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By Ruchi Pardal
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~ 10 minutes read
~ 10 minutes read
Today, every business wants to be found online. However, how can one be found?
When you use Google to find anything online, you use words to find what you need. Those specific words are called “keywords.”
Branded and non-branded keywords are the two primary categories of keywords that are often discussed when discussing a solid online strategy. Although both types of search queries are significant, their goals, reach, and intent differ.
Making the most of your search engine optimization (SEO) requires understanding how each element fits into your overall marketing strategy.
In today’s AI-driven world, your keyword optimization doesn’t end with Google. It extends to ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Google SGE. Ranking for both keyword types helps your brand appear in AI-powered answers, the new front page of search.
So, which is most important for SEO, and what are the steps to optimize the non-branded keywords? Before that, let’s also understand “what is a branded keyword” and “what is a non-branded keyword.”
Read on below to learn more!
Branded keywords are search terms that contain your brand’s name. This holds true for both search ads and organic results.
For example,
The rise of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Overviews means that brand visibility now extends beyond traditional search engine result pages (SERPs).
Branded keywords and the brand signals they provide are critical for AI Engine Optimization (AEO), which focuses on getting your brand positively cited and recommended in AI-generated answers.
When a user asks an AI tool for a specific brand, a strong branded SEO presence ensures the AI can quickly and confidently provide accurate information about that company
According to Search Engine Journal, branded SEO remains critical even in 2025–26 because high-brand signals, direct traffic, and engagement can boost your site’s authority.
Search engine results include the signals that search engine algorithms use to assess a brand’s strength. They appear to employ three techniques mainly:
Therefore, if the search engine uses brand signals to generate search results, an SEO should look for a systematic way to influence them.
Non-branded keywords do not include your brand name. People use these when they have a problem or a question, but don’t know which company can help them yet.
Naturally, some unbranded terms favor customers who are about to make a purchase. For example, “gaming laptop” and “best running shoes.”
It’s best to maintain a similar intent when developing keyword themes in order to make your content more targeted and search engine ranked.
Historically, the two primary functions of non-branded keywords have been to maintain search visibility and raise brand awareness. But as generative AI gains traction, non-branded keywords are becoming more crucial for programs like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).
Non-branded keywords increase the number of potential customers who see your brand. You can be sure that customers are interested in your goods and services if they search for a keyword that contains your brand.
If a user searches for “hiking sandals,” you might show up in the search results and be discovered by a stranger. They might click on your result, like what they see, and decide to buy from you instead of Teva, a rival company.
Branded traffic is now at risk from generative AI tools, particularly integrated search tools like SGE. As per a recent study, SGE results for branded queries can show your website next to those of competitors and third parties.
With rivals appearing for a brand-specific regional search, the competition for brand visibility has even increased to the local level. Keeping up with the ever-changing AI landscape can be achieved by concentrating more on non-branded terms.
If the demand for your brand declines, so will your brand’s search visibility. Brand demand is search demand directly related to your branded terms.
If your brand is more well-known for a single product, non-branded key phrases may be especially helpful. Continuing with the example of hiking sandals, let’s say your company also offers other types of footwear.
However, just like your rival Teva, your primary product is sandals. Targeting the generic version will help spread awareness and keep your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds, even when demand for your product or brand declines seasonally.
Your comprehension of business and overall marketing strategy will determine how you assemble your keyword portfolio.
The choice will be based on factors like your company’s overall goals and the products you offer.
While branded keywords secure your current customers, non-branded keywords are crucial for attracting new individuals who have never heard of you.
You need to compare branded vs. non-branded traffic by what it does for your future.
| Keyword Type | What It Does for Your Business |
| Branded | Secures sales from people who already know your brand (high conversion). |
| Non-Branded | Grow your business by reaching thousands of new people (high reach and discovery). |
According to one data source, 70-80% of organic search visits are frequently non-branded traffic.
This is why top SEO service company strategies focus heavily on winning those generic, high-volume, non-branded terms. When people are searching for a solution, you want to be the expert they find first.
Since non-branded keywords help you find new customers, let’s focus on how to optimize for them. An experienced SEO service provider will tell you that this is where the most growth occurs. But as generative AI gains traction, non-branded keywords are becoming more crucial for programs like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).
