Your B2B SEO Guide to Building a Strong Branded Search Strategy
- Actively manage branded search to prevent competitors from overtaking your brand name in search results.
- Optimize your website’s SEO, including meta tags and structured data, to ensure your brand appears prominently in relevant searches.
- Use strategic internal linking and dedicated landing pages to control your brand narrative and address specific branded queries.
- Monitor and act against competitors misusing your trademark in ads by filing complaints or optimizing ad strategies.
- Continuously audit your brand’s search performance and make real-time adjustments based on search trends and competitor activity.
Most B2B companies don’t track their branded search, assuming their brand name will always rank first. That might not seem like a big deal until competitors start bidding on branded keywords in Google Ads, outranking you and capturing leads meant for you.
Branded search isn’t just another SEO metric. It’s what happens when prospects already know who you are and are looking for you specifically. But if your brand isn’t the first thing they see, someone else will dictate their next move.
And then there’s Google autocomplete. If your brand name pulls up terms like “pricing,” “vs competitors,” or “scam,” you don’t control the conversation…Google does.
When you don’t control your branded search, you don’t control the narrative around your business. Competitors can position themselves as the better option. Third-party sites can rank higher than your own content. You could be paying for clicks that should have been free.
Branded search is not passive traffic. It’s an asset that needs to be protected and optimized. If you’re not actively managing it, you’re losing more than just rankings. You’re losing market share.
This guide will break down why branded search is critical for B2B SEO, how it gets exploited, and what you can do to take full control.
Let’s get into it.
What is Branded Search and Why Does It Matter?
Branded search happens when a potential customer looks for your company or product by name, such as "HubSpot CRM pricing," "Snowflake vs Redshift," or "Palo Alto Networks firewall setup." Unlike general searches that compare multiple options, branded search signals specific interest – these users aren’t just exploring, they’re narrowing down decisions.
It’s easy to assume that if someone searches for your brand, they’ll find you. But search results don’t always work in your favor.
In fact, branded terms make up over 44% of Google searches, meaning nearly half of all searches already have a brand in mind.
Branded search is highly competitive, and if you’re not actively managing it, here’s what can happen:
- Competitors may outbid you on your own brand name. In industries like SaaS and cybersecurity, it’s common to see companies bidding on competitor brand terms in paid search. A prospect looking for one tool might end up on a competing product’s landing page simply because they appeared first in search results.
- Third-party review sites can take control of your brand narrative. If someone searches for a software provider, they might not land on the company’s official website but instead on a comparison site that ranks multiple alternatives. This means you don’t control the first impression they get about your brand.
- Google autocomplete can influence perception. If users start typing your brand name and see suggestions like "pricing too high" or "better alternatives," their search intent shifts before they even hit enter.
Branded vs. Non-Branded Search
Branded search plays a different role.
- Branded searches typically convert at a higher rate. If a potential customer searches for "ServiceNow ITSM demo," they’re likely much further down the funnel than someone searching for "best IT service management platforms."
- Non-branded searches are competitive, branded searches should be yours to own. If someone searches for "Tableau vs Power BI," both companies will compete aggressively for that spot. But if someone searches for "Tableau pricing," and Power BI has an ad above Tableau’s result, that’s a lost opportunity for direct engagement.
- Branded search volume is a real-time indicator of demand. If more people are searching for your brand over time, it’s a sign that marketing and sales efforts are generating interest. If it’s declining, it could mean competitors are gaining mindshare.
A well-balanced B2B SEO strategy uses non-branded search to bring in new audiences while ensuring branded search is fully optimized to capture those already looking for you.
Who is Ranking for Your Branded Keywords?
Competitor bidding on branded keywords is a common tactic. A prospect searching for your company may see a competitor’s ad first, positioning them as the better choice before they even reach your site.
Third-party review sites also take up space by exploiting domain authority. Searches including “reviews” or “alternatives” often lead to aggregator sites that don’t just inform but funnel traffic to competitors through affiliate links and paid placements.
95% of search traffic goes to the first page of Google, and if your brand isn’t ranking first for its own name and without active monitoring, you lose control over how potential customers find and evaluate your brand.
What to Do When Competitors Bid on Your Brand Name
Competitors bidding on brand keywords in Google Ads intercept high-intent traffic that should have gone directly to your site. If you're not protecting branded keywords, you risk losing leads to competitors who frame themselves as the better alternative before prospects even land on your page.
