How to Find Brand Keywords: Build a List from Search Records, Brand Questions, and Competitive Gaps

To find brand keywords, start with the brand name and collect search terms that have already brought clicks to the website. Then expand the list using search suggestions, brand-related questions, and competitors’ rankings. Make a clear distinction between queries that include the brand name and generic topics that simply relate to the brand’s business. Start with recorded search queries, then add candidate keywords so your list includes both observed searches and questions worth investigating further.

First, check which brand searches have brought clicks to the website

A 2023 Semrush article explains that you can filter queries by brand terms in Google Search Console’s search performance report to see which brand keywords bring clicks to the website. To look for multiple names at once, the article also demonstrates using a regular expression with terms separated by “|”.

You can also use GA4. According to the same article, you must first connect the website’s GA4 property to Search Console, then search for the brand name in the organic search queries report. These methods only cover queries already present in the reports, not all brand searches. The instructions date from 2023, so the current interface and menus may differ.

Add terms from search suggestions, then identify pre-purchase questions

The same Semrush article suggests entering the brand name in Google’s search bar and collecting autocomplete suggestions. You can also add letters of the English alphabet one at a time after the brand name to find more combinations. If “People also ask” or “People also search for” appears in the search results, the phrases in those sections can also be added as candidates.

A 2025 Backlinko article suggests starting with common brand-related questions and adapting them to the product, or collecting questions with a keyword tool’s question filter. You can prioritize questions that affect purchasing decisions, such as:

• “Brand name + cost”: the user wants to understand pricing.
• “Brand name + is it free”: the user is checking whether payment is required to use it.
• “Brand name + can it integrate with a particular tool”: the user is checking whether its capabilities fit their needs.

These are starting points for your research. They do not mean that every brand receives these searches or that a product actually offers the relevant features.

As part of our content services at Procrustes, we turn questions that genuinely matter to clients into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.

When comparing rankings, do not omit the brand-name filter

Semrush’s 2023 article also introduces brand keyword gap analysis. When comparing your website with competing websites, first specify a country, then filter for terms containing your own brand name. In that article, “Missing” results list brand terms for which all selected competing websites rank but your own website does not. If you omit the brand-name filter, you may find only general SEO keyword gaps; you cannot automatically classify all those terms as brand keywords.

Add trend data and record the location and time period

A 2022 Welly tutorial explains that Google Trends lets you view search interest for a specified location and time period, as well as top and rising terms among related searches. When compiling brand-related candidate keywords, record the time period and location alongside them. Distinguish searches that are popular during that period from those gaining popularity. You can use this information to help choose content topics, but do not present interest during a particular period as lasting, unchanging demand.