How To Find the Right Non-Branded Keywords

Relying just on your brand name to bring in traffic and revenue isn’t enough to be successful, especially when it’s against competitors with an established customer base and higher budgets. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t win or stay competitive. By using effective SEO strategies, specifically finding the right non-branded keywords, you can bring much-needed results. 

However, this is easier said than done. The “right terms” might seem obvious. Still, during the keyword research and ideation process, you’ll notice that the way you write about your own products or services might be different than how customers and competitors perceive them. So which keywords should you optimize for: the terms used by consumers or the ones used internally by your team and other professionals in the space? 

To answer the question, we’ll explore the differences in keyword intent and relevance. We’ll see what the data then shows about your current consumer and what you can do with SEO strategies to make the most out of your ideal non-branded keywords.

Matching Search Intent

A crucial step in finding the right non-branded keywords requires meeting people halfway in their search. In other words, you need to discover the right search intent keywords that your ideal customers already use to find you or the competition. 

Intent serves as a valuable signal of a consumer’s stage in the funnel. The difference between a broad question and a more specific one can tell you if the person visiting your site has the intent to conduct more research or buy now.

Let’s use the world of outdoor lighting as an example. Depending on the terms used, people might look at outdoor lighting products through different lenses. If you’re discovering that people find your site with phrases like “how do I install outdoor lighting,” then they’re using informational intent keywords to get answers to a specific question or topic. If they want to know “where to buy outdoor lighting,” then that implies a more commercial or transactional intent, meaning that the customer is taking an additional action to research before purchasing or even looking to buy immediately. 

When you use these terms within the content on your site, double-check their intent on search engine results pages (SERPs). See if commercial-based terms yield product pages or if informational phrases showcase blog posts or videos that offer unique and insightful content. If your site is showing up for these phrases, see if the corresponding pages meet that intent, and if you need to make changes or improvements to better meet that intent and climb the rankings.

Check for Relevance

You also need to ask yourself some questions about brand perception. Specifically, what terms do you use when talking about your own products? Do consumers use that same terminology? In a similar vein, inspect the terms competitors use when promoting similar offerings. If you notice a difference in how consumers and competitors are talking about similar products, then it can be an indicator of a difference in keyword relevance.

Here’s an example: when you search for “outdoor lighting,” you’ll see a wide range of lighting products focused on items like string lights and wall lights. These are mostly used to light up patios or your front porch. If you type in “landscape lighting” instead, you’ll still see plenty of product variety, but they’re focused on a full-scale lighting system for gardens, lawns, and pools. On the surface, both terms seem similar, but they actually cater to different audiences. The former is focused on standard big-box store products, while the latter offers a more specific line focused on creating a comprehensive system.

As you gather data on non-branded terms, keep this comparison in mind, especially if you notice a vast difference in terms used by you and your ideal consumer. With each new keyword and its many variations, make a quick gut check and see which sites come up in SERPs. If you notice competitors or even your own site among other similar entries, then the keywords might be worth investigating.

In some cases, the gap between the opposing keywords is also an indication of the consumer’s stage in the sales funnel or their level of experience in the space. This is the pivotal crossroad in your SEO strategy. You can completely change course and meet customers at their level by using the terms they use. Or, you can see this gap in knowledge as an opportunity to create educational content.

Educating the Consumer

Finding the right non-branded keywords offers more than just SEO optimizations on existing pages. They can be the gateway to meaningful content that resonates with consumers. If you see that consumers are using other terms, but you don’t want to abandon established keywords on your site, then creating educational content is a must. Specifically, the content should touch on the consumer-centric terms while also guiding them towards the more specific and professional terms used in the industry.

Keeping with the lighting example above, let’s say people are using the term “driveway lights.” After some research, you discover that despite it being a popular term, it’s not the correct word for the fixture, which is “in-ground lights.” You can then use this gap in knowledge to create multiple topics that talk about those specific fixtures, such as installation, maintenance, and differentiators between models.

Expanding on a specific term with multiple topics does a few things in terms of SEO. Over time, Google and other search engines will see you as an authority on the subject, especially if your content meets the criteria for E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness). Covering the basics with unique, relatable content on these keywords will also help expand your digital footprint, ensuring that you show up on more relevant terms and increasing the size of your audience.

Creating relevant content also requires additional keyword research. Similar to your initial discovery, make sure that your content, be it a blog, guide, video, or other media, incorporates keywords that target your specific audience and the competition. By meeting them halfway with relevant and intentional keywords, you make it easier for people to find you and grow your business.

Putting Your Non-Branded Keyword Strategy Into Action

Whether it’s an everyday product or a niche service, the right non-branded keywords are out there for you. What’s important is that you take time on the front end to discover those terms, whether they’re used by existing customers or the competition, and use that as a solid foundation on which to build your SEO strategy. From there, you can easily optimize existing pages and use topic clustering to plan out a content strategy that targets those keywords with the hope that you better reach your target audience.

With each Google update, changes in user behavior, and the growing popularity of AI agents, the onus is on you to monitor page performance to see when new terms are needed. At that point, it’s just a matter of repeating the same process to stay ahead of your local competitors. Over time, this can help you even go toe-to-toe with well-established brands.

There isn’t a perfect answer on whether you should stick to known terms to educate customers or cater to their preferred keywords. Each industry and business has its own way of offering relevant and unique content to the consumer. What matters is that you make a choice and test it out. With enough time and data, you can see if your efforts pay off or if you need to pivot to another strategy to get the attention and revenue you need to be successful.