What is branded vs non-branded search?
What counts as a branded search?
If the searcher typed your name, it is branded. That includes a misspelling of your name, your product names and "your brand plus a product".
A non-branded search describes the problem or the product type. "Waterproof running jacket" is non-branded. "Acme waterproof running jacket" is branded.
The person who typed your name already knows you. They may well have decided. The person who typed the category has not chosen anyone yet. Each is a different job for your marketing.
Why report them separately?
Because the two groups behave differently, and one number hides it. A search account can look healthy because most of its revenue comes from people who were already coming to you.
This does not mean branded search is worthless. It means the question "did the ads cause this?" has a different answer for each group. Branded ads can end up cannibalising: taking credit for visits that would have reached your organic result anyway. Whether that is happening is a matter for an incrementality test. The decision is covered in is branded search incremental.
Our view: branded and non-branded belong in separate lines of every search report, labelled "non-branded", not "generic".
How does it relate to keywords and intent?
You choose keywords in Google Ads and write pages around phrases in SEO. Either way, branded and non-branded phrases need different handling. The search intent behind them differs too: one is "take me to you", the other is "help me decide".
For the wider picture of search, AI answers and what is fact versus marketing, see AEO vs GEO vs SEO.
Worked example
Easily confused with
Branded vs non-branded search vs Keyword
A keyword is the phrase you target. Branded or non-branded describes what that phrase contains.
Branded vs non-branded search vs Search intent
Intent is why someone searched. A branded query often signals a person who already knows you, but it is a separate idea.
FAQ
Is branded search always cheaper than non-branded?
Not necessarily, and cost per click is not the point. What matters is whether the ads caused the sale. A branded click that would have come through your organic result anyway adds little.
Is generic search the same as non-branded search?
Yes, in everyday use. "Generic" and "non-branded" both mean a query without a brand name. We use "non-branded" so that reports stay consistent.
Should I stop paying for branded search?
Do not decide on a hunch. Check first whether the ads add sales; a test is one way to answer that. Then decide with the result in hand.
Do non-branded searches matter more for growth?
They reach people who have not chosen a brand yet. Branded search mostly serves people who already know you. Both belong in the report, apart.
Let’s find what’s actually working.
Next step. See what your reported numbers look like under clear assumptions. Use the Is your ROAS real? calculator.