How Branding Affects SEO

Every business owner and organization needs to consider SEO when implementing brand identity and strategy. Without a solid brand identity, branding will affect your SEO efforts. There are many things to take into account:

• How are your users finding you online?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         To determine this, understand how your audience will find you and how you are known and more importantly how do you want to be known.

• What branded keywords are driving traffic to your site?                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Branded keywords are keywords and phrases that users are typing into search engines to find what they are looking for that are variations of your business name. Review this tool to help gain more insight.

• Who is your audience?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Selecting phrases and words that determine your brand, think of your audience, potential clients and relative to your industry and niche.

Selecting words and phrases that determine your brand

Right from the inception of your business name you must make some key choices on how your audience and users will find you. Your audience’s recognition plays a large role on brand recognition. Selecting business name, slogans and any additional content that describes your organization and how your audience finds you will affect how you are found on search engines and any other online platform. Select keywords that resonate with your audience, whether its industry lingo or generic terms- be consistent- do not to confuse your audience.

(Marketing Tip) Unless you are IBM, H&M, HSBC etc., stay away from acronyms! If you are not a recognized brand or household name, you are diluting your potential brand exposure as a new company. Going down the road of acronyms as an initial branding option is too ambitious.

Brand and SEO

SEO has a large focus on content, ensuring you know how your brand is found through keywords and phrases will drive traffic to your website.  Search engines love great content not low quality content,  this enhances your organic search presence.  Implement strong content on your site, pages within your site, blogs and off site such as social media and industry specific blogs to name a few.

In short, strengthening your brand starts with the quality of your brands content online. Select keywords or phrases that remain consistent to the identity and messaging of your brand.

Target influencers: Work out a process to target influencers on social networks, and take note of the topics/ideas that interest them the most. Work on the type of content they usually share to their followers, and build similar content around your brand.

Bring in local reviews: Local SEO strengthens branding through the number and quality of reviews your brand captures. Make sure it adds a positive impact to your company.

Benefits of Branding SEO:

• Branding builds expertise, authority and trustworthiness with search engines.
• Improves search visibility
• Search engines favor brands
• Establishes a cohesive online presence and brand perception

Although branding and SEO are two different marketing strategies, they do work together as all marketing strategies play a role in how well you are found.