If the keyword or brand is not trademarked, it is fair to say that anyone can start to utilize those keywords. A company should know where they are at in the search results for their own branded keywords and branding in search engines. 

What is a branded keyword? 

It sounds like a pretty basic understanding and it essentially is -  a branded keyword is a search term that includes a brand name or the name of a specific company such as “Visit Austin” or “WeWork Austin”. 

These branded keywords can be found with a simple Google or alternative search engine search and will populate the keywords you are ranking for and the competition is who is working on the keywords as well! 

The benefit of branded keywords

“Why would or should I spend time on branded keywords?” While branded keywords will not be a large majority of the keyword research itself, they will come into play and should be a ranking factor that all companies consider. 

A major factor of this is messaging. In search engines, like Google, descriptions can be overridden on the back-end of the website, but in the latest research, Google has decided to start changing this content on their front end. This means that a company can’t fully control what is showing in SERP. 

Having proper URL structure and that off-page strategy can help Google learn the general branding and message of the company. 

How to optimize! 

Have a page for that branded or other branded keywords 

A way for companies to rank for their own branded keywords is to make sure there is a page with content explaining their brand. A great place for this could be the homepage or even the about us. It is something that any creative management firm would suggest to develop content and optimization on! 

Site links 

When you search for your company, how many links show underneath the name? One, two or even six? The more of these site links underneath the better. The pages behind the name have better visibility and can take consumers to several different areas of the site itself. 

Set up a Google My Business page 

When a Google My Business page is set up for a business, it shows Google and others that you are a credible business. This is a way to be dominant in the search engine with branded keywords. 

Is there a Google My Business already set up or not claimed? While this is a hassle, here are resources to follow! 

Someone claimed my business 

Who set it up? 

How are your reviews? 

Google My Business reviews show the company website and even BBB, Yelp and other third-party review pages will show in the branded keyword results. The most common are Yelp, Clutch and more. 

If you have recently started a business, or simply thinks it’s time for a search engine overhaul, we would love to learn more and hear about your project. Contact us today for a free consultation.