Both matter but they represent different groups of people.
Branded searches include your business name, domain, or specific products and services (including misspellings). They typically come from people who already know you and are actively looking for you.
Non-branded searches, on the other hand, don’t mention any specific business. These usually come from people seeking information or a solution — meaning they may be discovering your business for the first time.
For most Australian businesses, non-branded traffic is the superior metric for growth.
If someone searches for your business name, they already know you exist. But if they search something like “best accounting software for SMEs” or “divorce lawyer Melbourne,” that’s a potential new lead.
This is why it’s worth tracking whether your non-branded search traffic is growing over time. Consistent growth generally indicates that your SEO is reaching new people who could become customers.
Google has made this easier by expanding access to the branded queries filter in Search Console, which automatically separates branded from non-branded search data.