What Are Branded Keywords?
Branded keywords are search terms that specifically include the name of a brand, its products, or any unique variants associated with the brand. These keywords are what people type into search engines or use on social media platforms when they’re looking for information related to a particular brand. For example, typing “Apple Watch” into Google is a branded keyword search because it includes a product name associated with the brand “Apple.”
Examples of branded keyword ideas are:
Brand Names: This is the most direct type of branded keyword. It could be simply “Google,” “Nike,” or “Coca-Cola.” When someone searches for these terms, they are looking directly for information about these specific companies.
Product Names: These include specific products or services offered by a brand. For example, “McRib” from McDonald’s, “Frappuccino” from Starbucks, or “Pixel 8” from Google. Sometimes, these product names are coupled with the brand name to improve clarity, like “Amazon Echo Dot” or “Samsung Galaxy.”
Brand Misspellings or Name Variations: People often misspell brand names while searching. For example, they might search for “Northface” instead of “The North Face” or “Tim Horton’s,” which is a common misspelling of “Tim Hortons.” Brands need to monitor these variations because they affect how easily users find their products or services.
Hashtags and Mentions: On social media, branded searches can also appear as hashtags or mentions. For example, #Marshall or @Google. While these are generally not searchable through search engines, they are still considered very important for digital marketing on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Why Do Branded Keywords Matter?
Branded keywords are incredibly essential for digital marketing because they directly involve the names and specific products of your brand. These are terms that users input into search engines when they are already somewhat familiar with what your company offers and are possibly nearing a purchase decision. For example, when someone searches for “Nike Air Max” or “Starbucks Frappuccino,” they’re not just browsing; they’re likely interested in these specific products, which makes them important for your content marketing strategy.
Here are some reasons why branded phrases or keywords are essential:
Targeted Reach
Branded keywords enable you to reach an audience that is already aware of your brand or is actively seeking more information. This makes your marketing efforts more efficient, as these users are further down the sales funnel. For example, a search for “Apple iPhone 16 features” indicates a user who is specifically interested in Apple’s products over generic smartphone queries.
Higher Conversion Rates
Because users searching with branded queries often have specific intentions, they are more likely to convert into paying customers. They might be looking to compare prices, read reviews, or make a purchase directly. This makes every click from such searches extremely valuable.
Competitive Advantage
By optimizing for branded searches, you ensure that your brand dominates the search results for these terms, which helps to ward off competition. If someone searches for “Dyson vacuum cleaners,” you want to make sure Dyson’s official sites and positive reviews are what the user finds, not competitor information or negative content.
Control Over Brand Narrative
Effective use of branded keywords allows you to control the narrative around your brand. This is essential in managing your online reputation and seeing that potential customers find accurate and helpful information. For example, if “Xerox copier faulting” becomes a common search, the company needs to address these concerns directly on its platforms to maintain trust.
Monitoring Market Trends
Keeping track of how your branded keywords are performing can help you spot trends and shifts in consumer behavior or interest. For example, if there’s a sudden spike in searches for “patio furniture” at Home Depot, this could signal a rising trend in home improvement projects.
How to Optimize for Branded Keywords
Optimizing for branded queries is an important strategy in digital marketing that helps improve your brand’s visibility and authority in search results.
This is how you can optimize for branded keywords using simple methods and relevant tools:
Identify Your Branded Keywords
The first step in optimizing for branded keywords is to identify them. This involves gathering all the variations of keywords that are associated with your brand, products, or services. Use Google Search Console to access the Performance report, where you can filter for terms that include your brand names or product-specific keywords. Export this data into a spreadsheet for a comprehensive view.
If you don’t have access to Google Search Console, use other online tools to find these keywords. For a better understanding, use online keyword explorers to input your known branded keywords and discover additional related terms and their variations. This might include common misspellings or longer phrases that include your brand.
Choose Which Keywords to Target
Once you have your list of brand keywords, the next step is to prioritize which ones to target:
Underperforming Keywords: Identify any branded keywords that are not ranking at the top of search results. These are opportunities to improve. For example, if “Nike running shoes” isn’t ranking as high as you’d like, consider upgrading the content on that page.
Mismatched Intent: Sometimes, a keyword might rank well but doesn’t match what the user is actually looking for. If “Apple store locations” leads users to a general homepage rather than a store locator page, it’s time to adjust your content to better meet user intent.
High-Value Keywords: Focus on keywords that have a higher search volume but might be more competitive. These keywords can drive significant traffic if targeted correctly. For example, optimizing for “Samsung Galaxy S25” right after a product launch could capture a lot of interested users.
