What Is Branded Search? (And How to Optimize Your Site for It)

What Is Branded Search?

A branded hunt is an online hunt for accusation connected a circumstantial brand.

For example, a idiosyncratic who searches “where to bargain Swatch watches” wants to cognize wherever they tin bargain watches made by the Swatch institution specifically.

Imagine idiosyncratic does a branded hunt involving your brand. This means they aren’t funny successful conscionable immoderate random brand. They privation accusation connected your offerings.

In this article, we’ll explicate however to marque the astir of this opportunity. 

Types of Branded Keywords

Branded keywords notation to the hunt presumption utilized to find brand-related content.

They travel successful assorted types:

• The sanction of the marque itself: “McDonalds menu,” “McDonalds adjacent me,” and “how to enactment astatine McDonalds” incorporate the McDonald’s marque name
• The sanction of a brand’s product: “Nintendo Switch games” and “Nintendo Switch price” notation to the gaming console sold by Nintendo
• The sanction of a brand’s service: “FedEx SameDay delivery” and “FedEx SameDay tracking” notation to FedEx’s SameDay transportation service
• Trademarked names: “Dockers pants” and “Dockers D3 Classic” incorporate the “Dockers” trademark

Branded Search vs. Non-Branded Search

Unlike branded searches, non-branded searches person nary narration to immoderate brand.

To illustrate, present are examples of branded vs. non-branded keywords with the named brands successful bold:

• “Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes” vs. “Cream food recipes”
• “How to lavation a Speedo swimsuit” vs. “How to lavation a swimsuit”
• “Where bash Starbucks java beans travel from” vs. “Where bash java beans travel from”

Notice however non-branded keywords are generic—unlike their branded counterparts.

Why Are Non-Branded Keywords Important?

Creating contented that targets non-branded keywords is indispensable adjacent though these keywords don’t see your brand. Doing truthful helps you scope radical who whitethorn not person heard of you but whitethorn inactive payment from what you offer.

Once you seizure these searchers’ attention, you tin amended them astir your marque and however your offerings lick their symptom points. To convert them into customers.

Then, arsenic users become alert of your brand, they whitethorn besides statesman utilizing your branded keywords successful searches.

Why Are Branded Keywords Important?

Branded keywords connection opportunities to marque much sales.

That’s due to the fact that radical who usage branded keywords similar “[your service] pricing” oregon “buy [your product]” already cognize of your brand. They’re much apt to bargain your products than radical who person ne'er heard of you.

Or, if these radical person already bought your product, they whitethorn beryllium looking for accusation connected utilizing it. They whitethorn beryllium utilizing branded keywords similar “how to cleanable [your product]” oregon “[your product] acquisition manual.”

By creating pages that code your customers’ needs, you’ll support them happy. They whitethorn go repetition customers oregon urge you to others. Leading to higher revenue.

Tracking your branded keyphrases tin besides assistance you summation insights connected your marque like:

• The grade of assemblage cognition of your brand: Your branded keywords’ hunt volumes tin bespeak however alert radical are of your brand. Plus, you find retired what customers don’t cognize astir your marque based connected the branded question keywords they use.
• Customer sentiments: Using branded keywords similar “[your marque name] review” lets you observe others’ views of your brand. Including antagonistic opinions that request addressing.
• Your apical competitors: Branded keywords similar “[your marque name] vs. [competitor name]” archer you the businesses users are comparing you to
• Content gaps: Discover accusation connected your marque radical privation but you don’t person contented for yet
• Your stock of search: Share of search refers to the measurement of hunt queries your marque owns compared to each brands successful your niche. The much hunt queries successful your niche that impact your branded keywords, the higher your stock of search.

Benefits of Branded Traffic

Branded postulation refers to website visitors looking for accusation astir that marque specifically.

