Paid Advertising
Branded Search
Searches that include your business name — the highest-intent, lowest-cost traffic there is, and a recurring strategy debate.
Definition
Branded search refers to queries that include your company name, like "Summit Custom Homes reviews." These searchers already know you, which makes branded traffic the highest-intent and usually cheapest in any account — and whether to pay for it is one of the most common questions in paid search.
In depth
Branded searches convert at far higher rates than generic ones because the person is already looking for you specifically. They cost little, carry high Quality Scores, and often represent demand you generated elsewhere — through ads, referrals, or reputation — now coming home to convert.
The debate is whether to bid on your own brand when you already rank first organically. The case for it: competitors can bid on your name, ads let you control the message and occupy more of the page, and the clicks are cheap. The case against: you may pay for clicks you'd have earned for free.
There's no universal answer — it depends on whether competitors are bidding, how the math works out, and what the results page looks like for your terms. We test it rather than assume, measuring the incremental value of branded ads instead of paying for traffic that was already yours.
Worked example
"Summit Custom Homes" is a branded search; "home addition contractor near me" is non-branded. The first is cheap and nearly certain to convert; the second is where most of the competition and cost lives.
Paid Advertising
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