The worst part? It’s completely legal, unless they misuse your trademark in ad copy.
Here’s how to fight back:
Bid on Your Own Branded Keywords
While it may seem unnecessary, bidding on your own name ensures your official website appears first, above any competitor ads. This also gives you control over messaging, so prospects see the most relevant offer or call to action.
Even if you don’t bid on your own brand, others might target it through Performance Max (PMax) campaigns or broad match keyword strategies. This can drive up CPCs in competitive industries, making it harder to maintain cost-effective visibility.
Optimize Your Organic Listings
A competitor’s ad will always sit above your organic result, but a strong meta title and description can help recover clicks. Ensuring your brand result is compelling, structured, and visually appealing (with rich snippets, reviews, or sitelinks) makes a difference.
Take Action Against Competitor Ads
If a competitor misuses your trademarked terms in ad copy, you can file a complaint with Google to have their ads removed. If they aren’t violating a trademark, your best option is to outbid them or refine your ad strategy to increase click-through rates.
Trademark Your Branded Terms
One of the strongest legal defenses against competitor bidding is trademarking your branded keywords. Without an official trademark, competitors can bid on your brand name freely, and your ability to remove misleading ads is limited.
Legal Process and Actions
→ Trademarking Your Brand Terms
- File for a federal trademark through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for stronger protection.
- Work with a legal professional to ensure proper filing and enforcement.
→ File a Complaint with Google
- Trademark Infringement Complaints – If a competitor uses your trademarked name in their ad copy, submit a complaint via Google’s Trademark Complaint form.
- Non-Trademark Violation Complaints – If a competitor is violating Google Ads' branded keyword policies (but not your trademark), report the issue through Google’s Report an Ad/Listing form.
→ Cease and Desist Letter
In cases of repeated violations, a cease and desist letter may deter a competitor from continuing branded keyword bidding. While not always enforceable, legal pressure can sometimes be enough to shift their ad strategy away from your brand.
How to Monitor Rankings and Take Action
If you’re not actively monitoring your branded keyword rankings, you won’t realize a problem until it’s already costing you leads and market share. Brand search tracking helps you stay ahead by identifying ranking shifts, spotting competitor interference, and ensuring your brand maintains its visibility in B2B organic search. The key is consistent tracking and analysis.
- Use Rank Tracking Tools – Platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Google Search Console can track fluctuations in branded keyword rankings and identify new competitors entering the space.
- Analyze Search Results Regularly – Conduct manual SERP audits to see if competitors, resellers, or third-party platforms are ranking above or near your branded queries.
- Evaluate Why Others Are Ranking Higher – If review sites or competitors outrank you, analyze their backlink profile, structured content, and on-page SEO to see what’s giving them an edge.
- Optimize and Adjust – Update your landing pages, metadata, and technical SEO to improve rankings. Test content strategy shifts to push down external listings.
Is Your Brand Losing Control in Search Results?
Take charge of your branded search strategy today and ensure your brand stays at the top. Partner with O8 to boost your visibility and protect your digital presence.
How to Improve Branded Search Rankings
Branded search is a crucial part of B2B search optimization and directly impacts B2B lead generation. To fix weak branded rankings, you need to have a strong branded search optimization strategy.
Here’s how to do it.
Audit and Optimize Existing Branded Pages
Branded queries should always lead to the most relevant page. If your pricing page doesn’t rank for “[Brand] pricing,” or if a review site ranks above your official testimonial page, Google is determining what’s most relevant instead of you.
Use Google Search Console and SEMrush’s Organic Research tool to track and monitor B2B search rankings & queries. Filter by position to find pages ranking outside the top three. If a third-party site is ranking above you, analyze its structure, backlinks, and on-page optimization.
Title Tags & Meta Descriptions
Search engines use title tags and meta descriptions to determine relevance in search results. If these aren’t optimized for branded queries, click-through rates (CTR) suffer, and competitors can outrank you.
- Title Tag Best Practices:
- Optimal Length: Keep title tags between 50-60 characters to avoid truncation.
- Example: [Brand] Pricing & Plans | Compare Features & Costs
- Meta Description Best Practices:
- Optimal Length: Keep descriptions between 150-160 characters for best visibility.
- Example: Compare [Brand] pricing and features. Find the best plan for your business needs and explore flexible options.
