In a recent exchange, a Google search liaison addressed concerns about using branded keywords in articles.
The debate, which unfolded over several tweets, revolved around the impact of mentioning certain brand names in product reviews and other content.
Content creator Jake Boley initially wondered why his articles featuring original content were consistently ranking on the third or fourth page of search results, and he hypothesized it might be because they contained his brand name.
This has sparked a debate about SEO best practices and Google’s ranking algorithms.
Conflicting advice from SEO experts
SEO expert Taleb Kavala noted that mentioning brand keywords can hurt rankings, and advised against using terms like “New Balance” in review titles.
He claimed to have audited numerous sites and observed the negative impact such keywords had on rankings.
Trust me, Jake, it's the word “New Balance.” Don't expect to get onto page one with third-party branded content.
Relatedly, your site fell off for those keywords.
Sounds like a conspiracy theorist here, but I've already audited dozens of sites, so feel free to chime in if you disagree…
— Taleb Kabbara (@TalebKabbara) June 25, 2024
Google's official response
Google's search liaison denied these allegations.
In their detailed response they state:
“No, you don't have to be afraid to say the brand name of the product you review. It's what our readers expect, and our system is going to reward those that help our readers.”
A Google representative explained that it's counterintuitive to write a review without mentioning the product being reviewed.
They stressed that Google’s system aims to find and rank content that is genuinely useful to readers, regardless of the use of brand names.
I disagree. No, you should not be afraid to mention the brand name of the product you review. It's literally what readers expect, and our system is trying to reward things that are helpful to our readers. What would be the point of writing a review of something and not mentioning the brand name…
— Google Search Liaison (@searchliaison) June 25, 2024
Evidence supporting Google’s position
To further support its claims, the liaison provided evidence from the specific search query “new balance minimus tr v2 review.”
They highlighted that the top results for this query came from individual reviewers rather than big brands, demonstrating that Google can rank independent content if it's relevant and useful.
As I stated in my previous reply, “This is something that anyone can easily prove false by simply searching the results.”
The top results for this query aren't from big brands. The YouTube videos aren't from big brands. They're from Jake. And ideally, our system would… pic.twitter.com/hKhGZxLuOH
— Google Search Liaison (@searchliaison) June 25, 2024
A refresher on best practices
The conversation escalated when Mike Hardaker said he'd been advised not to rank for branded keywords, with Google search responding succinctly, “Yes, don't do that,” reiterating the company's stance on avoiding branded terms in content.
That's right, don't do that.
— Google Search Liaison (@searchliaison) June 25, 2024
Why is SEJ interested?
This conversation will clear up any misunderstandings through direct communication about Google’s approach to ranking content that contains branded keywords.
This reminds publishers to write the best content for their readers, rather than trying to game the system by avoiding certain terms.
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