Add Internal Links
Internal linking is a powerful SEO tactic that reinforces the relevance and authority of your pages. By linking your brand keywords from high-authority pages to pages that need a boost, you help improve their visibility and ranking.
Site Navigation: Include brand keywords in your main navigation where relevant. For example, if you sell beauty products, having a navigation link like “Dove Hair Treatments” helps strengthen that keyword.
Important Pages: On your main product or category pages, use internal links with branded keywords to guide users and search engines to related content. For example, linking “Adobe Photoshop Tutorials” from your software tutorial hub can drive more traffic to that section.
Mention Pages: Anytime a branded keyword is mentioned in your content, consider linking it to a relevant page. This not only improves the user experience by providing easy access to additional information but also helps strengthen your SEO efforts.
What Is the Difference Between Branded and Non-Branded Keywords?
The distinction between branded and non-branded keywords is fundamental to understanding SEO and content marketing, as it impacts how businesses strategize their online presence.
Branded Keywords
Branded keyphrases include the specific names of a company, its products, or any unique identifier related to the brand. These could be as direct as “Coca-Cola,” product-specific such as “iPhone 16,” or even unique services like “Amazon Prime.”
When users search using brand keywords, they already have some awareness or interest in the brand. For example, a search for “Nike Air Max” indicates a user who knows about Nike and is likely looking for specific information on the Air Max shoes, possibly with an intent to purchase.
Non-Branded Keywords
Non-branded keywords, on the other hand, are generic and do not include brand names. They focus on broader industry terms or general needs. For example, “running shoes,” “smartphone reviews,” or “fast food delivery services” are all non-branded keywords.
These keywords are generally used by users who are in the initial stages of the buying process, perhaps still exploring their options and not yet committed to a specific brand. They might be looking to understand what products or services meet their needs or which brand to choose.
How to Find Branded Keywords?
Finding branded keywords is an essential part of your digital marketing and SEO strategy, as it helps you understand your brand search online.
Here’s how to identify these valuable keywords:
Use Google Alerts
One of the easiest ways to track mentions of your brand searches across the web is through Google Alerts. Whenever these terms are mentioned online, Google Alerts will send you a notification. This helps you monitor your brand’s presence and identify the contexts in which your brand is being discussed.
Explore Social Media
Social media platforms are excellent resources for user-generated content where your brand might be mentioned. Tools like Twitter’s Advanced Search can be incredibly useful. Analyze popular posts to see common terms and phrases people use when talking about your brand. Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn also offer search functionalities that can help identify how your brand is being discussed.
Use SEO and Analytics Tools
Using professional online tools can provide better information about how your brand is being searched. Most tools offer features like keyword tracking and brand monitoring. They can show you the volume of searches for your branded keywords, the competition for these keywords, and how they trend over time. This data is essential for understanding which aspects of your brand attract the most attention.
Check Your Google Search Console
Google Search Console is another invaluable tool in your kit. It shows you what search queries attract users to your site. Filter these queries to see which ones contain your brand name or specific product names. This will give you a clear idea of what branded keywords are driving traffic to your website.
Listen to Your Customers
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of simply listening to your customers. Pay attention to the language they use in reviews, emails, customer support interactions, and even during casual conversations with social media accounts. Customers generally use specific phrases or describe your products in certain ways that can lead to discovering valuable branded keywords.
Tips to Improve the Use of Branded Keywords
Here are some tips to improve the use of branded keyphrases:
- Monitor Performance: Regularly track how your branded keywords perform using Google Analytics. Look for trends and patterns that can guide further optimization.
- Use PPC Campaigns: Complement your organic efforts with PPC campaigns targeted at branded keywords to dominate the search results pages and prevent competitors from capitalizing on your brand equity.
- Optimize for Multiple Keywords: Don’t just focus on a single keyword. Optimize for multiple keywords related to your brand to capture the broader search intent.
- Update Content Regularly: Keep your content fresh and relevant by regularly updating it with the latest information and keywords, which can help maintain high rankings and engage users effectively.
Conclusion
Finding and using branded keywords can really help improve how visible your brand is online and how you connect with your target audience. Tools like Google Alerts, social media searches, SEO tools, and Google Search Console are great for spotting these important keywords.
Understanding and using these keywords properly can drive more people to your website and increase your sales. In the end, it’s all about keeping an eye on these keywords regularly and adjusting your strategies to keep up with what your customers are searching for.