By leveraging branded traffic, you basal to:

• Enjoy higher integrated hunt rankings: Search engines volition apt spot your contented arsenic a much authoritative results enactment for your branded keywords compared to contented provided by others. They whitethorn fertile your contented higher for these keywords.
• Enhance your marque estimation and credibility: Some branded keyword searchers whitethorn beryllium looking for opinions of your brand. If you tin nonstop these searchers to favorable reviews of your products, you’ll apt amended your marque reputation.
• Improve the idiosyncratic experience: Provide users with contented that addresses the branded questions they’re asking. This way, they get the reliable, close answers they want. And their enactment with your marque volition extremity with them feeling satisfied.
• Reap a higher instrumentality connected concern connected hunt branding ads: Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns for branded searches tin get you a instrumentality connected advertisement walk arsenic precocious arsenic 19X that for non-branded keywords

This tin each pb to much postulation for your website and much affirmative sentiments toward your brand.

You tin capitalize by gaining much customers and sales. After all, 54% of planetary consumers surveyed similar to get pre-purchase accusation via hunt engines.

How to Identify Branded Keywords

Here are six keyword research methods for identifying your branded keywords:

1. Use the Semrush Organic Research Tool

The Semrush Organic Research instrumentality displays each the branded keywords you already fertile for successful 1 broad report.

To usage the tool, log successful to your Semrush relationship and click “SEO” > “Organic Research” successful the near sidebar.

Type your brand’s domain into the tool. Choose the state for which you privation to cheque your branded keyword rankings. Then click “Search.”

Click the “Positions” tab.

Then, prime “Advanced filters” and update the filter information truthful it reads “Include” > “Keyword type” > “Branded.”

Click “Apply,” and the instrumentality volition supply a filtered study of your branded keywords.

From here, presumption accusation for each branded keyword, like:

• Your ranking position
• The domain URL that’s ranking for the keyword
• The beingness of search motor results leafage (SERP) features similar featured snippets oregon “People Also Ask” boxes

Apply much filters if you privation to refine your branded keyword database further.

For example, usage the “Positions” filter to show lone branded keywords for which you fertile successful positions 11-20. So you cognize what these are and tin enactment to amended your rankings for them.

2. Use the Semrush Keyword Gap Tool

Do a competitive analysis of the branded keywords your rivals are ranking for—but you aren’t—with Semrush’s Keyword Gap tool.

Launch the instrumentality by going to “SEO” > “Keyword Gap” from your Semrush account’s near sidebar. Then, click “+ Add up to 3 competitors” truthful you tin supply aggregate competing domains.

Type the basal domains for your marque and astatine slightest 2 competitors. Leave the settings arsenic “Root domain” and “Organic keywords” respectively.

Choose the state for which you privation to comparison your branded keyword rankings. Then, click “Compare.”

Click “Advanced filters” and update the filter information truthful it reads “Include” > “Keyword”> “Containing” > “[Your marque name].” Then, click “Apply.”

Scroll down and click “Missing” to get a database of your branded keywords that your competitors are each ranking for but you aren’t.

Click a competitor’s domain to benignant their rankings from highest to lowest.

This is utile for seeing which of your branded keywords they’re ranking highly for. (And you aren’t.)

3. Use Google Autocomplete

Google’s autocomplete diagnostic suggests branded queries for hunt presumption containing your marque name.

Go to the Google homepage and benignant your marque sanction into the hunt bar. Google volition suggest a database of keywords containing your marque sanction for you to see targeting.

After that, benignant “a” into the hunt barroom specified that your hunt query becomes “[your marque name] a.” Google volition suggest much branded related keywords arsenic you bash so.

To get adjacent much branded keyword ideas, regenerate “a” with “b,” “c,” and the remainder of the letters successful the alphabet until you scope “[your marque name] z.” 

4. Look astatine the ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘People Also Search for’ Sections

Google besides displays keyword suggestions successful the “People besides ask” (PAA) and “People besides hunt for” (PASF) sections connected its SERPs.

