GlossarySEO
What is branded vs non-branded search?
Also called: branded queries, non-branded queries, branded queries filter, brand search
Definition
Branded searches are queries that include your brand or product name; non-branded searches don't. Non-branded clicks show SEO bringing in new people; branded ones show existing demand.
Branded search, explained
Someone searching your product's name already knows you. They'd probably find you anyway, and your homepage should rank first. Someone searching "free sitemap checker" or "product hunt alternatives" doesn't know you yet; winning that click is what SEO is really for. Mixing the two hides what's working.
Search Console now splits them for you. Google introduced a branded queries filter in the Performance report in November 2025. According to Google's announcement, an AI-assisted system classifies queries as branded when they include your brand name, including variations and misspellings, or refer to products unique to you. The filter is available only for top-level properties with enough query volume, and Google says it has no effect on ranking. Before it, people built regex filters on their brand name, which still works as a cross-check.
Read the two lines differently. Branded clicks track awareness: launches, press, word of mouth and ads all move them. Their CTR is usually high and positions near the top. Non-branded clicks track search visibility for problems and categories. If non-branded is flat while branded grows, your SEO isn't the growth engine yet. If non-branded grows, it is.
For a new product, branded search is also something to protect. Make sure your homepage, pricing and docs rank for your name, that your Organization markup and profiles are consistent, and that directory and launch listings point to the right URL.
Why it matters for founders
Reporting total organic clicks can make SEO look better or worse than it is. The branded split tells you whether search is finding you new users.
Example
After a launch week, clicks double. The branded filter shows almost all of the rise is people searching your name. Non-branded clicks are flat, so you shift effort to comparison and tool pages.
Common mistakes
- Counting branded clicks as SEO growth.
- Looking for the filter on a subfolder property.
- Ignoring misspellings of your brand in regex filters.
- Not checking what ranks for your own brand name.
Sources
Checked
Related terms
- Performance reportThe Performance report in Search Console shows how your site does in Google Search: clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position, broken down by query, page, country, device, search appearance and date.
- Search queryA search query is the exact text someone types or speaks into a search engine. A keyword is the topic you target; queries are the many real phrasings people use for it.
- Organic trafficOrganic traffic is visits that come from unpaid search results, as opposed to ads, social, email, referrals or direct visits. It's the main outcome SEO is meant to grow.
- Knowledge panelA knowledge panel is the information box Google shows for entities in its Knowledge Graph, such as companies, people and products. It's generated automatically, and verified representatives can claim it and suggest changes.