Stop Competitors Stealing Your Customers on Google

The Tuesday Morning Phone Call That Changed Everything

I want to tell you about a plumber we work with in Coorparoo. Let’s call him Dave. Dave has a solid business, six trucks on the road, and a reputation for being the guy who actually shows up when he says he will.

One Tuesday morning, Dave calls me, and he’s fuming.

"Mate," he says, "I just searched for my own business name on my phone, and the first thing that pops up isn't me. It’s some franchise mob from the other side of Brisbane. It looks like they’re me, but the phone number is different. They’re stealing my bloody customers!"

Dave was right. He had spent ten years building his brand, and now, a competitor was paying Google to sit right on top of his name. When people searched for "Dave’s Plumbing," they saw the competitor first. Many of them clicked without thinking, and Dave was losing thousands of dollars in jobs every single week to someone who hadn't earned that trust.

This is the reality of the Brisbane business landscape today. It’s a bit of a Wild West. If you aren't careful, your competitors will hijack your hard-earned reputation. But here’s the good news: you can do it right back to them, and you can do it better.

In this guide, I’m going to show you exactly how to stop people from poaching your leads and how you can ethically show up when people are looking for your competitors. No jargon, no tech-talk—just a plan to get you more phone calls.

Part 1: Why Your Competitors Are Bidding on Your Name

Imagine you own a boutique gym in Newstead. You’ve spent money on signage, you’re active on Instagram, and everyone in the area knows your name. When a local resident decides it’s time to get fit, they type your gym’s name into Google.

If a big national gym chain is paying to show an ad for your name, they are essentially standing at your front door and trying to hand out flyers to people walking in.

It’s Cheap for Them (and Expensive for You)

If you aren't running your own ads on your own name, you are leaving your front door wide open. We call this "Brand Protection." It’s the first thing we fixed for Dave in Coorparoo. By setting up a simple campaign, we made sure that when someone searched for his business, his ad (with his real phone number and a big "Official Site" tag) was the first thing they saw.

It’s a small cost to pay to stop competitors stealing customers who were already looking for you.

Part 2: How to Legally "Poach" Customers from Your Rivals

Now, let’s flip the script.

Let’s say you’re a family-owned law firm in the Brisbane CBD. You’re competing against the massive firms with huge billboards on the Story Bridge. You can’t outspend them on general terms like "lawyer Brisbane" because those clicks cost a fortune.

But, you can show up when someone searches for that big firm's name.

The "Better Alternative" Strategy

This is your chance to offer a better deal, a more personal service, or a faster response time.

We did this with a local pest control guy. Every time someone searched for the big national "flick" companies, his ad would pop up saying: "Tired of Big Call Centres? Talk to a Local Brisbane Tech Today. Same Day Service Guaranteed."

He started winning jobs from people who were frustrated with being put on hold by the big guys. He wasn't pretending to be the other company; he was offering a better local alternative.

Part 3: The Risks (And Why Most People Waste Money)

I’ll be blunt: searching for your competitors' names can be a massive waste of cash if you do it wrong.

I’ve seen business owners spend $2,000 in a month bidding on a rival’s name and get zero phone calls. Why? Because their website didn't give the person a reason to switch.

If someone is looking for "Jim's Mowing" and your ad says "Bob’s Mowing - Best in Brisbane," they probably won't click. They were looking for Jim. But if your ad says "Cheaper than Jim's - We Show Up Today," now you’ve given them a reason to pause.

Before you start throwing money at Google, you need to stop wasting budget on people who are never going to buy from you. If you’re a premium service, don't bid on the "budget" competitor’s name. You’ll just get people looking for a price you can't match.

The Quality Trap

Pick the ones who: - Have bad reviews (you can be the "highly rated" alternative). - Are more expensive than you. - Are located further away from the customer.

Part 4: A Real-World Case Study: The Morningside Mechanic

Let’s look at a real example. We worked with a mechanic in Morningside who was struggling to compete with the big dealership service centres.

Every time someone searched for "Toyota Service Brisbane" or "Mazda Logbook Service," the dealerships were winning. We decided to run a competitor campaign targeting those specific dealership names.

The Ad Strategy: Instead of a generic ad, we wrote: "Don’t Pay Dealership Prices. Keep Your Warranty & Save $200 on Your Service. Local Morningside Workshop."

The Result: Within the first month, he booked 12 new customers who were originally going to go to the dealership. - Cost per click: About $2.50. - Total Spend: $300. - Revenue Generated: Over $4,000.

He didn't need to be the biggest mechanic in Brisbane. He just needed to be in front of the right people at the moment they were thinking about spending money. This is how you win more jobs even when the big players are trying to dominate the market.

Part 5: How Much Should You Spend?

This is the question every business owner asks: "How much is this going to cost me?"

In Brisbane, bidding on a competitor's name is usually cheaper than bidding on general terms. For example, the keyword "Roof Restoration Brisbane" might cost you $25 per click. But bidding on "[Competitor Name] Roofs" might only cost you $3 or $4.

However, you have to track it properly. You need to know if that $4 click actually turned into a phone call. I see too many tradies and shop owners who have no idea if their ads are working. They just see money leaving their bank account.

If you want to be successful, you have to measure if your money is making sales. If you spend $500 on competitor ads and don't get a single booking, stop doing it. It means your offer isn't strong enough to make people switch.

Part 6: Step-By-Step: How to Start Protection Your Brand

If you want to do this yourself, or if you want to know what to ask your marketing person, here is the basic checklist:

1. Search your own business name: See who shows up. If there are ads above your organic listing, you are losing money right now. 2. Create a "Brand" Campaign: Target your own name and your website. It will be the cheapest advertising you ever do, and it keeps the vultures away. 3. Identify 3 Top Competitors: Choose the ones who are similar in size or slightly larger. Don't go after the massive global corporations unless you have a very specific reason. 4. Write a "Why Us" Ad: Don't just copy their name. Tell the customer why they should choose you instead. Use words like "Local," "Family Owned," "Better Price," or "Available Now." 5. Send them to a good page: If they click your ad, don't just send them to your home page. Send them to a page that proves you’re better than the competition.

Part 7: Is it "Dirty" Marketing?

Some people feel a bit funny about bidding on a competitor's name. They think it’s a bit underhanded.

Here’s my take: It’s business. Your competitors are likely already doing it to you, or they will be soon. As long as you aren't lying in your ads and you aren't pretending to be them (which is against Google’s rules and can get you sued), it’s perfectly legal and ethical.

You are simply offering the customer a choice. In a place like Brisbane, where word-of-mouth is huge, giving someone a local alternative is actually doing them a favour.

Summary: What to Do Next

Don't let your competitors sit on top of your hard work.

Start by protecting your own name. It’s cheap, it’s effective, and it ensures that when someone looks for you, they find you. Then, if you have the budget, start testing some ads against your rivals.

Remember, the goal isn't just to get "clicks." Clicks don't pay the bills. The goal is to get the phone to ring. If you find that competitor bidding is getting you cheap clicks but no calls, it’s time to look at your offer or your website.

If you’re too busy running your business to mess around with Google Ads settings, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses take back their territory and grow their sales without the headache.

Ready to stop the poachers and grow your business? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s see how we can get your phone ringing.