Brand inclusions are a Google Ads setting that limits a Search campaign so it only shows ads on searches mentioning the brands you specify. They let you run broad match keywords in a brand campaign without the campaign drifting onto generic searches.
How brand inclusions work
You create a brand list in the shared library, picking brands from Google’s database. The same lists are used for brand exclusions; what changes is how you attach them. Applied as an inclusion, the list tells a Search campaign that every matched query must refer to one of those brands.
The practical effect is on broad match and on AI-driven query expansion. Say a garden centre chain in Kent runs a brand campaign with a broad keyword for its own name. Without a restriction, broad match may decide that someone searching garden centre near me is related enough to show the brand ad. With a brand inclusion containing only the chain’s name, that generic search is out of scope, while searches like [brand] opening hours, [brand] Sevenoaks or a misspelled version of the name stay in.
Because the list recognises a brand as an entity, it catches variants a keyword list would miss: typos, spacing differences and the brand written with or without “Ltd”. At the time of writing (October 2026), brand inclusions are applied at campaign level in Search campaigns, and the brand must exist in Google’s list or be accepted through the request form before you can use it.
Why it matters
A brand campaign exists to protect searches for your name cheaply. If it leaks onto generic queries, two things go wrong. The campaign’s cost per click rises, and its results get mixed with non-brand traffic, so you can no longer tell how well your brand terms convert or how much generic campaigns are really contributing.
Brand inclusions solve that while still letting Google find the long tail of brand searches you would never list by hand, such as product names combined with your company name or a branch location. For a UK retailer with dozens of shops, that saves maintaining hundreds of exact match variations.
Resellers can also use a brand list containing the manufacturers they stock, so a campaign only enters searches for those makes. Check the manufacturer’s trade mark and reseller terms first, since some restrict bidding on their name.
Common mistakes
- Using brand inclusions in a campaign meant to capture generic demand, which throttles it to almost nothing.
- Adding a competitor’s brand to an inclusion list and then writing ads that use their trade mark in the text, which can breach Google’s trade mark policy if they have filed a complaint.
- Selecting the wrong entity from Google’s list where several businesses share a name.
- Switching on brand inclusions and removing all exact match brand keywords at once, so you cannot compare before and after.
How to act on it
If your brand campaign uses broad match, or you are thinking of moving it to broad, apply a brand list containing only your own brand as an inclusion. Keep a handful of exact match brand keywords in place for a few weeks so you can compare cost per click and conversion rate.
Then check the search terms report. Every query should mention your business in some form. If unrelated searches still appear, confirm the right brand entity is selected and add negative keywords for anything that slips through. Structuring brand and non-brand campaigns so each one is measured fairly is part of my Google search ads management.