Canonical Tags
Canonical tags tell Google which version of a page should be indexed when multiple similar pages exist. Without proper implementation, Google might rank a less relevant page or, worse, let a third-party site take over branded rankings.
Example:
A brand sells multiple software packages, and each has its own pricing page:
- brand.com/pricing-standard
- brand.com/pricing-enterprise
- brand.com/pricing-full
If searchers look for “[Brand] pricing”, Google might not know which page to show. A canonical tag on each version pointing to brand.com/pricing ensures the main pricing page ranks instead of secondary variations.
Implementation:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.brand.com/pricing" />
Without this, Google may rank a blog post, an outdated pricing page, or even a review site instead of the main pricing page.
Internal Linking
Internal linking helps search engines understand relationships between branded pages. If a brand’s product page ranks below a third-party review site, strategic internal links can boost its authority.
Where to Add Internal Links for Branded Search Optimization:
- Homepage Navigation → Ensure key branded pages (pricing, case studies, testimonials) are linked from the homepage.
- Product & Service Pages → If the pricing page is a priority, link to it from relevant product pages using branded anchor text.
- Blog Posts & Guides → If an article discusses a product comparison, include a direct internal link to the official feature comparison page.
Pro Tip: Check for keyword cannibalization. If multiple pages are competing for the same branded term, consolidate or restructure the content to strengthen ranking signals.
Create Dedicated Pages for High-Intent Searches
Not every branded query should lead to a generic homepage. If users are searching for "[Brand] vs. [Competitor]" or "[Brand] reviews," they expect direct answers. If you don’t provide them, third-party sites will.
Create dedicated landing pages for common branded search queries. A well-structured comparison page can help control the narrative when users search for “[Brand] vs. Competitor.” Similarly, if product features or integrations are frequently searched, make sure you have specific pages addressing those topics.
Structured content, like FAQ sections and schema markup, can also increase visibility in search results.
Google Autocomplete for Brand Perception
If “[Brand] scam” or “[Brand] lawsuit” appears in predictions, that’s a reputational risk.
Generate positive branded searches.
Google bases Autocomplete suggestions on search volume trends. If more people search for “[Brand] success stories” or “[Brand] integrations,” those phrases will start appearing instead. Promote these search-friendly terms in email campaigns and social media.
Optimize for PR and earned media. Google pulls suggestions from external sources, so ensure news articles, case studies, and blog features reinforce brand credibility.
If a negative term is appearing, investigate the source. If it’s an actual issue (customer complaints, poor reviews), address the root cause rather than just trying to suppress it.
Optimize Site Structure for Branded Search
Google determines the importance of your branded pages by analyzing your site structure. Poor internal linking, weak navigation, or inconsistent content signals will push lower-quality pages ahead of your intended targets.
How to Fix It:
Improve site navigation: If key branded pages (like pricing, testimonials, or integrations) aren’t easily accessible from the main menu, Google may not recognize them as high-priority, and they may not rank well for branded searches.
Example (Before – Poor Navigation)
- A SaaS company has a pricing page but only links to it from the footer or buried inside a sub-menu.
- URL: brand.com/pricing
- Menu Structure:
- Product
- Solutions
- Resources
- Enterprise
Contact Us
(No direct link to Pricing in the main navigation.)
Example (After – Optimized Navigation)
- The Pricing page is linked directly from the main menu, increasing its visibility and authority.
- Updated Menu Structure:
- Product
- Solutions
- Resources
- Pricing
- Enterprise
- Contact Us
Impact: Google sees the Pricing page as a priority, and it ranks better when users search “[Brand] pricing.”
Use descriptive anchor text: Internal links should use relevant, keyword-rich anchor text instead of vague terms like "Learn more" or "Click here."
Example (Before – Weak Anchor Text)
- "For more details on our product, click here."
- "To compare different pricing plans, learn more."
Example (After – Optimized Anchor Text)
- "See how our tool stacks up against competitors in our [Brand] vs [Competitor] comparison."
- "Explore [Brand] pricing to find the right plan for your business."
- "Learn more about [Brand] customer success stories."
Impact:
- Google better understands what the linked page is about.
- Strengthens branded search rankings for keywords like "[Brand] pricing" or "[Brand] testimonials."
Implement structured data (schema markup): Using structured data (schema markup) helps Google understand content better and can improve search result appearance.
Example 1 – Organization Schema (For Brand Visibility) Before:
- When users search for "[Brand] company," Google may not pull complete business information.
