31 Oct
In the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing, a deep understanding of the sources of your website’s traffic is paramount. This knowledge is instrumental in optimizing strategies and ultimately achieving better outcomes. One of the key distinctions that holds significant importance is the differentiation between branded and non-branded keywords.
What is the difference between Branded and Non-Branded Keywords?
Branded Keywords
Branded keywords are search terms that include the name of a particular brand, product, or service closely tied to your company’s identity. These keywords directly point to your business and are often used by existing customers or users already familiar with your offerings. For example:
- “Nike running shoes”: This branded keyword specifically mentions “Nike,” which narrows the search to products that fall under the Nike brand, appealing to users who already know Nike and trust its products. This type of keyword reinforces brand loyalty, making it easier for users to locate specific products associated with Nike rather than browsing generic options.
- “Apple customer support”: Here, users are clearly seeking assistance from Apple, suggesting familiarity with Apple products or previous purchases. Keywords like this help drive traffic to brand-specific resources, facilitating a seamless experience for customers looking for support and guidance.
Branded keywords play an essential role in strengthening brand recognition and guiding repeat customers directly to your content, products, or services. They indicate a user’s awareness and often imply a high level of purchase intent since the user has specifically sought out your bran
Non-Branded Keywords
Non-branded keywords, by contrast, are broader search terms that do not include any specific brand names. These keywords appeal to a larger audience and often represent users who may not be familiar with your brand but are interested in exploring options within a certain category or industry. For example:
- “Best running shoes”: This non-branded keyword is more general, as it does not specify any particular company or product. People using this search term might be researching options and are open to learning about various brands. Non-branded keywords like these are crucial for attracting new visitors who are at the consideration stage, comparing different products and brands to find the best fit.
- “Smartphone customer service”: A search term like this reflects a need for support without attachment to any specific company, showing that users are likely exploring customer service experiences across different brands. Non-branded keywords serve as a valuable tool to widen your audience reach, especially by drawing users who may convert into customers once introduced to your brand.
Non-branded keywords are ideal for targeting potential new customers and boosting organic visibility. They enable you to engage users who may not yet know your brand but are searching within your industry, providing an opportunity to showcase what makes your offerings stand out.
Simple steps to create a report in Looker Studio
Step 1. Create a report in Looker Studio. Begin by setting up a report in Looker Studio, your go-to platform for data analysis and visualization.
Step 2. Connect data from Google Search Console. Integrate data from Google Search Console to gain insights into the performance of both your branded and non-branded organic traffic.
Step 3. Create charts and Tables with Queries. Utilize Looker Studio’s powerful tools to create visually engaging charts and tables that provide a clear representation of your website’s traffic data.
Step 4. Create a filter. Implement a filter to refine the data you’re working with and focus on the key metrics that matter most to your analysis.
Step 5. And add Regex formula.
What is RegExp?
Regular Expressions, commonly known as RegExp or regex, are powerful tools used for pattern matching within strings of text. They allow users to define specific search patterns, enabling advanced text processing, data validation, and text manipulation tasks. In the context of SEO and keyword analysis, RegExp can be particularly useful for distinguishing between branded and non-branded keywords.
In this step, you can fine-tune your analysis by adding a regex formula. This formula allows you to list all the brand names that users might employ when conducting searches. By doing this, you can perform a detailed analysis, including sentiment analysis (like smile analysis in GSC), and better categorize your data. Use the “Field ID: query-category” and create a formula like “seopoint|seo point” to capture relevant data.
In that formula, you can list all brand names that you know users can use (do smile analisys in GSC)
Field ID: query-category
Formula:
seopoint | seo point | seopoints | seopoint.biz | seo point biz
(on the screenshot above you can see only a few mentions of brand name “SEO Point”, but in your case you should list all types of your brand name, website etc. Different type of these keywords you will be able to find in Google Search Console)
For advanced users, Regex offers an excellent toolset for analyzing SEO performance across multiple metrics. Beyond distinguishing branded and non-branded keywords, Regex allows you to filter data by criteria like user location, device type, and even specific query types. Leveraging these filters can provide a comprehensive view of user behavior and refine targeting strategies to improve SEO effectiveness. Here are a few ways Regex can be used to gain deeper insights:
Step 6: Choose “Exclude” for Non-Branded Traffic By choosing the “exclude” option, you’ll be able to isolate and analyze the non-branded traffic to your website. This is crucial for assessing the impact of your SEO efforts in capturing a broader audience beyond your brand’s loyal customer base.
Following these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to generate a comprehensive report for your client, highlighting the diligent efforts put forth in promoting non-branded keywords and expanding your website’s reach.
This approach will enable you to generate a comprehensive report for your client, showcasing the diligent efforts put forth in promoting non-branded keywords.
Incorporating Regular Expressions (RegEx) into your Google Looker Studio reports opens up a world of possibilities for advanced data processing and visualization. For SEO specialists and data analysts, RegEx provides the tools needed to filter, categorize, and transform data in ways that go beyond the capabilities of basic functions. By leveraging RegEx, you can create more precise, dynamic, and insightful reports that better reflect your SEO performance and strategy.
Key Takeaways
Understanding the distinction between branded and non-branded keywords is a crucial step toward achieving long-term SEO success. Branded keywords help reinforce your brand’s presence and support loyal customer engagement, while non-branded keywords broaden your reach, attracting new visitors and expanding your brand’s visibility. By strategically analyzing these types of keywords, you can better align your SEO efforts with both customer retention and growth goals.
Using Looker Studio and Regex takes this analysis further, enabling SEO specialists to visualize and categorize data precisely. With these tools, you can uncover nuanced insights into user behavior, filter data by location, device, and query type, and optimize your approach based on real-time data. Embracing these strategies empowers you to make more informed, data-driven decisions that will enhance your website’s SEO performance over time.
Share Your Experience!
How have you used Looker Studio and Regex in your SEO efforts? Do you have any tips or unique ways to approach keyword analysis? We’d love to hear from you! Share your insights or let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Read articles about:
