Conquesting Keyword Targeting Strategy
Conquesting is a powerful strategy that allows advertisers to bid on competitor-branded keywords to capture high-intent shoppers.
If you enable the conquesting feature, we provide the advertiser to choose from the following options and set their desired keyword targeting strategy:
Generic, Branded, and Conquesting (recommended and default) - This strategy targets all types of keywords in a single setup:
Generic keywords like “sneakers” or “laptops”.
Branded keywords that include your brand or product name.
Conquesting keywords that mention competitor or complementary brands.
Generic and Branded - This option targets:
Generic terms used for product discovery like “smartphones”, “detergent”.
Branded keywords that help reinforce your brand’s presence in search.
Conquesting - This strategy focuses only on competitor or complementary brand keywords.
It lets ads show up when shoppers search for other known brands in the same category.
This means the advertiser's product can appear when shoppers search for a competitor’s brand, capturing demand from users with strong purchase intent.
How Branded Searches Are Identified
For conquesting to work correctly, the system needs to accurately identify which searches are branded and which brand they belong to.
It does this by analyzing shopper behavior: specifically, which products shoppers click on after entering a search term. When a term consistently drives clicks to products from the same brand, it signals a high level of brand exclusivity. The system classifies that term as a branded search, even when the brand name is not explicitly part of the query.
For example, if most organic clicks for the search "CloudMax" go to products from one specific brand, the system learns that "CloudMax" is closely associated with that brand. That classification is then inherited by related keyword variants. A niche term like "CloudMax case" or "CloudMax accessories" can be recognized as branded based on its relationship to the parent keyword without needing its own history of clicks or advertiser activity.
This gives Criteo a precise mapping of each search: is it generic, or is it branded — and if branded, which brand does it belong to? That classification is what enforces the keyword targeting strategy each advertiser selects. It determines which campaigns are eligible to bid on a given search, and it's what makes both defensive branded targeting and Conquesting reliable for your advertisers.
Why should you enable Conquesting?
Drive incremental revenue - Conquesting increases demand on high-value keywords, boosting fill rates and CPCs.
Let advertisers target competitor searches - Advertisers can bid on branded search terms (e.g., “Nike shoes”) to reach shoppers actively searching for competitors. This opens up new budget opportunities and enhances auction dynamics.
Offer competitive retail media solutions - You can give brands the flexibility and control they need to run smarter and more strategic campaigns.
How does it work?
Step 1: Shopper Searches for a Branded Keyword
A user enters a branded search term on your site, for example, “Nike running shoes.”
Step 2: Auction Begins
The ad auction is triggered for that keyword. Traditionally, only the brand owner (Nike) would bid and appear in this auction.
Step 3: Conquesting Opens the Auction
With conquesting enabled, competing brands (e.g., Adidas, Puma) can now bid on that same branded keyword.
Step 4: More Advertisers Join
The auction becomes competitive. Multiple brands now bid for visibility on high-intent search terms.
Step 5: Fill Rate and CPCs Increase
More sponsored ads are shown.
Cost-per-click (CPC) rises due to increased competition.
Even the brand owner (Nike) may need to bid higher to maintain visibility.
Key Benefits
Seamless Shopper Experience
Conquesting is designed to integrate smoothly into the shopper journey. Ads are shown in a way that complements the user’s intent, without interrupting or confusing the flow of their search.
No pop-ups or irrelevant distractions.
Sponsored products appear naturally within existing search results.
The shopper continues their journey without noticing any change in experience quality.
Respect for Purchase Intent - Conquesting targets branded keyword searches, which typically signal high purchase intent. This ensures that:
Ads shown are relevant alternatives or complementary products.
Shoppers are presented with choices, not noise.
The integrity of the search (e.g., “Nike running shoes”) is maintained - only brands with similar offerings are surfaced.
Relevance-Driven Ad Placement - You can maintain control over which products are eligible to appear, ensuring:
Only contextually appropriate ads are shown.
No misleading or off-brand promotions.
Shopper trust and satisfaction remain intact.