Analysis of Website Performance and Brand Awareness

To evaluate your website’s performance and measure brand awareness effectively, it is important to analyse three main types of website traffic: direct traffic, Branded Organic Search traffic (branded keywords), and Non-Branded Organic Search traffic (functional keywords). Each of these metrics offers specific insights into your brand’s visibility and recognition online.

Direct Traffic

Direct traffic refers to users who access your website by typing the URL directly into their browser, using bookmarks, or following links shared privately. A high volume of direct traffic indicates strong spontaneous brand recognition and customer loyalty.

Examples of direct traffic behaviour:

• Typing the website address directly into the browser (e.g., www.supermarket.co.uk).
• Clicking bookmarks or browser history links.
• Clicking on privately shared links (e.g., through messaging apps).

Note: If you have problems with your banner consent mode, you should have a lot of direct.

Branded Organic Search Traffic (Branded Keywords)

Branded organic search traffic includes visits from search engines that involve keywords specifically mentioning your brand name or terms closely associated with your brand. A high volume of branded keyword searches demonstrates strong brand awareness and market relevance.

Examples of branded keywords:

• Exact brand name searches (e.g., “Supermarket”).
• Brand name combined with products or services (e.g., “Lidl “, “Supermarket brand  loyalty card”).

Non-Branded Organic Search Traffic (Functional Keywords)

Non-branded organic traffic refers to website visits from search engine queries related to products, services, or content, without explicitly mentioning your brand. A positive performance in non-branded traffic indicates effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies and helps attract new users who might not yet be familiar with your brand.

Examples of non-branded functional keywords:

• “buy fresh food online”
• “supermarket fast delivery”
• “organic supermarket products”
• “supermarket promotions near me”

Recommendations for Analyzing Brand Awareness:

To effectively analyse and continuously monitor brand awareness, follow these steps:

• Review monthly and annual changes in direct, branded, and non-branded homepage traffic to identify trends.
• Analyse the relative share (percentage) of these three traffic types to determine the main drivers of your current brand visibility.
• Regularly track branded keywords, identifying fluctuations in search volume and adjusting promotional activities when necessary.
• Explore and optimize non-branded keywords to attract new visitors and potential customers.

Recommended Tools for this Analysis:

• Google Analytics 4 – for detailed segmentation of direct and organic traffic. The volume of total traffic.
• Google Search Console – ideal for identifying branded and non-branded keyword positions on the SERP.
• SEMrush or Ahrefs – provides in-depth SEO data and helps monitor competition.
• Using a reporting tool like Looker Studio to have the information all together

Bonus

If you get here learn how to use Segments and Audiences to see how your visits come from Brand Awareness efforts (you can use them for TOP of the funnel strategies)

See how the IDIRA framework can help establish a strong foundation for your Data-driven marketing Solutions

References

Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing: Strategy, implementation and practice (7th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.

Kingsnorth, S. (2022). Digital marketing strategy: An integrated approach to online marketing (3rd ed.). Kogan Page Publishers.