Type your marque sanction into Google’s hunt bar. Then, deed “Enter” oregon “return” connected your keyboard to tally the search.

Scroll down the SERP. Under its PAA and PASF sections, you’ll find much keywords you mightiness privation to adhd to your marque keyword list.

5. View Your Google Search Console Performance Report

Google Search Console’s show reports connection insights into the branded keywords for which radical are clicking done the SERPs to sojourn your website.

Open Google Search Console and click “Search results” successful the near sidebar to presumption the “Performance connected Search results” report.

On this report, click the “Total clicks” study to alteration it if it isn’t already.

Then, click “+ New” > “Query…” to make a caller filter.

Under “Filter,” alteration the “Queries containing” mounting to “Custom (regex).”

Leave the filter information arsenic “Matches regex.” Then, participate your branded keywords into the query field. You tin abstracted aggregate keywords with a tube (|).

Finally, click “Apply.”

Scroll down to presumption the branded keywords that person contributed to clicks to your website.

6. View Your Google Analytics 4 Query Reports

Check Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to larn the integrated keywords radical person utilized to sojourn your website. Including branded ones.

Start by connecting your website’s GA4 spot to your Google Search Console relationship if you haven’t already. (See however here: [GA4] Search Console integration.)

Then, successful GA4’s sidebar, navigate to “Reports” > “Search Console” > “Queries.”

GA4 volition show your website’s integrated hunt query report. Type your marque sanction into the hunt barroom conscionable supra the database of integrated keywords. Then, deed “Enter” oregon “return” connected your keyboard.

GA4 volition filter the study to show conscionable the integrated keywords containing your marque name.

9 Ways to Optimize for Branded Search Traffic

After identifying your branded keywords, usage these 9 tips to boost the hunt postulation they nonstop you:

1. Audit and Improve Your Current Pages

Apply on-page SEO improvements to the pages targeting your branded keywords to assistance these pages fertile higher for them.

These improvements include:

• Adding your branded keywords successful your pages’ title tags and headers
• Ensuring your pages’ contented is applicable to their people branded keyword
• Verifying your pages’ accusation is up to date

If you aren’t definite which parts of your pages request work, Semrush’s On Page SEO Checker tin help.

This instrumentality analyzes however your pages fertile for your people keywords compared to your apical 10 competitors’ hunt rankings. It past provides suggestions for enhancing your pages to outrank your rivals.

Go to your Semrush relationship and click “SEO” > “On Page SEO Checker” successful the near sidebar. Select “+ Create project” astatine the apical close of the screen.

Enter your brand’s domain and an optional task name. Then, click “Create project.”

Click “Set up” adjacent to the recently created website project.

The tool’s configuration settings volition appear. Choose your people location, past click “Continue.”

Next, supply the instrumentality with the pages that aren’t ranking good for your branded keywords by selecting “Organic Research.”

Click “Advanced filters” and acceptable up:

• Your preferred state database
• The minimum and maximum leafage presumption range. Leave the minimum presumption arsenic “11” to find pages not ranking successful the apical 10 of the SERPs.
• The fig of keywords to retrieve
• Your branded keyword successful the “Keywords containing” field

Then, click “+ Add.”

Finally, click “Collect ideas.”

At the bottommost of the tool’s report, you’ll spot a database of apical pages worthy optimizing. Click the “# ideas” fastener adjacent to immoderate leafage to get optimization ideas.

For example: To assistance the “https://www.mailerlite.com/mailchimp-alternative” leafage fertile higher for the “mailchimp vs mailerlite” and “mailerlite vs mailchimp” branded keywords, the instrumentality provides recommendations like:

• Adding related keywords to the page’s content
• Getting backlinks from definite domains

Act connected the tool’s suggestions for your pages.

2. Create New Pages Targeting Your Branded Keywords

After updating existing pages to amended people your branded keywords, see creating caller pages.

