Branded Keywords: Understanding Their Role in Blog SEO

Last Updated August 17, 2024

When working on SEO for your blog, you may encounter various types of keywords. Among these, branded keywords are often discussed. What is a branded keyword? Simply put, these are terms that incorporate a brand name or a specific product. Examples include names like “RightBlogger” or “Lululemon,” and even more specific phrases like “Lululemon yoga mats.”

What is a Branded Keyword?

A branded keyword incorporates the name of a brand or one of its products. Examples include “Apple” for the brand or “iPhone 14” for a product. These keywords are tied directly to the brand, unlike generic keywords that are broader and not brand-specific.

Branded keywords attract users who are already familiar with the brand and are often further along in the buying process. However, the ease of ranking for these terms varies significantly based on factors like the brand’s online authority, competition strength, and the keyword’s specificity.

This makes strategic use essential for content creators looking to leverage these terms effectively.

Branded Keywords: Seemingly Low Competition

Branded keywords, such as “Lululemon yoga mats” or “Squarespace reviews,” often come up in SEO tools as having high search volume with low competition. This might suggest they are golden opportunities for your content strategy.

The logic is straightforward: fewer people are competing for these terms, so you should have a better chance at ranking high, right?

The Reality of Ranking for Branded Keywords

However, there’s a twist in the narrative. Although these keywords appear less competitive, the reality on the ground is quite different. Searching for a term like “Lululemon yoga mats” predominantly pulls up Lululemon’s official site along with major retailers like Amazon. The presence of such heavyweight domains means the actual competition is fierce.

Furthermore, high-intent terms like “Squarespace reviews” might attract visitors with a strong purchase intent — ideal for driving affiliate sales. But here’s the catch: to genuinely compete for such terms, your site needs to have established substantial authority and longevity.

Newer sites or those with lower domain authority will find it challenging to make a mark against well-entrenched competitors.

Key Takeaways for Bloggers

Branded keywords might seem an alluring path due to apparent low competition and high search volumes, but they often prove to be more challenging than many keyword tools indicate. For bloggers, especially those just establishing their presence online, it’s important to approach these keywords with caution.

Here are some points to consider when using branded keywords:

Site Authority Matters: Your site’s age and authority play a crucial role in your ability to rank well for branded keywords.
Check the Competition: Always analyze the top-ranking pages for the keyword. If major brands dominate the search results, ranking high will be a significant challenge.
Adjust Your Strategy: Depending on your website’s current status, you might need to target less competitive niches initially.

Conclusion

In summary, while “What is a branded keyword?” might seem a simple query, the strategic approach to incorporating these into your content requires careful thought.

Branded keywords are not the low-hanging fruit they appear to be in keyword research tools. Ensure your SEO strategy and site readiness align well with the realities of these competitive terms, setting realistic targets and timelines for your SEO gains.

As always, keep researching, experiment with different keywords, and refine your strategies based on actual results and analytics.

Are branded keywords worth targeting if my blog is still new?

Yes, branded keywords can still be worth targeting, even for a new blog, but you need to be smart about it. Going after very broad branded terms like “Lululemon” or “Squarespace” alone is usually too hard because big brands and major sites already dominate those results.

Instead, look for more specific, long-tail searches that include the brand, like “Lululemon yoga mats for beginners” or “Squarespace blog examples.” These types of terms often have lower real competition and can bring you visitors who are closer to buying.

Use a tool like the RightBlogger Keyword Research Tool to find related branded phrases and see how people are actually searching. Then build content that answers their exact questions in a clear, honest way.

Over time, as your site gains authority, you can start targeting more competitive branded keywords and still see results.

How do I check if a branded keyword is actually too competitive for my blog?

To check real competition, search the branded keyword on Google and look closely at the first page. If you see the brand’s own site, major retailers, and huge review sites in almost every spot, that keyword is likely very tough for a newer blog.

Next, look at the type of content that ranks. If almost all results are product pages or official brand pages, Google may strongly prefer those, which makes it harder for a blog post to break in.

You can use RightBlogger’s SEO Reports to review how your current posts perform and see where you are already starting to rank. Use that data to pick branded keywords with similar or lower competition.

When in doubt, go more specific. Adding details like “for small business,” “for students,” or “on a budget” can turn a very hard keyword into one that is possible for you to win.

Should I focus on branded keywords or long-tail non-branded keywords first?

For most bloggers, it is better to focus on long-tail non-branded keywords first. These are longer, more specific searches that do not depend on a big brand name, like “best yoga mats for bad knees” instead of “Lululemon yoga mats.”

Long-tail keywords are usually less competitive and easier to rank for, which helps you build authority faster. As your site grows, you can slowly mix in more branded keywords and see what you can realistically rank for.

To find good long-tail ideas, read this guide to using long-tail keywords for SEO. Then look for places where a brand name fits naturally inside those phrases.

This mix lets you get traffic sooner while still setting yourself up to benefit from higher-intent branded searches later.

How can I use RightBlogger to create content around branded keywords more effectively?

You can start by using the RightBlogger Keyword Research Tool to find branded keyword ideas and related questions people ask. Look for phrases where smaller blogs already rank on page one, since that usually means you have a real chance too.

Once you have a keyword, use the RightBlogger AI Article Writer to draft a detailed post that answers the search intent clearly. Be sure to include honest pros and cons when you talk about any brand, since users and search engines both value real reviews.

You can also pull in questions from the People Also Ask box using RightBlogger’s Related Search Questions tool. Turn these into subheadings inside your article to make the post more complete.

Over time, use SEO reports and analytics to see which branded posts perform best, then create helpful follow-up content around similar keywords.