Why Should You Care About Branded Search?
We’re all sick of the doom-and-gloom headlines: AI is destroying SEO content. The evidence is, admittedly, strong. AI Overviews have decimated click-through rates (CTRs), which means that even exceptional publishers are watching, horrified, as organic traffic plummets. Surely you’ve felt it yourself—your impressions might be up, but those beloved clicks? Down, down, down.
The consensus seems clear. AI has murdered organic traffic, and none of us earned an invite to the funeral.
Below the surface, things are a little more interesting.
It’s true that AI Overviews reduced CTR, on average, by -15.49%. But there’s one very notable bright spot in this depressing trend: branded searches. When someone searches for your brand name specifically, AI Overviews actually improve your CTR by 18.68%. Branded searches aren’t some tiny, irrelevant corner of SEO—they account for 44% of all searches.
So why does branded SEO get the shaft in favor of high-volume keywords that might look compelling (if you ignore their crumbling CTR)? You probably assume searchers typing in your brand name will find your site one way or another. Why waste time?
Because that time’s not wasted. Great branded SEO doesn’t just take advantage of the one leg up AI has given content marketers. (Finally!) It directly reinforces your E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust).
Google’s leaked 2024 search documents included a signal called the BrandQueryFactor, which evaluates how frequently people search your brand. In fact, branded searches directly indicate trust and intent to Google’s algorithm, according to one patent.
Branded search is a ranking signal, not just a meaningless SEO to-do.
The AI Overview Branded Search Flywheel
If branded search is the cockroaches and Twinkies of the AI search apocalypse, how can you take advantage of its longevity?
Start by understanding the AI Overview flywheel.
AI exposure drives branded search—if ChatGPT mentions your brand name in a response, searchers might drop your brand name into Google for more info…
Branded searches signal authority to Google…
Better rankings increase the likelihood of AI citation inclusion…
Higher AI visibility generates more branded searches.
Early movers in AI optimization and GEO gain compound advantages that late arrivals will struggle to overcome. Showing up in more AI answers means more branded search. Which means better rankings. Which means you’re more likely to show up in AI answers. And so on, and so on. AI discovery works as a top-of-funnel awareness channel that ultimately drives direct and branded traffic.
This gives us two elements to focus on: improving our appearance in AI search using GEO and SEO strategies and improving our rankings for branded search. So how do we get started?
Finding Branded Keyword Goldmines
Branded SEO is way more than just ranking for your brand name (and all the… creative misspellings). Real opportunity lives in the long-tail keywords.
Start with Google Search Console. There, you can filter your keywords using regex—we recommend the format ([brand]|[product]|[variations]). Export this dataset to find gems like:
[Brand] vs [competitor]: This query has a high purchase intent, and allows you to build your competitive defense.
[Brand] alternative: Don’t let your competitors own this keyword!
[Brand] pricing and [Brand] reviews: These can be bottom-of-funnel gold.
Next, check out tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to find out who’s ranking for your branded terms—and yes, this happens more often than you think. This is who you have to beat. Some AI tools, like Otterly.ai, also evaluate the “share of voice” for your brand and your competitors. This highlights which brands dominate the conversation.
Dominate Your Branded SERP
Now, it’s time to claim the real estate. After all, it’s rightfully yours!
Build content moats before competitors do. Time to talk about your favorite subject: Your brand! Create comprehensive "[Brand] vs [Alternative]" comparison pages. Optimize your pricing and services pages. And make sure to answer any "People Also Ask" questions that appear in your branded SERP, which can feed both traditional search and AI responses.
Optimize for brand and key categories. Don’t assume you’ll rank for “[Brand] running shoes” via the homepage, even if that’s your primary offering. Create dedicated landing pages for hybrid queries, like key products or services. (For instance, “Masthead content strategy”!)
Target AI citations. Add structured data. Clarify your first paragraphs—they should be clear and quotable. Include unique statistics and data AI can reference, and build E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust) signals through author credentials and original research. (Sound like a lot? Leave the hard work to us.)
Build Genuine Brand Authority
Black-hat SEO never works well—especially in the era of AI—but branded SEO particularly requires a careful hand. Don’t game your rankings. Build genuine brand authority that machines will recognize and recommend.
Google and other LLMs, like ChatGPT, are generally suspicious of sites with a lot of links and not much authority. Translation: Buying links is as bad of an idea as ever. You can’t win branded search by faking it. Instead, prioritize sustained investments in consistent quality content.
There’s good news here: Genuine expertise is more important than cheap backlinks. LLMs like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews want to cite experts who contribute to the conversation. And when someone searches for your brand, AI wants to provide a citation from a trusted source, like your website—as long as you provide the information the searcher wants.
But does it?
Search your brand name in an incognito window. Then search “[Brand] alternative” and “[Brand] vs [competitor].” Who’s on top of those results?
If it’s not you, you’re falling behind in the AI Overview flywheel—and you’ve got work to do.
The first-mover advantage in branded search can give your brand a much-needed leg up, but the window of opportunity will quickly close. Jump in headfirst now, while your competitors still chase high-volume nonbranded keywords with plummeting CTRs.
Thriving in 2026 means embracing this shift early, investing in substance over manipulation, and claiming your branded real estate. First—before your competitors figure it out.
(By the way, those competitors have branded keywords, too. Are you ranking?)
Need help auditing your branded SEO or developing a strategy to win the market? Let’s chat through what you’re seeing so we can protect and grow your most valuable, conversion-oriented search traffic.
