How to Balance Branded and Non-Branded Keywords in Your PPC Campaigns

When it comes to paid search, choosing the right PPC (pay-per-click) keyword strategy can determine your success. Unfortunately, if you’re unfamiliar with PPC advertising, striking the perfect balance between branded and non-branded keywords in a paid search campaign can feel tricky.

Branded keywords focus on your name and products, helping protect your brand and capture high-intent traffic. Non-branded keywords introduce your business to new audiences, boosting visibility and driving growth.

Each has unique strengths and strategic value, and understanding when and how to invest in both can improve your marketing ROI. Discover how to use each effectively and how they can help your business grow.

Read on to discover the difference between branded and non-branded keywords, why you shouldn’t ignore branded keywords, the benefits of non-branded keywords, how to find the right balance between the two, and our approach to getting the most out of a PPC campaign.

If you’re running a paid search campaign in Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, one of the biggest questions you’ll face is how to split your budget between branded and non-branded keywords. Both play an important role in driving traffic and sales, but knowing when to prioritize one over the other can make a big difference in your return on ad spend (ROAS). Each has its place, but the real magic happens when you use them to their full potential.

• Branded keywords: These include your business name, product names, or any unique brand identifiers. For example, “Zoho CRM software” or “Mailchimp email marketing platform.”
• Non-branded keywords: These are broader search terms that don’t mention a specific brand but describe a product or service, such as “best CRM for small businesses” or “email marketing tools for eCommerce.”

If you want to grow, you can’t just stick to people who already know your name—you must get in front of those who don’t know you yet. That’s where non-branded keywords come in. They’re how you build awareness for those who haven’t heard of you but are actively searching for what you offer. Here’s why they matter:

• They expand your reach: Non-branded keywords help you reach way beyond your existing audience. Instead of only showing up when someone types in your business name, you’re showing up when they’re looking for the solution you offer.
• They build early brand awareness: Showing up in search results for broad, industry-relevant queries gets your name in front of new eyes. Even if someone doesn’t click the first time, they’re more likely to recognize (and trust) your brand later when they see it again.
• They help you compete where it counts: Chances are, your competitors are already bidding on these broader terms. If you’re not in the mix, you’re missing an opportunity to show potential customers why you’re the better choice.
• They drive long-term growth: Non-branded keywords aren’t always about the fastest wins—they’re about building a steady stream of new people discovering your brand over time. It’s the kind of momentum that keeps paying off.

By casting a wider net, you’ll put your brand in front of people ready to discover something new—something like you.

So, when does it make sense to lean into non-branded keywords? Here are a few situations where they can really move the needle:

• You’re a new business trying to get noticed: If no one knows your name yet, don’t wait around for branded searches. Go after the queries your customers are already using to find products or services like yours.
• You’re launching something new: Do you have a new product or entering a fresh market? Build awareness with non-branded keywords in Google Ads to get in front of curious searchers exploring their options—without being tied to a specific brand.
• You’re ready to scale: Maybe you already have a solid base, but now it’s time to grow. Expanding into non-branded territory is one of the most effective ways to increase traffic, leads, and conversions without relying solely on your name to do the heavy lifting.

Getting the right mix of branded and non-branded keywords is key to a high-performing PPC campaign. Here’s how to find the perfect ratio:

If your main goal is driving more conversions, it makes sense to prioritize branded keywords since they’re more likely to get in front of people intending to find your business and have lower CPCs.

On the other hand, if you want to grow brand awareness and expand your audience, investing in non-branded keywords can help you reach new potential customers. A good starting point is allocating 60% of your budget to branded keywords and 40% to non-branded keywords, but you should adjust this based on performance and business goals.

You gain better budget control and insights into their performance by running branded and non-branded campaigns separately. Mixing them together can distort your data since branded keywords usually have much lower CPCs and higher conversion rates. Keeping them separate allows you to make more informed optimizations.

For branded ads, focus on reinforcing trust, highlighting your unique selling points (USPs), and using strong calls to action like “Shop Direct from [Your Brand].” For non-branded ads, emphasize how your product or service solves a problem, highlight key benefits, and find ways to differentiate yourself from competitors.

For branded campaigns, consider using a Target CPA (cost per action) or ROAS bidding to maximize efficiency. Testing strategies like Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC can help you identify what works best before scaling up your spending for non-branded campaigns.

Tracking CTR (click-through-rate), CPC, and conversion rates separately for branded and non-branded keywords is essential. You should also adjust bids and budgets based on search trends, seasonality, and competitor activity to make sure you’re getting the best possible ROI.

At Stellaractive, we’ve seen firsthand how the right mix of branded and non-branded keywords can make a difference. When we launched our own paid search campaigns, we focused on branded terms like “Stellaractive web design” and “Stellaractive digital marketing.” Those worked great for reaching people who already knew us, but we wanted to expand our reach and audience.

We started testing non-branded keywords like “web design agency in Portland” and “digital marketing services in Portland.” Even though the cost-per-click was a little higher, it paid off in a big way. We started getting inquiries from businesses that didn’t know about us before but needed the exact services we offer.

By keeping our branded and non-branded campaigns separate, we were able to fine-tune each. It’s a perfect example of how finding a balance can help you scale while still supporting your loyal customers.

Both branded and non-branded keywords are key for a winning paid search strategy. Branded keywords help you capture high-intent traffic, while non-branded keywords drive new leads and expand your reach. The trick is finding the right balance and adjusting based on real performance data. Want help optimizing your PPC strategy? Stellaractive is here to help your business reach its online potential. Reach out to our team or give us a call.