Branded vs non-branded#
| Type | Example | Typical intent |
|---|---|---|
| Branded | “Rank Math pricing”, “Iftikhar Qureshi contact” | Navigational or transactional — they already know you |
| Non-branded | “best wordpress seo plugin”, “how to fix 403 error” | Informational or commercial — they’re still looking |
Why the split matters#
- Branded traffic converts very well but mostly reflects existing awareness — marketing, word of mouth, social and offline activity.
- Non-branded traffic is the real measure of SEO growth: new people finding you because you rank for their problem.
- A rise in branded searches is often a sign that content, PR and AI citations are building awareness.
How to track them separately#
- In Google Search Console → Performance, add a Query filter with “Custom (regex)”.
- Use a pattern with your brand and common misspellings, e.g.
iftikhar|iftekhar|iftikar. - Switch between “Matches regex” (branded) and “Doesn’t match regex” (non-branded) and compare trends.
Protecting branded results#
- Make sure your homepage, About and Contact pages are indexed and clearly titled.
- Claim your Google Business Profile and social profiles.
- Use Organization or Person schema with
sameAslinks to help Google build a knowledge panel.
Related: search intent, organic traffic.