Non-branded keywords are the searches people make without knowing you exist, such as a problem, a category or a comparison. Growth from search mostly comes from these, because branded searches only capture people who already know you.
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Why separate them
Branded traffic often hides weak discovery. Splitting branded and non-branded in Search Console shows whether strangers are finding you.
Types worth targeting
- Problem searches, such as how to reduce churn
- Category searches, such as customer success software
- Comparison and alternatives searches
- Use-case searches for specific jobs and teams
Common mistakes
Celebrating total clicks
A rise driven by brand searches can mask flat discovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Search Console's query filters accept a regex that excludes your brand terms, and recent tools offer a branded-query filter.
Keep reading
- Branded Keywords: Branded keywords are searches that include a company or product name, such as “Acme pricing”. They signal strong intent and need their own tracking.
- Search Console Query Report: The Search Console query report lists the searches your site appeared for in Google, with clicks, impressions, CTR and average position for each query.
- Search Console regex filter: A Search Console regex filter uses a regular expression to include or exclude queries or pages in the Performance report, using RE2 syntax.
- Demand Capture: Marketing aimed at buyers who are already in the market and looking for a solution, such as search and review sites, as opposed to creating new demand.
- Alternative Keywords: “Alternative” keywords are searches like “Mailchimp alternatives” from people looking to replace a product. They often signal dissatisfaction and high intent.
- Best Keywords: “Best” keywords are searches like “best CRM for startups” where buyers want a ranked shortlist. Results are usually roundups from publishers and review sites.
- Click-Through Rate: Click-through rate is clicks divided by impressions: the share of times your result was shown that someone clicked it. Position and SERP layout drive it heavily.
- Commercial Intent: Commercial intent marks searches made by people researching a purchase, such as comparisons and “best” lists. For SaaS, they are often the most valuable.
