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.”

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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.

What are branded keywords (and how are they different from regular keywords)?

Branded keywords are search terms that include a brand name or a branded product name. Examples are “Apple,” “RightBlogger,” or “Lululemon yoga mats.”

Regular (non-branded) keywords do not include a brand name. They are more general, like “best yoga mats” or “blog SEO tips.”

Branded keywords often bring visitors who already know the brand and are closer to buying. That can be great for reviews and comparisons, but it also changes who you are competing against in Google.

Why do SEO tools say branded keywords are “low competition,” but they still feel hard to rank for?

Many keyword tools label branded terms as low competition because fewer sites target them directly. On paper, that can look like an easy win.

In real search results, branded keywords are usually dominated by the brand’s own site and huge websites like major retailers and review platforms. Those sites have strong authority, lots of backlinks, and years of trust.

So even if “competition” looks low in a tool, the top 10 results can still be very tough to beat. Always check the actual SERP before you plan content around a branded keyword.

Should a new blog target branded keywords like “Squarespace reviews” or “Lululemon yoga mats”?

If your blog is new, branded keywords are usually not the best starting point. They often require strong authority and time to compete with big, established sites.

A safer approach is to start with more specific, less competitive topics that still match what your audience wants. For example, instead of “Squarespace reviews,” you might target “Squarespace for photographers” or “Squarespace pricing for beginners.”

You can still use branded keywords later as your site grows. Build topical depth first, then go after bigger branded terms when you have more content and links supporting you.

How can I tell if a branded keyword is realistic for me to rank for?

Start by Googling the keyword and looking at the top results. If the first page is mostly the brand’s site, Amazon-type retailers, and major media sites, it will be hard to outrank them.

Next, look for “weak spots” like thin content, outdated posts, or results that do not fully answer the question. If you can create a clearer, more helpful page, you may have a chance over time.

It also helps to choose branded keywords with extra detail, like “alternatives,” “pricing,” “pros and cons,” or “for beginners.” Those longer phrases often match real questions and can be more reachable.

How can RightBlogger help me research and plan branded keyword content?

RightBlogger can help you quickly find better keyword options and avoid wasting time on terms you cannot rank for yet. A good workflow is to start with Keyword research to discover branded and non-branded ideas you can realistically target.

Then group related terms into a content plan using Keyword clustering. This helps you build supporting articles around one topic, which can improve your chances of ranking over time.

If you already have posts published, you can also look for missing topics with Content gaps. That makes it easier to create helpful comparison and review content that fits what searchers are actually looking for.