{"id":8711,"date":"2019-10-16T14:18:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T18:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipullrank.com\/?p=8711"},"modified":"2024-08-05T15:14:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T19:14:42","slug":"10-ways-brands-forfeit-their-branded-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipullrank.com\/10-ways-brands-forfeit-their-branded-search","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways Brands Forfeit Their Branded Search"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In SEO, there is a lot of talk about what Google (and other search engines) should and should not do for brands. We can all agree that the object is organic traffic and that the method is capturing rankings for keyword queries. While there are tons of strategies to rank, the basics are: there are unbranded searches (queries that do not mention your brand name and are often general to a product or industry) and branded searches (which mentions the brand\u2019s name, domain, specific products).<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most SEO strategies are going after unbranded keywords because that is where the majority of incremental opportunity lies. It\u2019s how customers who are not looking for your brand directly are searching. Branded queries, on the other hand, are driven by existing customers or searchers who have been made aware of your brand through other channels (TV, social media, etc.)  and are explicitly looking for your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Value of Branded Keywords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most SEO strategies focus on unbranded keywords due to their high volume and traffic potential. But branded keywords are viable and should not be ignored. They represent existing and potential customers and just because a visitor is searching on your brand\u2019s name or a specific product does not mean that they have purchased before. In fact, it signals a higher likelihood to convert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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According to the\u00a0Advanced Web Rankings CTR Study<\/a>, the CTR for the no. 1 position for branded queries is 40% vs. 27% for the no. 1 position for unbranded queries.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For example, consumers searching for \u201crunning shoes\u201d could be comparison shopping or doing a broad research search. Whereas searchers looking for the branded \u201cadidas running shoes\u201d are specifically looking for the brand Adidas thus signalling greater intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Unbranded<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If your brand is strong and benefits from high visibility, branded keywords will likely have high search volume and be valuable to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Branded keywords will also be more important with the growing popularity of voice search. Machines like Google Home, Siri, and Alexa typically return one result or answer. Having your brand optimized to meet those branded voice queries will be more important than ever.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

An SEO strategy that is not focusing on branded search could be forfeiting traffic to review sites, shopping engines, Paid Search, and squatters. Here are 10 common ways brands squander their branded search visibility and how you can avoid these pitfalls in an SEO branded search strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Ways Brands Lose in Branded Search<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Believing Branded Keyword Search Is Minimal <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Compared to unbranded search, branded keyword queries generate less potential search volume and ultimately less traffic. However, in aggregate branded search volume can represent a significant portion of traffic and when reviewed in conjunction with direct traffic, branded traffic may represent a larger percentage of your overall organic traffic than unbranded terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Capitalize: <\/strong>Pay attention to your branded positions and clicks in GSC. Compare organic traffic against direct and your top organic entry pages. You can connect your GSC to Google Analytics to merge visibility with page-level data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Filtered
Filtered GSC Data based on Brand Mentions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For this brand, mentions of their brand name represented 25K clicks to their site over a 3-month period. That’s not minimal and should be monitored to ensure its steady-state and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Filtered
Filtered GSC Data based on Brand Mentions for a Specific URL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By filtering down to a specific URL, you can monitor its Organic visibility and corroborate this data in analytics. This is great intel for finding branded keywords and pages that are under-performing to help improve their visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Not Correlating Direct Traffic’s Role<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Direct traffic is when a user types your URL directly into a browser. While this is not the same as a user going to Google and searching on your brand, the two are correlated. A user who has searched on your brand or been made aware of your brand through an unbranded query may return via direct traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brand awareness and visibility drive both direct traffic and branded queries. SEOs should monitor fluctuations in both channels as well as track returning visitors to know their point of entry and their most used returning channel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Ignoring Contact or Support Queries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Branded searches come in many forms and intents. A lot of branded queries are from users who have interacted (or purchased) your products or services and are looking for customer service. This means queries such as \u201c[your brand]\u201d +\u201csupport\u201d or \u201ccontact [your brand]\u201d are highly intentional. Ignoring these keywords can spell disaster for customer loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This also goes for informational branded queries. Customers may search on your brand with how-to and instructional queries and they should be able to find the right information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Neglecting to Segment Your Branded Searches<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like #3, branded searches come in all shapes and sizes. There are informational branded searches, transactional ones, research-driven, purchase-oriented. You name it. Brands do themselves a vast disservice by lumping all branded queries together. By segmenting branded searches, you can see what content you have and don\u2019t have onsite to match these queries as well as which products and services are more popular with consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At iPullRank, we leverage semantic tools to generate highly targeted keyword lists for our clients. Based on the opportunity size, we segment lists based on category, need state, rank zone and unbranded vs. branded.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Character Shaving Brand Mentions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In optimization, the brand name is often the first thing to get cut. While it does take up prime character length, brands must ensure that their brand is being parsed in other ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those ways may include:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n