Definition
Non-branded search targets generic queries. It can be more incremental but often has higher CPC and requires strong landing pages.
How to use it
- Use clear intent segmentation (problem-aware vs solution-aware queries).
- Landing page relevance and quality score can materially change CPC.
Why this matters
This term matters because it affects how you interpret performance and make budget decisions. If you use inconsistent definitions or windows, ROAS/CPA can look "better" while profit gets worse.
Practical checklist
- Write a 1-line definition for "Non-branded Search" that your team will use consistently.
- Keep the time window consistent (weekly/monthly/quarterly) when comparing trends.
- Segment results (channel/plan/cohort) before drawing big conclusions from blended averages.
- Sanity-check with a related calculator from the same category on MetricKit.
- Read the related guide (e.g., Creative + landing page playbook: diagnose CTR/CVR, then set break-even targets) for context and common pitfalls.
Where to use this on MetricKit
Calculators
- Click-through Conversion Rate Calculator: Calculate click-through conversion rate (click-to-conversion CVR) and estimate required clicks for target conversions.
- ROAS Calculator: Calculate Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and estimate contribution profit after ad spend.
- Break-even ROAS Calculator: Estimate the break-even ROAS based on contribution margin assumptions.
- Target ROAS Calculator: Estimate a target ROAS to cover variable costs plus a desired margin buffer.
- Paid Ads Funnel Calculator: Model CPM -> CTR -> CVR to estimate CPC, CPA, ROAS, and profit per 1,000 impressions (with margin and variable costs).
Guides
- Creative + landing page playbook: diagnose CTR/CVR, then set break-even targets: A practical playbook for improving paid ads performance: use CTR/CVR diagnosis, set break-even CTR/CVR/CPM targets from your economics, and fix the biggest lever first.
- UTM + GA4 attribution: practical tracking for paid ads (without lying to yourself): A practical guide to UTMs and GA4: consistent source/medium/campaign tagging, conversion deduplication, and common attribution traps.