So you have built a brand, large enough for it to be searched on Google? Now, how well are you ranking for all those branded queries?
A few days ago Joy Hawkins[1] posted a very insightful thread[2] distinguishing between two important brand-driven search queries:
- Branded searches are searches for brands that you sell (even if it’s a part of your business name) that returns a list of results.
- Direct searches are searches for your specific location that return a Knowledge Panel (also referred to as “Authoritative OneBox”).
For example, [State Farm] search triggers local-three-pack results. That’s a branded search:
[State Farm Shannon Barr] returns a knowledge graph: That is a direct search:
This classification makes your local search optimization strategy much more clearer and better organized:
- Create and optimize your third-party brand assets to dominate as many results for your direct search results as you can
- Collect all your branded search queries and create the optimization strategy to rank high (as well as appear in local-three pack)
Let’s discuss the above two points in more detail:
1. Dominate direct search results
Here’s one important thing that you need to always keep in mind when creating your strategy for these: More often than not, this search is driven by ROPO / ROBO (research online purchase/buy offline/online) behavior.
What this means is that those searchers already know you and are ready to purchase. In fact they are so ready that they take time researching you online.
This is huge.
This also needs to push you to keep a closer eye on those direct search results and what first impression they make when someone looks