- Knowledge Panel (right-side box in Google Search) is incomplete.
After (With Organization Schema):
Example 2 – FAQ Schema (For More SERP Space)
- If users often search "[Brand] features", adding FAQ schema can push your content into "People Also Ask" boxes.
Example 3 – Review Schema (For Star Ratings in Search Results)
- If you have customer testimonials or product reviews, using Review Schema can show star ratings in branded search results.
Manage & Optimize Your Google Knowledge Panel
The Knowledge Panel is the most visible branded search result, appearing in the right-hand section of Google when users search your company name. If you don’t manage it, Google will pull information from whatever sources it deems relevant including Wikipedia, news articles, or unverified business directories.
Claim your Knowledge Panel via Google’s verification process. Ensure accurate business details, images, and links (social profiles, website, customer support contacts). Earn authoritative backlinks and citations from recognized sources (like Wikipedia and news coverage).
Dominate "People Also Ask" and Featured Snippets
Google's "People Also Ask" (PAA) box appears for many branded searches. If your competitors or industry blogs are answering questions about your own brand, you're losing control of the conversation.
How to Win PAA Rankings:
- Identify PAA questions tied to your brand using Google Search and SEO tools like SEMrush.
- Answer these questions directly on your site using a structured Q&A format.
- Use FAQ schema so Google can pull answers directly from your content into the PAA box.
Earn Branded Backlinks to Strengthen Authority
If external sites mention your brand but don’t link to you, they aren’t contributing to your search authority.
How to Build Branded Backlinks:
- Monitor unlinked brand mentions using Google search operators ([Brand] -site:yourdomain.com). Reach out to site owners and request a proper citation with a backlink.
- Partner with industry websites for guest posts, podcast interviews, and PR mentions that naturally reinforce your branded authority.
- Try digital PR to get featured on high-authority platforms. (works wonder)
To take full control of your branded search presence, you need a structured approach that strengthens visibility, protects search real estate, and ensures your audience finds the right information
O8’s Approach to Brand Building
At O8, we take a holistic approach to brand building that aligns seamlessly with SEO best practices. Our strategy is designed to ensure that your brand not only ranks well but also establishes a strong presence in search results, reinforcing credibility and driving conversions.
Dominating Search Results In Competitive B2B Markets
We believe in a B2B brand strategy that ensures visibility, authority, and long-term market dominance. Our approach to B2B marketing integrates SEO for B2B companies, ensuring that every branded search leads to higher conversions and brand trust. 49% of B2B marketers prioritize SEO over any other tactic.
Adding Content That Builds Authority
Content is a key driver of brand authority, and our team excels in brand-centric content marketing. At O8 every piece is designed to reinforce your brand’s expertise while addressing the needs of your audience. We craft compelling, search-optimized content that enhances brand visibility, strengthens credibility, and attracts high-intent organic traffic.
Fixing Gaps Through Technical SEO Foundation
Technical SEO plays a crucial role in branded search performance, and we ensure that your website’s technical foundation is optimized for both branded and non-branded search.
From site architecture and structured data implementation to internal linking strategies, we fine-tune every aspect to improve discoverability and search rankings. We’ve seen firsthand how a strong SEO strategy transforms search visibility.
For GenoPalate, we tackled low rankings with technical optimizations, strategic interlinking, and a data-driven approach to stay ahead.
Data-Driven Adaptability For Real-Time Adjustments
Data-driven decision-making is central to our approach. Our experts continuously analyze search trends and user behavior to refine and adjust brand strategies.
By monitoring branded search volume and tracking competitive activity, we ensure that your brand stays ahead in search visibility and adapts to changing market dynamics.
Cost-Effective Scalability Through Fractional Marketing Model
Through our fractional marketing model, we provide businesses with access to a diverse team of specialists without the overhead of full-time hires. This allows us to scale efforts according to your brand’s needs.
The Future of Branded Search in B2B SEO
Branded search is evolving, and AI-driven algorithms are reshaping how brands appear in search results. As Google prioritizes context, intent, and entity-based search, brands that fail to optimize risk losing visibility to competitors, review aggregators, and AI-generated answers.
Future-proofing means owning your brand narrative, optimizing structured data, strengthening brand signals, and monitoring search intent shifts.
Ignoring it means handing control to others. Investing in branded search now ensures your brand remains authoritative, visible, and competitive in the years ahead.
O8 helps businesses take back control and protect their digital footprint.
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