Do you know how many people are searching for your brand on the internet?
Branded search volume is a neglected part of SEO.
Brand searches are more than proof of your existence. Analyzing them and optimizing around these terms can help brands understand their consumers and build more credibility.
What is Branded Search Volume?
Branded search volume indicates the number of times people search for your brand or products on search engines like Google.
When users search for your brand, they are not searching for any other company. They precisely want you. This shows that you have developed a certain level of credibility among people.
This is also a good sign that your branding strategies are working!
You can track this metric using Google Analytics and Google Search Console, which are free tools or
You can use paid tools like Ahrefs to see increased branded search volume over time.
Type of Branded Searches
There are types of branded searches, and in this section, we will talk about those.
Understanding the different types of branded search volume can help brands and businesses uncover search patterns about their customers.
1) Brand Name
This type of search is when people type your brand name into Google, and your homepage comes up first.
Example: Nike, LinkedIn, etc
2) Mis-spelled Brand Names
It happens all the time, people often misspell brand names when searching.
However, Google and other search engines are smart enough to lead people to the right websites by displaying relevant searches, even if people mistype the brand name.
Example: Instead of LinkedIn, Linkedin, or instead of Starbucks, Star Bucks.
3) Brand’s Product Name
Here, users are looking for a particular product of your brand.
This type of branded search volume indicates that users are aware of your brand and interested in purchasing your products.
This is an opportunity to improve your product pages and appear at the top of your search results.
Examples: iPhone, Lululemon Yoga mats, Starbucks coffee, etc.
4) Brand’s Service
Similar to product searches, branded service searches are based on your service.
People are looking for information on what services you can offer. This is another reason why you should optimize your service pages.
Example: FedEx shipping services
5) Trademark Name
Trademark searches include the same terms as the name of the products or services you wish to trademark.
This search type indicates the consumer is seeking a particular brand’s product. Optimizing for trademark names can protect your brand’s integrity.
Example: Kleenex tissues
There are types of branded searches, and in this section, we will talk about those.
Understanding the different types of branded search volume can help brands and businesses uncover search patterns about their customers.
What does the Branded Search Traffic Tell Us?
Although it is a metric representing branded traffic, branded search volume is more than that.
It helps you discover things about your consumer insights and marketing angles that you never even considered and in many ways that you never even thought of.
1) Brand Awareness and Visibility
When people are looking for your brand name, it means they know who you are and what you offer.
This metric is a clear indication of how much your brand’s visibility in the marketplace.
2) Target Audience Location
Knowing where your branded searches are based on location can be a game-changer. This can assist you in developing location-based SEO strategies for your brand.
For example, if you see an increase in brand search for your ‘Perfumes’ from a particular city in the Middle East and if you do sell perfumes there.
Then, you can create specific content targeting this particular local audience from the Middle East and convert those organic search clicks into customers.
3) Impact of your marketing campaigns
Your branded search volume is the sum of all your marketing efforts. From your impressive social media presence to those catchy Instagram posts, all of it goes into creating brand awareness.
People looking for your brand are most likely either your customers or have heard about you on a platform, whether offline or online.
Also, you will know what contributed if you notice a spike in branded searches after a particular campaign.
4) Analyzing Your Customer Sentiments
Understanding the kind of queries that people make when searching for your brand can help you understand their needs, wants, and concerns.
For example, if you see searches such as ‘[Your Brand] coupons/offers,’ it is time to create new offers that meet your customer’s needs.
5) Discover your competitor’s marketing angles
Your competitors may be bidding on your brand keywords in the paid search. It’s a sneaky tactic, but it happens more frequently than one can imagine.
In this case, you can overbid your competitors to reclaim your sport, but you should also examine the marketing and copy they used in these ads.
Going through your competitor’s marketing copy, from ads to landing pages, can open up new promotional angles for your brand.
For example, when people search for your software, you notice most competitors are trying to offer free trials without credit cards in their copy. Then it is the time for you to do the same, too.
Additionally, you can increase your SEO efforts by creating relevant pages for your branded search and ensuring that your website and social media handles are the only ones appearing on your name’s first page of the search engine results page.
How to Optimize For Your Branded Search Even Further?
If you’re already ranking on Google for your brand name, what is the point of optimizing further?
Google has changed its interface for SERPs over the years, leading brands to build credibility in multiple ways.
Thus, you’re missing out on the potential clicks on SERPs by not optimising further.
1) Use Sitelinks Effectively
Sitelinks are links that appear below your website listing on Google searches. They help users navigate to your website’s relevant pages or sections.
To encourage Google to generate site links for your brand, follow these best practices:
- Optimize Your Site Structure: Ensure your website has a clear page hierarchy. Use internal linking to understand your category pages and pillar posts. This helps Google determine which pages are most important.
- Create Quality Content: Focus on creating well-researched, engaging, and relevant content for your audience.
- Use Metadata: Make sure that every page has a meta title and description that are relevant to the page content.
Sitelinks are a great way to increase your brand’s visibility and click-through rates.
2) Use Knowledge Panel
A Knowledge Panel is a box on the right of the search results when a person searches for your brand.
It briefly explains your business, including descriptions, images, and links. Here’s how you can create one:
- Optimize Your Google My Business Listing: Make sure that your Google Business Profile (GBP) and other business listings have matching and accurate information about your business
- Claim Your Knowledge Panel: You can claim your knowledge panel through Google’s verification process.
- Build an Online Presence: Make your online presence visible through a well-optimized website and active social media profiles.
Businesses that use knowledge panels are often local stores, public figures, and companies with significant online recognition. They increase the business’s visibility and credibility
3) Focus on Your Google Ratings
Google ratings and reviews are very powerful and can significantly improve customers’ confidence in your brand.
Here’s how you can leverage them:
- Encourage Customer Reviews: Encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews on your Google Business Profile.
- Respond to Reviews: Interact with customers through their reviews —whether they’re positive or negative. This shows that you value feedback and are willing to improve customer experiences.
Google reviews increase trust and are a significant factor in local SEO rankings.
Wrap Up
Branded Search Volume is important for brands and businesses. If you can analyze it and gain insights, you can learn about your customers and explore how your brand is represented online.
To assist you in developing a brand with SEO, we can offer you our SEO services in which we create a customized strategy for you to follow.
