Google Search Console Adds Branded Query Filter – Launching Soon in India

Google is releasing the Branded Query Filter, a long-awaited update to Google Search Console. It’s already one of the biggest changes in SEO reporting this year. Some users around the world are already getting the update, and it will be available to more accounts, including those in India, in the next few weeks.

You can now easily tell the difference between branded and non-branded search performance without having to use complicated regex or do manual exports. Until now, most SEO teams had to guess or sort data in spreadsheets to figure out how much traffic was coming from brand equity versus discovery keywords. This filter makes that process clearer, cleaner, and automatic.

What is the purpose of the Branded Query Filter?

The Branded Query Filter uses AI to find search terms that are related to your brand name, product names, and close variations, such as misspellings and language-based differences. This is especially helpful for Indian brands because people often search in more than one language, like English and Hindi (Hinglish) or regional dialects. So even questions like:

“Price of a Tanishq gold ring”

“tatasky recharge app”

“zomatto order tracking” (a misspelling)

may automatically fall under branded traffic if the AI knows what the brand wants.

Where to Find This Setting

You can find the option in Search Console under:

Add Filter → Query → Branded / Non-Branded in Performance

Some accounts already have the feature, while others may see it appear slowly as Google finishes the rollout. Don’t worry if it’s not in your account yet; it will be soon.

Why This Is Important for SEO Teams in India

For a lot of Indian businesses, brand awareness comes from a lot of different places, like TV ads, digital ads, local listings, and even word-of-mouth. Because of this mix, the number of branded searches can sometimes be more important than real SEO growth.

This update helps fix that issue by allowing you to:

• Find out how much organic visibility has grown from queries that don’t include your brand name.
• Find out how branding campaigns affect search demand.
• Make SEO client reporting more accurate and open.
• Look into how your audience finds your business besides brand loyalty.

For agencies that work with Indian brands, this also makes reports more trustworthy because leadership teams can now clearly see how much traffic comes from brand popularity versus search engine optimization efforts.

Industry Reactions

Many SEO experts globally have already reacted to this feature on LinkedIn, calling it one of the most useful Search Console enhancements in years.

Google later confirmed the rollout in the official Search Central Blog, explaining that this update is meant to help marketers analyse performance by query intent rather than relying on blended data. The blog also mentioned that the new feature will continue rolling out across eligible properties in the coming weeks.

Last Thoughts

If you are serious about tracking and reporting on SEO, this new Branded Query Filter is a great tool to have. Once it is fully available in India, it will not only improve how businesses measure organic performance, but it will also help teams come up with better strategies based on real discovery behavior, not just brand influence.

If you work in SEO, marketing, or run a business in India, you should check your Search Console often. The update could come out any day now.