Hi there, and welcome to the issue #2 of the Outranked SEO newsletter.
You might have noticed it's not Friday ... and I said I'd be sending the newsletter every Friday.
But we're only just getting going; so I'm throwing in a few extra issues on a Monday in the first month!
In this issue, I’m digging into branded search, and how it’s about far more than just ranking when someone types your brand name into Google (or an LLM like ChatGPT).
Too many SEOs are ignoring one of the most valuable parts of the search journey. And it means they're missing opportunities to control their brand narrative, and in some cases, letting competitors or affiliates own it instead (and affiliates cost money...).
In this issue, you’ll learn:
- Why branded SEO isn’t just about ranking for your name alone
- How to spot (and close) the gaps competitors and affiliates are exploiting
- What to check, what to fix, and how to take back control of your branded search presence
Let’s get into it.
If you don’t control your branded SERPs, someone else will...
Too many marketers see branded search as something that happens outside of SEO.
We usually focus on “non-brand” traffic and work hard to rank for terms that drive this, because that’s where the opportunity to reach new customers and clients often sits.
And when branded search is mentioned? It’s usually just a line on a report:
“Branded clicks were up 12% this month…”
There’s also a mindset that “we’re ranking for our brand name, and it’s other channels directly driving brand searches. As long as we show, all is good, right?”
But here’s the thing:
People don’t just search for your name.
They search
- [brand] discount code
- [brand] reviews
- [brand] vs [competitor]
- is [brand] legit?
- how long does [brand] delivery take
- [brand] returns policy
- [brand thought leader's name]
And it’s wrong to think that non-brand traffic doesn’t drive brand searches. Lots of traffic that originates from a non-brand term comes back via branded terms in a future session.
Branded search is often messy and fragmented, but it’s sure as hell full of intent.
And if you’re not actively optimising for it, you’re leaving a gap; one your competitors, affiliates, and review sites are more than happy to fill.
Being visible for branded searches is SEO's job. Not someone else’s...
Let’s be clear... branded search is not just about ranking #1 when someone types your name. I'll keep saying it. If you only take one thing away from today's email, it's this.
It’s about owning your brand narrative across the full range of ways people search for you, especially as they move closer to a buying decision.
If someone’s searching “[brand] discount code” and you don’t rank, you’re paying an affiliate commission you didn’t need to.
If they search “[brand] reviews” and land on a third-party site, you’ve lost the ability to control the experience, and maybe the sale.
If someone searches “[brand] vs [competitor]” and your own narrative on this isn’t showing, someone else is defining your position in the market.
Ensuring that what a searcher sees when they search for brand terms is what branded SEO is all about. And so many brands are still ignoring it.
Too many confuse doing the things that drive people to search for a brand and being visible when they do as the same thing. They're not.
Brand searches are driven by lots of different channels; social, PPC, TV, PR, OOH and more. This isn't what I'm talking about here.
I'm talking about making sure that you actually show up when these searches happen.
Check this...
Huel totally owns the narrative here.
They're visible as the most cited source in the AI Overview and hold the #1 and #3 organic ranking positions. Reddit holds #2.
This is a massively biased SERP.
And it's because AG1 has left this opportunity wide open.
You can't rank for something that you've not got relevant content for...
I'd be massively surprised if publishing 'AG1 (Athletic Greens) vs Huel Daily Greens" on drinkag1.com didn't rank in that #2 spot pretty quickly. And this would balance out the narrative.
These opportunities are often a very quick win given that it's normal that a brand's own site should rank for branded terms. Just not always the homepage.
What to check, and where to start...
Start with your Search Console data. Pull out every branded query from the last 3 to 6 months. Don’t just look for your brand name, look for anything that includes it.
The easiest way to do this is to filter your GSC data by 'query'...
And add your brand name, making sure to select 'queries containing' to capture all the different ways people are searching.
If you've got multiple 'brand terms' (e.g. your main product, let's say), repeat this step for each.
Then, use tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or another keyword research tool to find any other brand searches you might not be showing up for and combine this with Google Autocomplete and related searches to uncover any blind spots.
Remember our “AG1 vs Huel Daily Greens” example? You're not going to see this in GSC if you're not ranking anywhere (they're not), but is clearly a high-intent query you'd want to rank for.
Now ask yourself:
- Are you ranking? If not, who is?
- Is it the right page? Would a searcher click and feel they've landed in the right place?
- Do you have content that answers the intent behind the query?
If not, this is your action list. Go create it.
Three quick wins that most brands are missing...
Most often, the quickest-win opportunities can be broken down into a few different content types:
- Create comparison pages.
You don’t need to bash the competition; just clearly outline what makes you different. “AG1 vs Huel Daily Greens” is a perfect example of a missed opportunity here.
- Own your own reviews.
Yes, third-party reviews matter. But you should have your own [brand] reviews page that pulls in UGC, Trustpilot embeds, testimonials, or whatever social proof you have. Don’t leave this SERP to the aggregators alone.
- Control the discount code queries.
Everyone’s searching for them. If you’re not ranking, you’re probably bleeding unnecessary affiliate commission. Create your own discount page and keep it updated; even if you don’t offer regular discounts, explain why.
Don't just create content to target branded terms and leave it at that, though. Make this part of your regular SEO review, not a one-off task. These SERPs change. Fast.
Showing for branded searches is all about shaping outcomes...
Branded search is where decisions happen.
People searching for your name + a modifier are:
✅ Comparing
✅ Evaluating
✅ Looking for reassurance
✅ One click from converting… or walking away
If you rank, you get the chance to shape the experience.
If you don’t, you’re handing that power to someone else.
The takeaway...
Branded SEO isn’t someone else’s responsibility. It’s yours.
If someone’s searching for your brand, in any form, you need to show up, and you need to own the narrative.
Because if you don’t control this, someone else will.
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If you learned something from this issue or it’s made you think about SEO a little differently, please consider forwarding it to someone else on your team.
I’m on a mission to make sure more SEO investment actually has an impact on real business metrics and that more SEOs master commercial awareness.
Appreciate you making it to the end; same time on Friday?
- James Brockbank
P.S. If you ever need expert support with SEO or digital PR and want to drive results that actually matter, I’d love to chat. Let’s talk.
✍️ From the Loft...
Fresh from our side of the web; here’s a few things me and other Lofties put out into the world this week.
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📌 This week’s bookmarks:
If I could only send three links to a fellow marketer this week, it’d be these…
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👋 Hi, I'm James...
Managing Director & Founder at Digitaloft.
I've spent the last 10 years building an agency that's perfectly positioned to help ambitious brands to drive real business growth from SEO and digital PR.
You might have seen me speaking at events like BrightonSEO, SMX and the International Search Summit.
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