Brand vs Generic: Where Reseller Google Ads Budget Actually Leaks
The leak is almost always in two places: generic category searches bought too broadly, and brand traffic being paid for twice through both a brand campaign and Performance Max. On a reseller account, brand and remarketing returns are strong enough to hide both problems in the blended figure.
Split the account so brand, generic, Shopping and remarketing each report separately with their own target. Once nothing is subsidising anything else, the weak areas become obvious in a week.
Why does the blended number hide the problem?
Because brand and remarketing traffic converts at several times the rate of cold generic traffic and costs a fraction as much per click. Average them together and a badly performing generic layer looks fine.
The test is simple. Remove brand, remarketing and returning customer revenue from the report and look at what the account produces from people who did not already know you. On most reseller accounts that number is a lot smaller than the dashboard suggests.
How should a £15k monthly budget actually be split?
Weight it towards searches where intent is specific and you have a genuine reason to win, and keep the exploratory spend small enough that it cannot damage the month.
Worked example on £15,000 a month across a 40 brand catalogue:
- £2,000 brand and defensive search, capped and monitored.
- £7,500 Shopping and Performance Max, split into three margin bands.
- £3,500 model number and tightly matched category search.
- £1,200 remarketing and returning customer campaigns.
- £800 held back for testing new brands, bundles and feed changes.
Compare that with the typical starting point of £6,000 in one catch all Performance Max campaign and £5,500 in broad generic search. Same money, but the second version spends most of it on the products that were already selling.
How do we stop paying twice for brand traffic?
Exclude brand terms from Performance Max and prospecting campaigns, then look at total brand cost across the whole account rather than in one campaign.
Check the search terms and Shopping listing reports for your own retailer name and for supplier brand names appearing inside campaigns that were meant to be generic. On a multi brand catalogue this happens constantly, because product titles contain the brand name and the system follows the cheapest conversions.
Which generic terms are worth keeping?
Keep the ones with a product shape attached. "Wall mounted electric fire 60cm" is a buyer. "Electric fires" is a browser.
- Keep: category plus size, spec, finish, fitting type or use case.
- Keep: category plus "UK", "delivery", "in stock", "best".
- Cut or cap: single word category heads and anything plus "ideas" or "how to".
- Cut: terms that have spent more than three times target cost per sale with none.
[CLIENT RESULT: insert real figure]
What reporting makes the leak visible?
One view that separates brand, generic, Shopping and remarketing, each with cost, conversions, revenue and its own target. Nothing clever, just not blended.
Add a new customer versus returning customer split on top, and if you can, feed cost of goods into conversion value so the numbers reflect profit. Most reseller accounts we audit have never seen these two views side by side, and the conversation changes as soon as they do.
Part of our guide to Google Ads for branded resellers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sensible brand to generic split for a reseller?
There is no fixed ratio, but on most reseller accounts brand and defensive search should sit somewhere near 10 to 15 percent of spend. If brand is taking a third of the budget, the account is buying traffic it would largely have received anyway.
Should we bid on our own retailer name at all?
Usually yes, but capped. If competitors or marketplaces are bidding on your name, a small defensive campaign protects the click cheaply. If nobody is bidding, keep it minimal and check monthly.
How do we know if generic search is losing money?
Segment it out and judge it on its own return over a window at least as long as your typical purchase cycle. Generic terms often assist rather than convert last click, so use a data driven model before cutting, then cut anything still failing.
Is broad match ever right for a reseller?
Only on tightly themed campaigns with strong conversion data and a long negative list. On a multi brand catalogue, broad match without those controls turns into a generic spend leak within weeks.
How often should the split be reviewed?
Monthly at account level and weekly on search terms during any period of change. Seasonality shifts the balance, and Performance Max will drift towards brand traffic on its own if nobody is watching.
Want this looked at properly?
We will audit your account, show you where the money is leaking and tell you honestly whether we can improve it. Flat monthly fee, rolling contract, no lock-in.
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