When Should You Separate Branded and Non-Branded Campaigns?

Separating branded and non-branded campaigns isn't just about cleaner reporting. It gives Google's AI clearer optimisation signals and a more accurate picture of where new customers come from.

TL;DR

Blended ROAS lies to you. Separate branded and non-branded traffic from day one, not once the account has “scaled.”

·         Branded traffic manipulates your numbers and algorithm targeting.

·         Branded search and non-branded Shopping are two different campaigns any account needs.

·         The search terms/themes report tells you where conversions are coming from.

·         If more than 10% of conversions in non-branded PMax campaign are coming from branded terms, the exclusions are not working.

Why This Matters

A blended ROAS number can look good for the wrong reason. Branded traffic is cheap to convert because users already know the brand. Mixing this into a growth campaign manipulates the metric and fails to tell you if the campaign is bringing in new customers.

Google’s bidding algorithm learns from the signals you input. By blending branded and non-branded into one campaign, Google will get mixed signals on where it should be targeting and who it should be targeting. The algorithm can’t build a clean picture of what a genuine new customer looks like if most of it comes from people searching the brand.

Why does mixing branded and non-branded fail?

There are three key mechanisms working here:

·         Signal contamination. As mentioned above, the algorithm cannot learn a “new customer” profile when branded and non-branded traffic are mixed.

·         Attribution gets messy. It becomes difficult to say which channel or campaign is driving real incremental revenue.

·         Competitive exposure. A dedicated branded search campaign is critical. Without it, competitors can bid on your brand, intercepting traffic you’ve already paid to generate on other platforms.

When exactly should the split happen?

Day one. A branded search campaign is one of the first steps one for any brand with existing reputation and demand. Alongside it, a non-branded campaign. This is the foundation, not an optimisation in the future.

How much budget should go to branded, and how do you know you’re overspending?

Roughly 10-15% of total account spend. It is not recommended to spend any more.

However, if branded is fully saturating its budget and the search terms report shows branded, aligned traffic, it is reasonable to increase it. It is critical that this decision is made after checking the report.

Does this timing apply the same way inside Performance Max?

This is the one place guidance isn’t consistent. Branded exclusion inside PMax can reduce cost per new customer acquisition substantially, despite most agencies and businesses ignoring it. However, for a brand new PMax campaign, allowing branded traffic to remain blended can help to gather momentum. Provided this is excluded later, this is reasonable.

The safer option is to exclude branded from PMax as early as possible and treat any early-stage inclusion as a deliberate, temporary exception rather than the standard approach.

Recommendation

Launch branded search and non-branded bestseller Shopping together from day one. Cap branded spend at roughly 10-15% of total budget, and only raise it after checking the search terms report confirms branded traffic is fully saturating its current budget. For PMax, apply branded negative keyword lists as early as possible, and watch the search themes report for the 10% branded conversion regularly.  

Common Mistakes

·         Not applying the same brand-name negative keyword list consistently across all campaigns.

·         Never checking the search terms report, highlighting branded leakage into nonbranded campaigns.

·         Letting branded spend exceed 10-15% without checking if it’s justified.

·         Assuming PMax automatically excludes branded traffic. It doesn’t.

FAQ

Do I need a separate branded campaign from day one?

Yes. It is one of the first two campaigns any account needs alongside non-branded from day one.

How much of my budget should go to branded campaigns?

Roughly 10-15% of total account spend. This is a cap, not a target.

Does Performance Max automatically exclude branded search terms?

No. It requires a manually built negative keyword list.

What’s the risk of leaving branded and non-branded traffic mixed?

Three compounding problems:

·         A bidding algorithm that can’t learn a new-customer profile.

·         Attribution that can’t tell you what is driving growth.

·         Competitors can bid on your brand name, reducing traffic.

Author: Max Crakanthorp, Founder of Kraken Digital