Do truthful by penning applicable contented that matches the search intent of the branded keyword you privation to target. Then, optimize the contented for your branded keyword utilizing a instrumentality similar Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant.

Navigate to the instrumentality by going to “Content Marketing” > “SEO Writing Assistant” from your Semrush account. Then, click “+ Analyze caller text.”

Paste your contented into the tool. Click “Set a caller goal” successful the close sidebar, and past adhd astatine slightest 2 branded keywords and your people audience. Hit “Get recommendations” aft that.

Under the “SEO” section, you’ll spot branded SEO suggestions to instrumentality enactment on, like:

• Using your branded keyword successful your title
• Adding keywords related to your people ones
• Adding alternative (alt) text to images

This editing instrumentality besides evaluates your content’s readability and code of voice. So you tin enactment connected these and make the highest-quality content for readers.

3. Optimize for Sitelinks successful Search Results

Sitelinks are a database of links nether definite Google hunt results. They pb to different pages connected the domain.

For example, present are the sitelinks for IHOP’s homepage:

Having sitelinks look for your domain connected your branded keywords’ hunt results:

• Offers users different applicable links to click to sojourn your website
• Helps your hunt effect instrumentality up much abstraction connected the SERPs. And propulsion competing hunt results downward and retired of view.

Thus sending much postulation to you alternatively of different websites.

Google automatically generates sitelinks based connected your website’s structure. There’s nary warrant Google volition show sitelinks for your domain. Improve your chances utilizing methods like:

• Crafting applicable and useful—yet concise—page titles
• Adding internal links to important pages
• Using abbreviated and descriptive anchor text (the clickable substance accompanying the link) for interior links

4. Manage Your Brand’s Google Knowledge Panel

Knowledge panels are accusation boxes connected the Google SERPs for entities similar radical and organizations.

Here is Bellroy’s cognition panel, for instance:

Knowledge panels thin to look for branded keywords consisting of conscionable the brand’s name.

For instance, you’ll spot Bellroy’s cognition sheet erstwhile you hunt for “Bellroy.” But not erstwhile you hunt for “Bellroy wallet.”

The sheet besides contains a nexus to the brand’s homepage, which tin nonstop much postulation to its website.

Google automatically generates cognition panels based connected contented it finds online. But you tin assertion your brand’s cognition sheet and petition edits to it.

This way, you’ll support its accusation close and up to date. And springiness users the astir authoritative facts astir your marque and signifier their content of it.

To assertion your brand’s cognition panel, spell done Google’s verification process. It includes signing successful to 1 of your brand’s authoritative sites oregon societal profiles to amusement you correspond it.

You’ll beryllium capable to edit your cognition sheet erstwhile verification is complete.

Further reading: Google Knowledge Panel: What Is It & How to Get One

5. Use Reviews to Manage Reputation Issues

Online estimation absorption is an important portion of a branded keyword strategy.

That’s due to the fact that radical usage branding keywords similar “[your marque name] review” to larn others’ opinions of your brand.

Good reviews tin nonstop much website postulation and income your way. Bad reviews tin person the other effect.

Use a section SEO instrumentality similar Semrush’s Review Management to show reviews astir your brand—and respond to them—so you amended your brand’s reputation.

Access the instrumentality by clicking “Local” > “Review Management” from your Semrush account. Then, benignant your concern sanction into the instrumentality and click the “Search” icon.

Scroll down the adjacent leafage that loads, click “Manage reviews now,” and travel the signup process.

Afterward, you’ll spot your brand’s reviews connected platforms similar Yelp and EZlocal successful the “Review Management” report.

Click the “Reply” fastener adjacent to immoderate reappraisal to respond to it. Aim to foster affirmative sentiments toward your marque arsenic you bash this.

For example, you could permission thank-you notes for affirmative feedback. Or stock details connected the follow-up actions you’ve taken successful effect to negative reviews.

Review Management besides provides AI-generated replies if you request ideas connected however to respond.

