Navigating Brand Conflicts: Strategies for Competing with Similar Names

Establishing and developing a brand has always been a task that requires effort and money, even in the past when the internet was not around.

But with the rise of the internet, the world has become more connected, leading to a higher number of brand conflicts.

In the past year, I've received more questions about these conflicts at conferences than ever before in my SEO career.

When your brand name is shared with another brand, town, or city, Google needs to figure out the main way users interpret the query. If there are multiple interpretations, Google will prioritize the most common ones.

Noun and brand conflicts typically happen when:

A rebrand’s research focuses on other business names and doesn’t take into consideration general user search.

When a brand chooses a word in one language, but it has a use in another.

A name is chosen that is also a noun (e.g. the name of a town or city).

Examples of Brands with Multiple Products

Finlandia is known for its cheese and vodka. Graco offers commercial products as well as baby products. Kong is a pet toy manufacturer and a tech company.

Through my discussions with marketers and SEO professionals from different brands facing this issue, it seems that the root cause lies in how Google interprets the intentions of users when they search.

Google analyzes the query entered by a user to pinpoint specific entities that are mentioned.

Google aims to enhance the relevance of search results through its 2015 Patent #9,009,192. This helps Google provide related and pertinent search engine results page (SERP) elements.

For instance, if you search for a particular movie or TV show, Google may display a SERP feature with relevant information such as actors or news related to the media.

This results in different interpretations.

When someone searches on Google for a well-known brand like Nike, the search results have to consider various common interpretations and intentions.

When I look up Nike, the search results show a mix of different things like the Nike website, social media pages, local stores on the Map Pack, product listings, the Nike Knowledge Panel, and other online stores. This mix is there to meet the different reasons why someone might search for "Nike."

Clarifying Brand Entities

When Google searches for entities and references in the Knowledge Graph, it may come across two similar matches for brands with the same name, like Kong. These matches are Kong Company and Kong, Inc.

The search results page is filled with product listing ads (PLAs) and ecommerce results for pet toys. However, the second blue link organic result is Kong, Inc.

On the same page, there are mentions of a restaurant with the same name (for UK-based searches). Additionally, in the image carousel, Google is showcasing the (King) Kong film franchise.

Google has prioritized the pet toy company as the main interpretation of the query, but has also included results for other meanings.

Back in 2015, Google obtained a patent that outlined how the search engine could distinguish between entities with the same name.

The Knowledge Base may use annotations to distinguish entities with the same name. An example would be adding a word or descriptor to clarify. For instance, the entries for Dan Taylor could be listed as: Dan Taylor (marketer).

Dan Taylor (journalist).

Dan Taylor (olympian).

Determining the "dominant" interpretation of a query and organizing search results is based on user behavior, specifically which results are being clicked on during the search (SERP interaction).

How established the entity is within the user’s market/region.

How closely the entity is related to previous queries the user has searched (personalization).

I have noticed a connection between increased searches for a brand and how it impacts specific searches for that brand.

It is important to mention that this relationship can change. If a brand suddenly gets a lot of mentions from various news outlets, Google will adjust the search results to better match what users are looking for and how they might be interpreting their searches at that particular time.

SEO For Brand Disambiguation

Creating a strong brand involves more than just SEO. It's important for everyone in the business to be on board and for the brand and its messaging to be clear and consistent.

SEO can play a significant role in enhancing this process by leveraging various aspects such as technical optimization, quality content creation, and digital PR strategies.

Google's algorithm is designed to analyze the relationships between different entities based on their co-occurrence and classification, helping the search engine differentiate between them effectively.

We can improve this by using technical SEO techniques like detailed Schema markup and ensuring the brand name is uniform across all online platforms and mentions. This connects to how we discuss the brand in our content and how often the brand name appears with other related entities.

A Note On Search Generative Experience

To strengthen this and increase brand recognition, it is important to combine this with digital PR campaigns aimed at positioning the brand and confirming its relevance to current topics.

It seems that Search Generative Experience could be the next big thing in search. In our tests, we've found that Google sometimes struggles with generative AI snapshots for brands that share the same name.

If you want to see how your brand is being represented, I suggest reaching out to Google and creating an SGE snapshot for your brand along with reviews.

If Google is unsure about which brand you are referring to, it may show reviews and comments about companies with similar names.

Even though Google does mention that they are different companies in the snapshot, if a user is quickly scanning and only reading the summaries, this could create a unintentional negative impression of the brand.

More resources:

Entities In SEO: What Are They And Why Do They Matter?

Why Entities Are The Most Important Concept In SEO Right Now

How Search Engines Work

Featured Image: VectorMine/Shutterstock

Editor's P/S:

The article highlights the challenges of brand disambiguation in the digital age, where multiple entities can share the same name. This has become increasingly prevalent with the rise of the internet, leading to confusion and potential reputational damage for businesses. Google's efforts to interpret user intentions and prioritize relevant search results have led to varying interpretations, particularly when brands also share names with common nouns or locations.

To address these challenges, the article emphasizes the importance of comprehensive brand management, leveraging both SEO and digital PR strategies. By optimizing technical aspects, creating quality content, and engaging in targeted PR campaigns, businesses can strengthen their brand identity and ensure that Google accurately interprets their relevance to user queries. Additionally, the emergence of Search Generative Experience (SGE) poses new challenges for brands with similar names, requiring proactive measures to manage their online presence and mitigate potential negative impacts from AI-generated snapshots.