S.Cat Tab (Search Category nGrams)

Search category performance and branded vs non-branded traffic analysis.

Understanding Search Categories

The S.Cat tab breaks down your PMax search traffic by category patterns, helping you understand what types of searches are driving your performance.

Brand vs Non-Brand Analysis

This tab is especially powerful when you've configured brand terms in your settings. It separates:

• Brand: Searches containing your exact brand terms
• Close Brand: Searches similar to your brand but not exact matches
• Non-Brand: Generic or competitor searches
• Blank: Search terms Google won't share for “privacy reasons”

Why This Matters

PMax often shows strong performance because it's capturing branded search (people who already know you). This tab tells you:

• Is PMax finding new customers (non-brand) or just harvesting existing demand (brand)?
• What percentage of your budget goes to branded vs non-branded traffic
• How different search categories perform in terms of ROAS and conversion rate

Setup Requirement

For best results, add your brand terms in the configuration settings. Without brand terms configured, all search categories will be classified as non-brand or blank.