Friday saw Google changing its trademark terms to allow other companies to enter paid search listings to bid on trademarked terms, the implications of this have had a shockwave effect on the online advertising as media agencies begin to assess how to protect their clients brand name and brand position. Google has been accused of trying to boost its revenue by using this move to increase the bid price on various terms.

Google has however made it clear that Companies can request that competitor companies be restricted from using trademark terms in copy.  This however still doesn’t prevent competitors from bidding and appearing in the sponsored listings.

The knock on implications are that companies will have to look at ways to  ‘fill up’ the sponsored listings for keywords and key terms associated with their brand, one possible strategy could mean opportunities for PPC companies, or affiliates to begin a degree of brand name bidding to ensure security of the clients brand, this however isn’t ideal and leads to more complexities that will need to be looked into before they are implemented, regardless it would seem the bid prices will look to increase and Googles revenue will look to grow, the only benefactor it would seem is Google, proving just how much of a strangle hold they have on the online industry.