<b>Q: Should I let affiliates bid on my brand name in paid search?</b>

<b>Q: Should I let affiliates bid on my brand name in paid search?</b>

Default to no, with narrow exceptions. When affiliates bid on your brand terms, they're charging you commission for a customer who was already searching for you. You pay twice: ad cost competition plus commission.

Your policy should state:

— No bidding on the brand name, common misspellings, or brand-plus-modifier ('[brand] coupon', '[brand] login')
— No brand in the ad copy or display URL
— Direct-linking to your site from a brand ad is an instant violation

The narrow exception: you can authorize specific trusted partners to defend your brand SERP against competitors, on terms you set, usually at a reduced commission.

Enforce it by monitoring your brand SERP on a schedule and from multiple geos, since violators often geo-target away from your office location.

Caveat: write the rule in plain language with examples. 'No trademark bidding' is ambiguous to a new affiliate. '[brand] discount = violation' is not.

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