How Paid Search Helped a Local Venue Protect Its Brand and Regain Control
At PGH Digital, we’ve helped clients run paid search campaigns to increase web traffic, promote new services, or sell more products, but sometimes, success isn’t measured in sales alone. Sometimes, it’s about protecting your brand and your customers.
Recently, we worked with a well-known regional venue that found itself in a tough spot. While their lineup of shows brought in people from all over, ranging from high-energy concerts to family-friendly performances and national Broadway tours, they were facing a growing issue that couldn’t be solved with traditional marketing tactics alone.
Despite the strong interest in their events, they were losing control of their online visibility due to one major issue: third-party ticket resellers.
The Rise of Resellers in Paid Search
Third-party ticketing sites had begun bidding on Google Ads for the venue’s name and specific show titles. These unofficial resellers were consistently outranking the venue’s own listings on Google, creating confusion for patrons who believed they were purchasing tickets directly from the venue. While this practice happens daily, for all different entertainment areas, the venue was hit in ways they did not anticipate.
But this wasn’t just a matter of losing clicks, it created real-world problems:
Overpriced tickets due to reseller markups
Lack of accountability when shows were canceled or rescheduled
Frustrated customers who assumed they were dealing with the venue directly
Negative reviews and brand damage despite the venue having no connection to these sales
What was once a simple Google search turned into a trap for well-meaning patrons. The venue’s customer service team was overwhelmed, and the brand’s hard-earned reputation was being eroded, not by their own actions but by unauthorized intermediaries.
The PGH Digital Strategy: Protect, Promote, Reclaim
We partnered with their team to design a paid search strategy with one mission: reclaim their digital presence and ensure that ticket buyers were directed to the official box office, not a scammy third-party site.
We launched two complementary Google Ads campaigns:
Brand Protection Campaigns
These campaigns targeted branded keywords (like “[Venue Name] tickets” or “[Venue Name] events”) and ensured the official site appeared first in search results. The ad copy was written to clearly indicate that this was the official ticket source, reinforcing trust and legitimacy.
Marquee Show Campaigns
For big-name acts and popular shows, we created custom campaigns focused specifically on those events. These were the ones most likely to be targeted by resellers, so our goal was to outbid and out-optimize those third-party listings with relevant ad copy and streamlined landing pages.
Together, these efforts helped reestablish a trustworthy customer journey from search to purchase.
The Results: High Performance, Real Impact
In just the month of April, the venue’s paid search campaign saw:
16,000+ impressions
3,500+ clicks
21.83% click-through rate (CTR)
To put that in perspective, the average CTR for Google Search Ads across industries typically falls between 6-7%, meaning this campaign achieved more than triple the industry average. More importantly, it helped direct thousands of patrons to the venue’s official ticketing platform, reducing confusion and restoring a sense of trust in the purchasing process.
Paid Search as a Brand Safety Tool
This campaign is a powerful reminder that Google Ads aren’t just about selling more; they’re also a valuable tool for protecting your brand and your customer relationships. When executed strategically, paid search can act as a digital shield, pushing harmful or misleading listings out of the spotlight and giving your audience the clarity they need.
Every business is different. What worked for this venue, a mix of brand protection and show-specific targeting, might not work for a different organization. And that’s exactly why we don’t believe in cookie-cutter campaigns.
At PGH Digital, we take a custom approach to every client, regardless of their industry or marketing challenge. Whether you’re battling resellers, trying to stand out in a competitive market, or launching something completely new, we build our strategies around your specific needs and your unique goals.
Because protecting your brand and your customers starts with a partner who understands what makes you different.