The Naver Advertising Guide Part 2: Everything You Need to Know About Brand Search

Why Choose Naver?

Naver is an essential platform for businesses looking to establish their presence in Korea. They have the largest search engine market share in Korea, outperforming Google. Naver is an online ecosystem that combines search with blogs, forums, shopping, and news, shaping how Korean users interact online.

For businesses, advertising on Naver is a must to gain visibility in Korea’s search engine landscape. Naver offers multiple advertising formats, including Site Search Ads (also known as Powerlink Ads), Content Search Ads (Powercontent Ads), Branded Search Ads, Display Ads, and Shopping Ads etc. Each serves a unique purpose, from increasing visibility to driving conversions. In the first article, we talked about Powerlink ads, an advertising type intended for direct sales. This article focuses on Naver Brand Search Ads, a premium advertising format designed to strengthen brand awareness and trust.

What Are Naver Brand Search Ads, and How Do They Work?

Naver Brand Search Ads allows businesses to showcase their brand at the top of Naver’s search results in a highly visual format. This type of advertising is ideal for brand-awareness campaigns with the goal of increasing brand credibility and shaping the public perception of foreign companies. Brand search ads appear when users search for a brand name or related keywords. These ads include images, videos, and multiple links, giving the advertiser a lot of control of what people see when their band is searched. 

Brand Search Ads work on a contract basis, ensuring exclusive top placement for brand-related searches. This means that a company’s official brand message is the first thing users see, building credibility and driving engagement.

Why Are Brand Search Ads Important for Foreign Brands?

For international brands entering the Korean market, Naver Brand Search Ads offer several advantages:

• Stronger Brand Authority – Being positioned at the top of Korea’s biggest search engine results instantly builds credibility and recognition.

• Reaching High-Intent Users – These ads appear only when users search for a brand, ensuring that they reach people who are already interested in learning more. 

• Customizable Content & Direct Navigation – Advertisers can include images, videos, and multiple links directing users to key sections of their website. 

•  Higher Conversion Potential – By guiding users to specific landing pages, businesses can improve engagement and increase conversions.

What Landing Pages Can Be Used?

Advertisers have the flexibility to link multiple pages within their ad, allowing users to navigate directly to:

• Official website homepage

• Product category pages

• Promotional campaign pages

• Event landing pages

Each ad type uses different templates and placements to deliver the brand’s message effectively. This allows brands to guide the customer journey more strategically.

Which Brand Search Ads Product Should Your Brand Choose?

• Light
  • Basic brand search ads type with images.

• Premium
  • Utilizes various videos and images to deliver a strong brand image to target audiences.

• Brand Recommendation
  • Focuses on conversion by displaying brand messaging and recommended products/services together.

• Sponsored
  • Creates strong branding and an immersive experience starting from the search bar that aligns with brand’s branding and brand colors.

• Brand Zone
  • Integrates ads with product/service information on a brand store, directly connecting audiences with purchase.

How Much Do Naver Brand Search Ads Cost?

Naver Brand Search Ads operate on a contract-based pricing model, depending on product types and monthly search volume of the brand-related keywords. 

According to Naver’s billing system, if the keyword group has fewer than 8,000 monthly searches, advertisers will pay the minimum contract fee per month. However, as search volume increases beyond this threshold, the monthly contract fee will rise accordingly.

Pros & Cons of Naver Brand Search Ads

Pros:

✔ Guaranteed consistent visibility without fluctuating costs.

✔ Exclusive top placement for brand-related searches.

✔ No need to bid or compete with your brand-related keywords, since the keywords used in Naver Brand Search cannot be taken or used by other brands.

✔ Rich media content with images, videos, and multiple links.

✔ Boosts brand credibility and trust.

✔ Provides better user navigation control compared to other ad formats.

Cons:

✖ Higher minimum cost due to contract-based pricing.

✖ Requires approval and registration, making it more complex to set up.

Final Thoughts: Why Naver Brand Search Ads Matter

For businesses looking to maximize their visibility on Korea’s top search engine, Naver Brand Search Ads provide unmatched exposure. Unlike PPC-based ads, they offer guaranteed placement and control over brand messaging.

However, setting up Naver Ads can be challenging due to strict approval requirements. Partnering with a local marketing agency can simplify the process, ensuring a seamless campaign setup. Waterbe specializes in helping foreign companies enter and navigate the Korean market, ensuring smooth integration into Naver’s advertising ecosystem.