Google AdWords

Some small businesses are saying they are suffering from larger organisations being able to do what is called brandjacking online. Brandjacking is when someone essentially takes someone else's identity online and bids on that brand.

Adwords brandjacking issues Source: Google

It often relates to the Google AdWords platform, which can be an invaluable tool for many businesses to get noticed online.

Businesses bid on keywords so their clickable ads appear at the top of Google's search results at a targeted time, location and device.   

But what happens when what is up for auction is your brand, or the name of your business?