preserve the integrity of their name, but that freedom of speech trumped this right.

So, for now, there is no legal precedent for cases of brand hijacking. Google still has the right to sell your name and the name of your law firm to the highest bidder.

Are You Searching For An Experienced Pay Per Click Agency To Manage Your Google Ads Campaigns?

If you are considering adding PPC advertising to your law firm or medical practice marketing Foster Web Marketing can help assure you're getting the most leads from your budget. Please contact us online or call our office directly at 888.866.0939 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

Tom Foster
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Founder|Owner, Speaker, Creator of DSS, World of Marketing Podcast Host, EOS Implementor