What Is a Branded Keyword?
A branded keyword is any word or phrase that includes the name of a brand, product, service, or a clear short version of that name.
For example, “Nike shoes” or “Coca Cola drink” are branded keywords because they use the brand name.
Definition
A branded keyword is a search term that has your brand name, your company name, your product line, or a close spelling of it. People use these words in search engines when they are looking for you or something very close to your brand.
Why Branded Keyword Matters
Branded keywords are important because:
- They often come from people who already know or trust your brand.
- They usually have higher click through rates and better conversion rates.
- They help you protect your brand space in Google results and ads.
- They show how popular and well known your brand is over time.
How Branded Keywords Work
When someone types a branded keyword into a search engine, like your brand name plus a product or a question, search engines try to show your official website, your social pages, your local listings, and sometimes your ads first. This happens because the search engine guesses that you are the most relevant result for your own brand name.
Branded Keyword vs Non Branded Keyword
- Branded keyword: contains a brand name, like “Apple iPhone” or “Starbucks near me”.
- Non branded keyword: contains only general words, like “smartphone” or “coffee shop”.
Branded keywords show higher intent to choose a specific brand. Non branded keywords show that the person is still comparing options or just starting to research.
Example of Branded Keyword
Imagine a brand called “BlueSky Fitness”. These are branded keywords:
- “BlueSky Fitness gym”
- “BlueSky Fitness membership price”
- “BlueSky Fitness reviews”
- “Blue Sky Fitness” with a space or spelling change
All of these use the brand name, so they are branded keywords.
FAQs
Is my brand name alone a branded keyword
Yes, your plain brand name by itself is a branded keyword. For example, “Netflix” is a branded keyword.
Are misspellings of my brand also branded keywords
Yes, common spelling mistakes that clearly mean your brand, like “Nik” for “Nike”, are also treated as branded keywords.
Should I bid on my own branded keywords in ads
Many businesses do. It helps you control the top ad spot, keep competitors from taking it, and guide people to the best landing page.
How do I find my branded keywords
You can check tools like Google Search Console, Google Ads, and SEO tools. Look for queries that include your brand name or close versions of it.
