What is Brand or Trademark Advertiser Verification Program and Solution in Google Ads?

After May 5th, 2024, Google has changed its Google Ads policy. I won’t go into too much detail, but to summarize: You now need to provide documentation proving that you have the right to use your website as a brand, along with company documentation.

Can We Run a Campaign Without Brand Registration?

To answer this, we need to understand that Google now requires billing and company verification upfront. If you’re running a simple search campaign, you may not encounter issues, and we have solutions for that. However, if you need to run a campaign involving calls, brand name verification becomes crucial for ad copy. Without brand verification, you cannot create ad copy that includes the brand name.

1. You can use an old brand name and create ads, but it will display your old brand name. If you have a similar domain, this might work.
2. Create a simple search campaign with call assistance.
3. Company registration in the USA can be costly, so many groups opt to register a company in the UK and run their campaigns in the USA.

Note: Brand registration is currently required in the USA. There is more flexibility in other countries.

Process: How to Add a Brand or Trademark in Google Ads

What is a Brand? What is the Difference Between a Brand and a Search Query?

1. A brand is the name or trademark of an organization or product, distinguished by branding, a logo, or a website.
2. Branded keywords include the name of your company or product.
3. Non-branded keywords refer to your company or products without using the company name.

Why Does Google Require Brand Registration?

This policy mainly addresses call scams. For example, in telecom campaigns, many affiliates claim to be from Charter Spectrum, offering services directly. However, they are not Spectrum employees—they’re affiliates who engage users looking for Spectrum directly.

1. Spectrum has to pay an affiliate fee for direct users.
2. Some companies take orders from users claiming to be Spectrum, but the payments go into their own accounts, leading to disputes with Google because users found the company through Google.
3. A major issue is billing. When users try to pay their bills, they might fall victim to scammers who use the same branded name. Instead of paying their bills, users end up giving money to these scammers. The scammers often have registered similar brand names, tricking users into thinking they are legitimate. These scammers gain control of the user’s payment card information and misuse it.

Requirements:

If you want to use assistance in your ads, you need to start with the Advertiser Verification Program.

1. Click on “Account” and then click on “Billing.”
2. Click on “Advertiser Program” in the dropdown menu.
3. Click “Start.”
4. Provide details such as the purpose of the account, how the account is managed, the relationship between the company and Google Ads manager, how bills are paid, and proof of the company account.

Google will review the information to determine your eligibility for Google Ads.

Steps to Upload Your Business Name:

1. Click on the campaign icon.
2. Click “Assist” in the dropdown menu.
3. Click “+Business Name” in the assist list.
4. Choose the level where you want to add the name, such as the campaign level or account level.
5. Type your business name in the box.
6. Click “Save.”

It will take 2 to 3 days to review and activate your brand name in Google.

Note: Your legal name or domain name, verified via advertiser verification, can be your brand name. Your business logo must match your advertised business and be part of your domain name.

Adding Another Brand Name in Google Ads:

In the past, adding another brand name in Google Ads was easy, but now you must verify the domain brand and logo.

Brand verification can be disapproved if the business name or logo is not relevant. An asset cannot be verified until it has been created.

Steps for Brand Verification:

1. If business information is disapproved because the business name and logo do not match the account, click “Fix.”
2. Click “Verify.”
3. Add the trademark registration number and country of registration for your asset.
4. Submit.

If Google approves the verification, it will be visible in “Assist.” If they reject the verification, they will email you with the reason and further requirements.

Brand Verification Requirements:

You must follow these four requirements:

1. The trademark must be registered in at least one country.
2. The trademark company must be active.
3. The trademark must represent the business.
4. The trademark owner must exactly match the legal name submitted through advertiser verification or have legal rights.