- Branded queries not top-ranked are branded Google Search Console (GSC) queries with at least 10 impressions and an average position worse than number 2.
- Ranking page is Google's current number 1 URL, filled from a live SERP lookup. Our page is the URL on your site that GSC associates with the query.
- Rows where you already own number 1 or number 2 are excluded. This list is the remaining branded queries where another URL is ranking above you.
- Cap the list (20 rows in this filter), sorted by impressions. Brand terms with no impressions do not belong on this list.
- Answer engines tend to mention a brand and then cite a third-party URL. Losing Google number 1 for your own name is often the same kind of gap. The list itself still comes from Search Console plus the live SERP, not from ChatGPT.
You already have branded queries in Search Console. Some of them don't put you in the top two. The searcher typed a name that refers to you. Google showed a partner page, a GitHub mirror, a competitor, or a publisher.
Branded traffic is sometimes treated as a problem that is already solved. This list is the branded queries where that is not true, so you can see who ranks above you and what to change.
Why branded queries you don't own are worth the work
At least 10 impressions means people are searching a branded string often enough to measure. Average position worse than 2 means you are not the click they expect. Branded queries are usually high-intent. If you are not in the top two, some of that demand is going to another URL.
The ranking page column is the point of the play. GSC tells you that you aren't number 1. The live SERP tells you who is. A partner page, a docs mirror, a news write-up, or a competitor comparison each suggests a different first action than publishing another blog post.
Fixing branded SERPs is usually a mix of title, homepage, docs, and relationship work — not a new top-of-funnel article. The purpose is to surface branded queries you do not currently win, even when overall branded clicks still look healthy in aggregate.
Keep the list short enough to work through. 8–20 queries with substantial impressions is a practical amount of work. A dump of every query that contains the brand name is too broad to act on quickly.
Answer engine optimization (AEO) often involves the same problem. If Google's number 1 for “your name + category” is someone else, models have a convenient URL to cite that is not yours. This list still comes from Search Console plus the live results page, not from an AI citation report. If a third-party URL is Google's number 1 for your name, models have a convenient URL to cite that is not yours. How to influence what AI is saying about your brand is the AEO companion. If you are weighing this against net-new AEO spend, how to budget for AEO and SEO is the planning frame.
How to use Search Console to build a branded-not-top-ranked queue
Start from the latest Search Console month that has rows.
Then apply the filters in order:
- Keep branded queries.
- Keep queries with at least 10 impressions.
- Keep average position worse than 2.
- Sort by impressions, highest first.
- Keep a cap (20).
- Attach our page: the URL on your site with the most GSC weight for that query.
- Look up Google number 1 for the query, and drop rows where that URL (or number 2) is already you.
The columns that matter are query, ranking page (Google number 1), our page, impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and GSC average position.
You don't need érculespot to run this. In Search Console, filter to brand queries, keep those with 10 or more impressions and average position worse than 2, then search the query and note who occupies number 1. érculespot is one way to see that list assembled.
How to read a branded-not-top-ranked row
The pane title in the example is “Branded queries not top-ranked.” That is the diagnostic name. The work is to improve where you stand on branded queries you do not currently win.
Read a row left to right. The query is the branded string. Ranking page is who Google is putting first. Our page is where GSC thinks you rank. Impressions tell you whether the query has enough volume to matter this month. CTR and average position tell you how far down you sit.
In the example, one row is unleash ai at 243 impressions, 4 clicks, 1.65% CTR, and GSC average position 8.3. Another is unleash github at 241 impressions, 0 clicks, position 5.1. A third is a long branded-plus-competitor string at 488 impressions and position 5.0. Those are not cases where the brand is missing from results entirely. They are branded strings where another URL is easier to click than yours.
If the ranking page is your GitHub org, your docs subdomain, or a partner you want there, the job may be to accept number 1 and improve number 2. If it is a competitor or a scrape, the job is to compete for that click.
Why Google number 1 is the row that matters
GSC average position is a blend. It can hide that a partner is number 1 and you are number 4. The live number 1 URL is the page currently receiving the branded click. That is the page you have to beat, link from, or negotiate with.
Excluding rows where you already own 1 or 2 keeps the list focused on gaps. Including every branded query you already win makes the list harder to use.
A new blog post titled with your brand plus a generic noun rarely displaces a GitHub repo or a G2 category page. For branded-not-top-ranked, the default is the URL Google already associates with you (often the homepage or a docs hub), improved, plus the off-site URL you need to deal with.
What to do with a branded-not-top-ranked row
Search the query yourself. Look at number 1. Then:
- If number 1 is a property you control (docs, GitHub, YouTube), align titles and sitelinks so the click you want is obvious.
- If number 1 is a partner or publisher, fix the listing, the title, or the relationship.
- If number 1 is a competitor using your name, tighten the homepage and brand SERP (title, description, organization markup) and document the query.
- Match our page to the intent: homepage for the name, docs for “brand + github,” pricing for “brand + cost.”
- Avoid briefing a long opinion article to win a query like brand + github.
Branded traffic: what is it and what can we learn from it? is the wider frame for why this traffic is worth protecting. Choose the row based on the query, who occupies number 1, and which of your URLs Search Console associates with it.
Ship the row, then look at the next month's queue. Success looks like the query falling out because you own number 1 or number 2, not because branded impressions went to zero.
Branded-not-top-ranked work is a filter on demand you already have
This list is drawn from searches that already use your name. Google is showing someone else. A short list of high-impression branded gaps is a practical amount of work, without opening a new top-of-funnel brief.
Making the official URL the clear result for your name can help with answer engines as well as Google. You do not need a separate AEO dashboard to start. What's the difference between being mentioned by an LLM, and recommended? is the citation version of the same problem.
Frequently asked questions
What does branded search mean in search engine optimization?
It means queries that contain your name (and close variants). This play is the subset where Search Console still shows 10 or more impressions and an average position worse than number 2, and the live SERP's number 1 isn't you.
Why is average position worse than number 2 the cutoff?
Because number 1 and number 2 are the clicks searchers expect for a brand. Position 3 and below is where a partner, a GitHub mirror, or a competitor starts taking the session. If you already own 1 or 2, the row is excluded.
Why look up Google number 1 instead of trusting Search Console's ranking page?
GSC's page is your URL. It does not tell you who is above you. The live number 1 is the URL you have to beat or bargain with. Without it, the list only shows branded queries you do not win, without showing which URL is above you.
Why require 10 impressions on branded queries?
Because a one-off typo with 3 impressions is too small a sample to prioritize. 10 impressions in a month is enough to say people search it and you can see who ranks.
Does losing branded Google number 1 still matter with answer engines?
Yes. If Google's first result for your name plus a category is a third party, models have a convenient URL to cite that isn't you. The list is still GSC plus the live SERP, not a citation report. You can start this work in Search Console and the live results page. A separate AEO tool is not required to review branded queries where another URL ranks above you.
Related reading
- Branded traffic: what is it and what can we learn from it? — Why branded queries are a different job from non-branded demand.
- How to influence what AI is saying about your brand — The AEO version of another site ranking for your brand.
- What's the difference between being mentioned by an LLM, and recommended? — Why showing up for your brand is not the same as being the URL that gets chosen.
