Brand-name and non-brand-name products

Select a separation method and analyze the sample

Search Console offers query filtering features, and Google has also described a filter for branded queries. You should check the available options within the specific service. Regardless of the method used, it is necessary to review representative queries, as automated classification is no substitute for business knowledge.

If you use your own rules, keep a record of their content and date. When changing the glossary, historical comparisons may require recalculating the data. Do not present the difference as an increase in activity if it results solely from a new definition of the group.

Select a sample of results that match and do not match the filter. Check for typos, abbreviated names, and queries that combine the brand with the product. Describe the data limitations and do not assume that the sum of all visible rows will always reproduce every report. The value of the breakdown stems from comparability and a meaningful definition, not from apparent precision down to a single click.

How to Interpret the Increase in Brand-Related Searches

More people may search for a company based on an ad, a recommendation, a publication, or a business contact. Organic traffic is then part of a longer journey. Don’t attribute all growth solely to changes on the website, but also don’t ignore the role of how easily people can find your offering.

Find out what the inquiries are about: contact, login, reviews, a specific service, or employment information. They all mention the brand, but they have different value for sales. An increase in one area doesn’t necessarily mean growing interest in the product.

A dataset with a calendar of communication activities and campaigns. If the company has launched a major event, the report should explain this. A useful analysis shows whether, after searching for the brand, the user lands on the correct page and can take the expected action. Instead of treating brand traffic as an inferior category, evaluate the quality of how the company handles the demand it has already generated.

What Do Non-Brand Searches Reveal?

Non-brand search helps you understand how to reach audiences who are looking for a problem, a category, or a product without specifically mentioning your company. This is still not a homogeneous group. Informational queries, comparisons of solutions, and purchase intent each require different landing pages.

Categorize queries by topic and decision stage. Check whether the increase relates to an offering the company wants to grow. A large number of visits to a secondary guide may have a different significance than a smaller increase in traffic to a key service. The “non-brand” label alone does not add value to the traffic.

Include an assessment of landing page performance and lead quality, if the metrics allow for it. However, do not attempt to link every single inquiry to a specific customer when the data does not support it. The report should maintain a distinction between observed patterns and causal evidence. Honest limitations help you make better decisions than a seemingly complete narrative built from mismatched data sets.

A Model Example: Campaign and Category Development

The company is running a brand awareness campaign while also improving its product category. Total organic traffic is growing, but the two groups are behaving differently. Brand-related searches are increasing following the campaign, while category-related searches are growing at a different pace.

The team reports on both phenomena separately. It checks whether people searching for a brand are directed to the right listing and whether the category is generating clicks on relevant search queries. It does not attempt to attribute the entire change to a single action or downplay the value of any channel.

This is an example of an interpretation, not actual data from a Semguru client. In practice, you need a comparable time period, seasonal adjustments, and documentation of your activities. If the brand name has changed at the same time, the dictionary needs to be updated. Without this update, the report may show an apparent decline in brand searches and an increase in non-brand searches simply because some of the new queries were misclassified by a previous rule.

How to Create a Decision-Support Report

Show the definitions of the groups, clicks, impressions, and pages that the change focuses on. Include the context of the campaign and the offers. Don’t limit the summary to the percentage increase for the entire domain when the most important processes are behaving differently.

For each observation, note a possible next step. An increase in requests for reviews may indicate a need to better demonstrate credibility. Visibility for an unavailable product requires an evaluation of the offering. New inquiries about usage may justify expanding a guide or category.

Distinguish between data-backed actions and hypotheses. If you don’t have information about the quality of leads, note the need to collect that information rather than evaluating sales based solely on clicks. The report should lead to several specific decisions that the team can implement and later verify. A larger number of charts does not make up for the lack of an answer to the question of what the company should do about the observed change.

When implementing the report, ask another person to classify the selected sample of queries on their own. Compare the differences and add rules for disputed cases. This simple test reveals whether the definition is understandable or exists only in the mind of the author of the analysis. The document should allow the classification to be reproduced after an employee change and after the company’s product lineup is expanded to include new names.

How to Ensure Comparability Over Time

Maintain a glossary and a log of rule changes. The addition of a new private label, a rebranding, or the acquisition of another company can significantly alter a definition. In such situations, compare the data after determining which items belong to each group during the period under analysis.

Check the filter before exporting and whenever you reuse the report. A category, country, or device left selected may narrow down the data without the next person’s knowledge. Save the visible settings and time range as part of the documentation.

If you make a significant change to the method, do not combine the old and new series without providing an explanation. It is better to highlight the break and explain the reason for it than to create a seamless line based on two different definitions. This also applies to changes in how data is grouped. A reliable report is reproducible: another person should be able to apply the same rules and understand where the results came from and why some queries remained unresolved.

How to Use Segmentation in Your SEO Strategy

Plan separately for managing existing interest in the brand and expanding your reach to meet new needs. The first area requires a clear offering, communication, and credibility. The second helps you select the categories, services, and content that will help people discover your company.

Don't set a rigid "ideal" ratio that applies to every company. An established brand and a new specialty store have different starting points. What matters more is whether the breakdown helps explain the results and guide your next steps.

Before the next meeting, prepare a few questions from both groups, their entry points, and questions about the quality of engagement. This material makes it easier to discuss the actual audience, rather than arguing over which channel deserves all the credit.

A good way to conclude the analysis is with a list of decisions, including the person responsible and the deadline for follow-up. This may involve improving the contact page, clarifying the brand’s offering, or developing a category that addresses a new need. Note which indicator will confirm the effectiveness of the action. This way, brand and non-brand metrics become planning tools, rather than just additional columns in a report that has no impact on the team’s work after the presentation.

Technical source: Google documentation. See also : SEO on Semguru and the internal linking guide.