Track four metrics: (1) branded search volume in Google Ads, (2) direct traffic to homepage, (3) brand-search impression share, (4) survey-based unaided recall in your target geography. Growth of 15 to 40% year-on-year indicates healthy brand investment.
The four metrics 1. **Branded search volume:** queries containing your firm name in Google Search Console. 2. **Direct traffic:** visits to homepage with no referrer in GA4. 3. **Brand impression share:** Google Ads auction insights. 4. **Survey recall:** quarterly micro-surveys in target region.
Benchmarks - Branded search growth of 15 to 40% YoY = healthy. - Direct traffic share of 15 to 30% of total = healthy. - Brand impression share of 90%+ in Google Ads = you own your brand SERP.
Leading indicators - LinkedIn follower growth. - Share of voice on relevant topics vs competitors. - Earned media mentions (local press, industry press). - AI citations (GEO tracking).
Investment guide Firms with serious brand ambition allocate 15 to 25% of marketing budget to non-direct-response (content, PR, sponsorship, event) activity.