Keyword research is the basis of any successful SEO strategy. It helps businesses understand the language and queries their target audience uses when searching online.
By conducting thorough keyword research, businesses can uncover valuable insights into user intent, preferences, and search behaviors, enabling them to optimize their content effectively and increase visibility in search engine results.
Using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner helps uncover valuable search phrases that don’t include your brand name but still connect to your services.
For instance, if you’re an SEO service company, focus on non-branded keywords like “SEO service company,” “pay for performance SEO model,” or “how does SEO on a performance basis work?” These terms capture users who are exploring options and haven’t yet landed on a specific brand.
It’s also important to dig deeper into long-tail keywords, phrases that are longer and more specific. They often have less competition and show higher intent.
Examples include:
You can then group these keywords based on where the user is in the buying journey:
Once you have your keyword list, the next step is content creation. Non-branded content should answer questions that potential customers ask before they know your brand. These users are in the discovery phase, they’re looking for information, not yet a specific provider.
You can build such content through blog posts, guides, or FAQs that address broad queries like “What is pay for performance SEO?” or “How to choose an SEO service company that delivers results.”
To improve readability (and favor AI summarization):
Naturally incorporate your keyword phrases. Say, for example, “As a reputable SEO service provider, we frequently receive inquiries from companies asking, ‘What is pay-for-performance SEO?'” This method keeps your SEO organic and your tone natural.
This clear, direct content structure is essential for AI tools to ingest, summarize, and accurately cite your work when answering generic user questions.
Strong content alone won’t help unless your on-page SEO is properly optimized. Start with your title tag, which should include the target non-branded keyword right at the beginning, such as “What is Pay for Performance SEO? A Guide by an SEO Service Company.”
Your meta description should be short (120–155 characters) and clearly explain the benefit while using the keyword naturally. Keep your URL slug clean and simple, for example, /pay-for-performance-seo-guide.
Structure also matters:
In your body text, use synonyms and variations of your target keywords, but avoid overusing them. Add context-relevant image alt text (for example, “non-branded keyword strategy for SEO service company”).
Finally, strengthen your page with internal links to other relevant pages, like your service or case study pages, and implement FAQ or article schema to help search engines better understand your content.
Schema markup and a logical heading structure (H1-H3) make it much easier for AI models to extract key facts and accurately present your information in a concise, authoritative answer.
Since non-branded keywords face higher competition, you’ll need strong authority signals to rank well. Google values E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. To increase trust, make sure SEO professionals wrote or reviewed your content.
Link building is another crucial part. Aim to earn backlinks from respected websites through guest posts, industry collaborations, or partnerships. At the same time, use internal links from your high-authority pages to support non-branded content.
Don’t ignore social signals either. Sharing your articles on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), or niche SEO communities can attract engagement and clicks. If you’re an SEO service company, case studies, real results, and testimonials can help showcase expertise and build trust among new readers discovering your brand for the first time.
A robust SEO strategy balances both keyword types. Think of non-branded keywords as the key to reaching future fans and driving high-volume discovery traffic. Simultaneously, branded keywords secure conversions from existing customers.
This dual approach is vital for success in both traditional search and on AI platforms like Google SGE and ChatGPT. By creating expert content around non-branded terms, you increase your authority and expertise (E-E-A-T), making your brand a preferred source for citation in AI-generated answers.
Ready to scale your search traffic and rule both branded and non-branded keywords? As a trusted SEO service company, ResultFirst specializes in both branded and non-branded keyword optimization, focusing on strategies like pay-for-performance SEO that drive qualified, high-intent traffic to your business.
Contact us today to build your custom SEO strategy and start your growth journey.
Branded keywords include your company name (e.g., ‘Apple iPhone’). On the other hand, non-branded keywords are generic and describe a problem or service (e.g., ‘best SEO company’)
They are crucial for finding new customers who don't know your brand exists. They help your business grow by attracting people at the moment they are looking for a solution.
Non-branded keyword searches don’t mention any specific company. Examples include ‘affordable marketing services,’ ‘best running shoes,’ and ‘best AI laptops.
It's often easier to turn branded traffic into customers because they are already looking for you. However, you get much less traffic overall if you only rely on branded searches.
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