6. Answer Questions successful ‘People Also Ask’ Sections

The PAA conception is simply a container connected the Google SERPs that contains questions related to the archetypal hunt term. Users tin click these questions to rapidly spot answers.

For example, here’s the PAA conception erstwhile you Google “ko-fi”:

The reply volition besides incorporate a nexus to its root website. So users tin click and work more.

Aim to person Google diagnostic your answer—and your website—for your branded keywords’ PAA questions. 

To bash this, reappraisal the PAA questions that look erstwhile you hunt for your branded keywords. Add these questions and abbreviated answers to them successful places connected your website like:

• Your often asked questions (FAQs) page
• FAQ sections for circumstantial merchandise and work pages

Case successful point:

Google pulled the reply to the PAA question, “How overmuch does Ko-fi cost?” from the FAQ conception of Ko-fi’s memberships page.

7. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence

Post invaluable contented connected societal media regularly to physique marque consciousness and marque authority. As societal media users travel to spot you, they’ll beryllium much apt to bash branded searches for accusation on—or from—your marque alternatively of a competitor.

If you find engaging followers connected aggregate societal media channels challenging, effort a instrumentality similar Semrush’s Social Poster.

It provides a calendar for viewing your past and upcoming posts connected assorted societal platforms. Including Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile.

The instrumentality besides helps you docket and people posts connected these platforms successful 1 place.

Further reading: The Ultimate Guide To Social Media Marketing: Strategies & Tips

8. Build Branded Backlinks

Branded backlinks are links connected different websites that nonstop users to your pages and see your marque sanction successful their anchor text.

Just similar this property merchandise connected PR Newswire, which contains a branded backlink to the Semrush website:

Building branded backlinks tin summation your brand’s visibility arsenic it gets seen by users of different websites. These users whitethorn past usage your branded keywords to larn much astir you.

Your website whitethorn besides get a bully rankings boost from the backlink itself.

To get branded backlinks, collaborate connected branded content with websites that tin marque your marque sanction portion of the backlink’s anchor text.

Just similar however The Kangaroo Kite got a branded backlink from The Planet D aft contributing this impermanent post:

Another mode to get branded backlinks? Check for caller unlinked mentions of your brand. Then inquire the websites down them to crook the mentions into backlinks.

One mode of uncovering unlinked mentions is to Google “[your marque name] -[domain name].” Such arsenic “semrush -semrush.com.”

You’ll get hunt results for websites—apart from your own—that notation your marque name:

Sift done the results to find unlinked mentions.

Alternatively, way caller unlinked mentions utilizing Semrush’s Brand Monitoring tool. It automatically alerts you of these via email. No manual Googling needed.

Further reading: How to Get Backlinks: 10 Strategies That Work

9. Buy Search Ads for Your Branded Keywords

Although you’ll apt fertile good connected your branded keywords successful integrated listings, see buying the advertisement abstraction supra them.

That’s due to the fact that competitors tin besides spot ads connected your branded keywords—the aforesaid keywords you’ve painstakingly generated hunt request for.

Just similar what car rental concern RentalCars.com appears to person done connected the branded keyword for its rival, Turo:

Buying ads connected your branded keywords doesn’t forestall others from doing the same.

You whitethorn besides look a driblet successful integrated branded hunt postulation if searchers sojourn your website via your paid ads instead.

But astatine slightest you’ll person taken up 1 branded paid hunt advertisement slot that could person directed searchers distant from your website.

Further reading: What Is Google Ads & How Does It Work? A Comprehensive Guide

Turn Brand Search Into Traffic and Sales

Searchers who usage your branded keywords are already alert of your brand. 

So, don’t discarded the accidental to nonstop them to your website. And person them into customers.

From Organic Research to SEO Writing Assistant, Review Management, and more, Semrush offers galore tools for identifying your branded keywords, optimizing contented for them, and improving your marque estimation arsenic a whole.

Sign up for a free Semrush account to research these tools today.