Search Console has received a branded queries filter, designed to analyse the queries driving traffic to a site by automatically distinguishing between branded and non-branded queries.
What is a branded query
A branded query is a search that contains a brand name, variations of the brand name, misspellings, or brand-related products and services. Examples include "Google", "Gogle" and "Gmail".
It is not always straightforward to distinguish between traffic from people who already know the brand and those who do not. A split between branded and non-branded queries can therefore make it easier to understand traffic patterns.
How the filter works
The filter is located in the Search results Performance report and divides query data into two views: Branded and Non-branded. Branded shows performance data for queries containing the brand name or closely associated products, while Non-branded shows performance data for all other queries.
It can be used across web, image, video and news. When the filter is applied, metrics such as impressions, clicks, average position and CTR are shown for the selected group.
New card in Insights report
A new card has also been added to the Insights report, showing the distribution of total clicks between branded and non-branded traffic. The purpose is to make it easier to measure brand recognition and compare traffic from people who already know the brand with traffic from people who did not explicitly intend to visit the site.
How queries are identified
The distinction between branded and non-branded is not based on a regular expression method for including or excluding keywords. Instead, it is determined by an internal, AI-assisted system. The system covers the brand name in all languages, typos, and also queries that do not mention the brand name directly but refer to a unique product or service on the site.
Some queries may occasionally be misidentified, because brand classification is dynamic and contextual. The filter is designed for segmentation and analysis in Search Console and does not affect ranking in Google Search.
Availability and rollout
The feature is being rolled out gradually. If the filter does not appear in your reports, it may be because it is only available for top level properties and not for URL path properties or subdomain properties. It is also only available for sites with a sufficient volume of queries and impressions.
Takeaways
The branded queries filter in Search Console automatically divides search data into branded and non-branded queries.
The filter is found in the Performance report and can be used across web, image, video and news.
The segmentation is based on an internal, AI-assisted system and not on manual regex filtering.
A card has also been added to the Insights report, showing the distribution of clicks between branded and non-branded traffic.
Some queries may be misclassified, and the feature does not affect ranking in Google Search.
