Brand Search vs Generic Search: Which One Drives More Revenue?

When people are searching for your business online, not every search has the same intent. Some people already know your brand and are looking for you specifically, but others might be searching for a service, product, or a solution without having a brand in mind. So these are broadly known as brand search and generic search. Understanding the difference can help you in different ways to guide the customer journey.

What Is Brand Search?

A brand search happens when someone includes your company or brand name in their search. For example:

• “Nike running shoes”
• “Sustainable Mindz digital marketing”
• “Apple Store Dubai”

These searches show high brand awareness. The person already knows your brand and is further along on their buyer’s journey. So brand searches can have a strong conversion potential. But note that they capture existing demand rather than creating new demand.

What Is Generic Search?

A search that doesn’t contain a specific brand is called a generic search. The user searches for a service, solution, or a product. Examples include:

• “digital marketing agency Dubai”
• “running shoes for beginners”
• “best CRM software for small business”

Generic searches are especially useful for customer acquisition because the user may not have decided which brand to pick yet. This presents businesses with an opportunity to appear in front of the right customers before they choose a competitor.

Which One Converts Better?

Brand searches have better conversion rates because the searcher has already some level of familiarity. But that doesn’t always guarantee more value. 

Imagine a situation where a business gets 1,000 brand searches every month and converts 10% of them. That’s 100 potential conversions. Now imagine it attracts 10,000 generic searches relevant to its brand and converts only 2%. That’s 200 potential conversions. 

So as you can see, general traffic has a lower conversion rate, but it can create significantly more surface area of growth.

Think of Search as a Funnel

A generic search is helpful to create discovery and get new customers, but a brand search is valuable for capturing existing demand and get repeat customers. So a strong SEO strategy should incorporate both these searches. In that sense, generic and branded searches are not competing strategies; they complement each other.

So, for businesses focused on sustainable growth, you need both brand demand to capture existing intent and generic visibility to generate new opportunities. Do not ignore either of them.

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