Introduction

The health and wellness industry is booming, and with growth, of course, comes competition. From boutique supplement companies to national gym chains and direct-to-consumer beauty brands, everyone is vying for the attention of health-conscious consumers. According to a 2022 report by the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy was worth $4.4 trillion in 2020 and is on track to surpass $7 trillion by 2025. While this growth means enormous potential for marketers, it also translates to a crowded and highly competitive digital advertising space.

So, why is keyword bidding so challenging for health and wellness brands?

Health and wellness consumers tend to do extensive research before making a purchase. They often compare multiple brands, delve into product reviews, investigate certifications, and look for trust signals (like clinical studies or doctor endorsements). As a result, keywords in this sector, especially high-intent terms like “best organic protein powder” or “clinical skincare products”, are extremely valuable, driving up cost-per-click (CPC) prices. In many cases, you’re not just bidding against your direct competitors but also against resellers, large e-commerce marketplaces, and sometimes even affiliates.

With all of this competition, having a strategic keyword bidding approach is essential to maximize ROI. Without a solid plan, you risk wasting budget on low-intent queries or running ads that never see the light of day because your bids aren’t high enough to win prime real estate. In this article, we’ll explore how to balance brand versus industry keywords, navigate Google’s strict advertising policies, and develop a bidding strategy that aligns with your brand’s long-term goals.

Industry vs. Brand Keywords: Striking the Right Balance

One of the first strategic questions you’ll face in paid search is how to allocate your budget between industry keywords (generic terms relevant to your niche) and brand keywords (terms directly related to your company’s name or products).

Industry Keywords

• Broad in Scope: Terms like “organic supplements,” “vegan skincare,” or “home workout equipment” cast a wide net. They appeal to a large audience but are also more competitive.
• Higher CPCs: Because these terms are popular and can apply to multiple brands, they tend to have higher cost-per-click prices.
• New Customer Acquisition: They’re an excellent way to reach consumers who haven’t yet settled on a particular brand but know what they’re looking for in a product category.

Brand Keywords

• Lower CPCs: Bidding on your own brand name typically costs less than industry-wide terms because fewer advertisers are bidding on your exact brand name (though resellers may be an exception).
• Defensive Strategy: Protects your brand from competitors or unauthorized resellers who might also bid on your name. It ensures that when customers search for your brand, you show up first.
• High Intent: Users searching for your brand directly are often further down the funnel and more likely to convert.

Balancing Tip

A balanced campaign typically allocates a portion of the budget to both categories. For instance, you might direct 70% of your spend to industry keywords to expand brand awareness and 30% to brand protection, ensuring you own your brand’s search results. Over time, monitor conversion rates, CPCs, and search volumes to tweak the ratio based on performance.

Google’s Advertising Challenges for Health & Wellness

While all advertisers face some level of policy compliance hurdles, health and wellness marketers encounter additional layers of complexity. Here are some of the top challenges:

Strict Policies and Approval Hurdles

Google has stringent rules around medical claims, supplements, and products that claim to diagnose or cure diseases. Ads featuring phrases like “clinically proven to cure” or referencing specific health outcomes are subject to closer scrutiny. In some cases, your ad or entire domain can be suspended if you run afoul of Google’s guidelines.

It’s important to always review Google Ads Policies (particularly regarding healthcare and medicines) before launching new campaigns. Use disclaimers when you’re referencing health benefits, for example “results may vary”, and avoid “guaranteed”-type outcome statements. Make sure you have the appropriate certifications (if needed) and that you’re not making unsubstantiated claims.

Reseller Competition

If you work with third-party distributors such as Amazon, large vitamin retailers, or beauty e-tailers, know that they may bid on your brand terms. This drives up the CPC for your own brand keywords! While this can help your brand reach more customers overall, it also means that you’ll be competing directly with partners for the same clicks.

This is why it’s important to negotiate bidding terms with resellers in your distribution agreements. Some brands set guidelines that resellers must not bid on brand terms, or that they need to  list the brand as the official partner. This helps you better control the user experience and cost.

Managing CPCs & Ad Fatigue

While consistently high CPCs can quickly deplete your daily budget, showing the same ads repeatedly may lead to ad fatigue among frequent searchers. You could see declining click-through rates (CTR) and a plateau in conversions if you’re not rotating your creatives or reevaluating your bidding tactics.

To get around this, consider using ad scheduling to boost bids during high-conversion times (like after work hours or weekend mornings for fitness enthusiasts) and limit spend during low-conversion windows. Experiment with automated bidding strategies, such as Target CPA or Maximize Conversions, which dynamically adjust bids to meet your performance goals.

Smart Keyword Bidding Strategies

Now that we’ve addressed the challenges, let’s look into some of the most effective bidding strategies, specifically tailored for health and wellness brands.

High-Intent Keywords

Prioritize long-tail, high-intent keywords such as “best probiotic supplement for women” or “registered dietitian-approved meal plans.” Long-tail terms usually have lower competition than broad keywords like “probiotics” and thus can yield a higher conversion rate. While the search volume may be lower, these users are often closer to making a purchase decision. To help you discover relevant high-intent phrases, use keyword research tools, like Google Keyword Planner or third-party platforms (e.g., Semrush and Ahrefs). 

