Should you optimize your site for branded keywords?
In the previous article about branded keywords, we described what they are and the different types that exist. In this post, we will answer the fundamental question: should we optimize for branded keywords? We encourage you to read on.
➡️ Read the previous article: Branded keywords - Definition & types
As a brand, do we need to position ourselves for keywords that contain our brand name? We are not considering advertising in search engines, such as Google Ads. This topic will be discussed in a separate article.
If the brand already occupies high positions for branded queries and there is no significant competition (i.e., there are not many competitor pages in the search results that it has to compete with for ranking), we do not have to pay much attention to this. However, in situations where the competition is trying to take over traffic (e.g., positioning itself using phrases like "us" or phrases containing the product name or even our brand name) or when we want to better position ourselves in search results related to the brand, it is worth taking care of positioning for branded keywords.
Protecting against competition - if the competition uses our brand as a keyword, e.g., by creating comparative content (comparisons of our products and theirs for the purpose of comparison and evaluation), it is worth focusing on positioning for our own brand words. This will allow you to take over traffic that could have gone to the competition.
Resellers - some of the pages in the search results may belong to offers where someone sells our company's products, i.e., to resellers. Our website, containing the offer, should not be ranked lower than the reseller's website. In this case, positioning activities are recommended.
The issue of trust among recipients and customers - the brand's website is perceived as a reliable source of information about our company. Taking care of high positions for branded queries increases credibility and builds trust when users see our brand's website in the first position.
☑️ When should you optimize for branded keywords?
When it comes to phrases containing product names - it's not necessary, as many results are offers from resellers, comparison articles, etc., e.g., for the query "smartphone iPhone 14".
For phrases containing only the brand name (Apple, Microsoft, Huawei), there is no need to optimize. Such positioning occurs automatically. It's enough to properly optimize the website with on-site SEO activities.
For other combinations, it's worth optimizing - primarily due to the aspects described above, such as the issue of trust, image, protection against competition, and also to not be below the reseller, which simply looks... bad. How to do it correctly? First, you need to perform a thorough one-time on-site optimization. Then you need to check if the results are already in the top positions in SERPs. Then start working using off-site for words that did not get the 1st place solely thanks to on-site optimization. And finally, monitor the positions of words and maintain activities to be constantly in the top positions.
What's more, if both our brand and our competitors rank for a branded term, we often achieve a higher quality score. This, combined with the fact that branded keywords generally offer the best return on investment, makes them a valuable asset for any business.
For relevant industry-specific phrases, our company should rank high in organic search results, but this doesn't always require a lot of effort or a long-term SEO contract. For some phrases, we'll naturally rank first; for others, we may need to put in a little work, and for a few, it could be quite challenging (and only for those do we need a long-term SEO contract).
➡️ We'll delve into the topic of advertising on branded keywords in our next blog post. Keep reading: Should you advertise on branded keywords?
Positioning for branded keywords
As a brand, do we need to position ourselves for keywords that contain our brand name? We are not considering advertising in search engines, such as Google Ads. This topic will be discussed in a separate article.
If the brand already occupies high positions for branded queries and there is no significant competition (i.e., there are not many competitor pages in the search results that it has to compete with for ranking), we do not have to pay much attention to this. However, in situations where the competition is trying to take over traffic (e.g., positioning itself using phrases like "us" or phrases containing the product name or even our brand name) or when we want to better position ourselves in search results related to the brand, it is worth taking care of positioning for branded keywords.
☑️ When should you optimize for branded keywords?
What's more, if both our brand and our competitors rank for a branded term, we often achieve a higher quality score. This, combined with the fact that branded keywords generally offer the best return on investment, makes them a valuable asset for any business.
Summing up…
For relevant industry-specific phrases, our company should rank high in organic search results, but this doesn't always require a lot of effort or a long-term SEO contract. For some phrases, we'll naturally rank first; for others, we may need to put in a little work, and for a few, it could be quite challenging (and only for those do we need a long-term SEO contract).
➡️ We'll delve into the topic of advertising on branded keywords in our next blog post. Keep reading: Should you advertise on branded keywords?
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Jan Wojciechowski
Content Marketing Specialist
Content Marketing Specialist with several years of experience. Studied Marketing and Management on the University of Warsaw. In his work he tries to combine his writing skills, content knowledge and passion for new technologies. Privately he likes to do sports, read books and illustrate them.