Branded search vs direct search: How to optimize for brand-driven queries
How to optimize for brand-driven queries, by dominating direct search results, collecting and organizing queries, and nailing local-three pack rankings.
How to optimize for brand-driven queries, by dominating direct search results, collecting and organizing queries, and nailing local-three pack rankings.
So you have built a brand, large enough for it to be searched on Google? Now, how well are you ranking for all those branded queries?
A few days ago Joy Hawkins posted a very insightful thread distinguishing between two important brand-driven search queries:
For example, [State Farm] search triggers local-three-pack results. That’s a branded search:
[State Farm Shannon Barr] returns a knowledge graph: That is a direct search:
This classification makes your local search optimization strategy much more clearer and better organized:
Let’s discuss the above two points in more detail:
Here’s one important thing that you need to always keep in mind when creating your strategy for these: More often than not, this search is driven by ROPO / ROBO (research online purchase/buy offline/online) behavior.
What this means is that those searchers already know you and are ready to purchase. In fact they are so ready that they take time researching you online.
This is huge.
This also needs to push you to keep a closer eye on those direct search results and what first impression they make when someone looks at them for the first time.
The first impression matters here. A lot.
With that in mind, perform and repeat the following exercises on a regular basis:
The search results are always evolving, so it’s important to perform those exercises on a regular basis as well come up with and implement a new plan at least yearly.
This is one of those steps that’s unbelievably missed by many, even big, brands.
Remember: Your important branded search is not just your actual business name. There are hundreds and (for bigger brands) even thousands of ways your potential customers are searching for you online.
Here are a few most important ones to keep an eye on:
And here’s another thing to remember: You want to rank #1 (and if possible #1, 2 and 3) for all of those! Otherwise, you may lose a customer to a competitor or a blogger who is suggesting a better alternative or simply advises against your brand.
But not just that! Think about all those “blended” search results that may distract the user’s attention from your brand:
Whenever these are triggered for your branded search, include a separate strategy for conquering those too, e.g. “[brand name vs your competitor’s name] needs a video”.
Serpstat is a solid platform helping you research and organize all those branded queries in a meaningful way.
Serpstat’s output gives a very good insight into search results for each keyword without the need to actually search for each one in Google. This allows you to efficiently create a thorough branded search optimization strategy.
You can read more about there keyword selection tool here.
Local-three pack has changed local search optimization a lot. It is also leaving a lot of local businesses and marketers confused because there’s not much obvious logic behind it, in some cases.
There are no official recommendations helping us understand what can get a businesses into the well-used local three pack, obviously, but here’s what I was able to collect from reputable sources and my own observations:
More on ranking in local-three pack: How to Start Ranking in Google 3 Pack ASAP
Are you optimizing for your direct and branded search queries? Let us know in the comments!