You can also search your campaign’s search query reports to find the actual search terms that people have used to trigger your ads and identify new phrases worth adding to your keyword list.

Brand Protection

Bidding on your own brand name can sometimes feel like an unnecessary expense, especially if you already occupy the top organic spot. However, research by Search Engine Journal (2022) found that 45% of marketers consider brand defense a top PPC priority, largely because competitors often bid on branded terms. If a rival brand or reseller chooses to target your branded keywords, they can outrank you in the paid search results and divert high-intent clicks.

An effective way to address this threat is to set up alerts that track who else is bidding on your brand name. Rapid detection of competitor or reseller involvement allows you to adjust your bids or messaging before losing too much ground. Additionally, using exact and phrase match for your branded terms can help you retain tighter control over your traffic. This approach prevents your ads from showing on irrelevant searches and ensures that they appear consistently for prospects who are deliberately searching for your brand.

Competitor Bidding

Targeting competitor brand names can be controversial but effective if done correctly. When users search for “Competitor X skincare,” you can appear in their results with a compelling offer, for instance, “Better results than Competitor X? Try Our Award-Winning Skincare.” 

However, it’s essential to evaluate whether your product truly serves as a substitute or improvement over the competitor’s offer, since misleading claims can violate Google’s policies and undermine your credibility. It’s also critical to track performance rigorously because competitor terms can be expensive, and user intent may still favor the brand they originally searched for. Monitoring your ROI will help you determine when to adjust bids or pause keywords that fail to deliver results.

Automated Bidding

Manual bidding can be time-consuming and susceptible to human error. Automated bidding strategies, such as Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) or Maximize Conversions, leverage Google’s machine learning to optimize bids in real time. This approach is particularly helpful for health and wellness products because different audience segments may convert at varying rates depending on the time of day, user location, or device type. 

Before you implement automated bidding, it’s critical to set realistic targets by calculating a target CPA or ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) that aligns with your profit margins. Even with automation in place, you’ll still need to monitor and refine performance to prevent the algorithm from underbidding (which limits conversions) or overbidding (which drives up costs).

Writing Ad Copy That Converts

Irrespective of how refined your keyword bidding approach is, it won’t matter if your ad copy fails to resonate with the target audience. For health and wellness consumers, authenticity and compliance are paramount.

Compliance & Persuasion

One of the best ways to remain persuasive without overstepping policy boundaries is to use benefit-focused language. Instead of making claims like “Guaranteed to reverse hair loss,” try statements such as “Promotes fuller, healthier-looking hair, according to a 2021 clinical study.” Avoid absolutes like “cure,” “eliminate,” or “100% guaranteed,” as these can trigger scrutiny in Google’s review process—especially if you’re promoting supplements or medical treatments. 

Additionally, strive to be transparent in all product-related assertions. If your product is not FDA approved (for U.S. markets), don’t imply otherwise, and whenever citing clinical data or statistics, consider disclaimers such as “results may vary” to ensure you’re setting realistic expectations.

Trust Signals

Beyond crafting compelling copy, incorporating trust signals into your ads can dramatically enhance click-through and conversion rates. 

Highlighting the number of positive reviews—“Over 5,000 five-star reviews!”—can solidify social proof, and if your product has notable certifications or partnerships (e.g., USDA Organic, NSF Certified, or endorsements from recognized experts), include them to build credibility. 

Awards or media mentions offer another layer of validation, so if your product received accolades from a reputable organization or coverage in a respected publication, let potential customers know: “Voted #1 Natural Vitamin by Health & Nutrition Magazine (2023).”

Continuous Optimization

Continuously refining your ad performance is critical for staying competitive. One effective approach is A/B testing different headlines and calls to action. For instance, comparing “Get Your Free Sample Today” with “Try It Risk-Free for 30 Days” to determine which messages resonate more with your audience. Additionally, leveraging ad extensions helps guide users to targeted sections of your site, such as “Shop Now,” “Our Certification Process,” or “Clinical Studies.”

If you have physical storefronts or clinics, incorporating call extensions or location extensions makes it simpler for potential customers to connect directly or find your locations, which can further boost engagement and conversions.

Conclusion

In today’s rapidly expanding health and wellness market, balancing industry and brand keywords remains crucial for capturing broad audiences while safeguarding your brand from competitors. It’s equally vital to stay compliant with Google’s strict advertising policies and keep a close eye on reseller competition. By focusing on high-intent keywords, selectively bidding on competitor terms, and taking advantage of automated bidding, you can position your ads more effectively. At the same time, developing engaging, compliance-friendly ad copy, backed by trust signals and ongoing A/B testing, helps ensure your campaigns continually improve.

Yet, putting all these strategies into practice can feel like a full-time job. Whether you’re trying to reduce wasted ad spend, boost conversions, or launch a new product line, a strategic approach to keyword bidding can offer a significant competitive edge. Often, the most efficient and cost-effective solution is to partner with professionals who have both industry experience and an insider’s understanding of Google Ads, ultimately helping you maximize ROI in an increasingly crowded marketplace.