Search engine optimization is important for brand development because it puts the brand at the top of search results for certain keywords. It puts the brand name in top spots, giving the brand better visibility.
SEO is a way to reinforce the values and qualities of a brand. Some people may not even know the brand name or are not searching for it. With an excellent SEO strategy, people are likely to see the brand in search results by merely using keywords.
What are the benefits of using SEO for brand development?
The ultimate goal of SEO is to get your content out there. However, not many people know about your brand name, especially when you’ve just launched. For example, people may type the keyword “online casino” but not necessarily your casino’s name.
In this case, a successful SEO strategy would put your webpage at the top of the search result pages. The person searching will click on your page and then get to know your brand. There are some more benefits to using SEO, which we will discuss one by one below.
1. SEO is organic
Before the internet, companies relied on expensive marketing to increase brand awareness. They advertised on paper, TV and radio. They also paid models.
While you can do the same today, it is not the most effective campaign strategy. It is better to release SEO content than advertising as it will serve its purpose for a long time.
With advertising, you pay per click, and that click may not even generate a sale. If you publish a blog or video content, that content is up there for people to see. It will stay there for a long time, and you get as many free clicks as you want.
2. SEO increases brand reach
When you advertise, your campaign has a limit, and this limit depends on your budget and the locations you selected. With SEO, there is no limit.
For example, if you only advertised in the US, then your ad will only appear in the US. If you publish a blog or video, Google will show your content to everyone using Google. Once you stop showing your ads, you will no longer get traffic. With SEO, your site traffic is continuous.
Google, the search engine, processes about 2 trillion searches in one year. If you appear in just a tiny fraction of these searches, you would have reached millions of people globally than if you advertised.
3. SEO creates authority
When a person types a keyword in a box, that person will click the top three results. According to a study, 28% of people click on the first organic result on the search page. The second position takes 15% of the clicks, and the third position takes 11%.
Overall, the is a total of 54%. Almost half of all clicks are on the first three results. Why is this? It is because people naturally think that the first three results are the most credible. That is how far Google has become credible these days.
If you manage to secure a spot in the top five, it tells the user that you have authority. With high authority comes better brand awareness. People who have never heard of your name would now get to know you. All this will happen because of search engine optimization.
4. SEO lets you know the voice of the buyer
In essence, SEO will tell you what people are looking for. If you are manufacturing rubber shoes, you certainly want to target keywords like “rubber shoes,” “sneakers,” and others. During your SEO research phase, you may be surprised that the top searches are “red rubber shoes” or “mid-cut sneakers.”
Now that you know what people are looking for, you can do two things:
- Capitalize on this information to create content or advertise products that meet these keywords.
- Create these products and market them.
Therefore, as a brand, your marketing strategies and even your production decisions have a dependency on SEO. However, at first, you do not need market studies—the search volume is your guide to what people are looking for, and you take action based on this data.
What should you do to get started with SEO and brand development?
The first step is to build a website that is SEO optimized. Make it mobile-friendly and ensure that your pages load fast. Page speed is an important component of SEO. Get your navigation right, too. Hire a web developer if you need or use site builders like WordPress or Shopify.
Next, search for keywords that match your brand. If you are selling women’s clothing, then you want to use keywords related to that. Your best shot is to hire an SEO expert and have this expert draw a plan.
Next, you need to publish content on a regular basis, like blog posts and press releases. Google likes it when a website always has fresh content.
These blog posts must be helpful articles that will turn readers into customers. You can also ask your SEO expert to provide you with a list of keywords to write about, then hire an affordable freelance writer to do the content for you.
Finally, market your content. It will help if you put up social media channels carrying your brand name. Whenever you have new content on your website, share that on your channels and then watch your rank rise to the top.
Use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. If you have a team managing your social media channels, then you can launch all of them at the same time. If not, start with two social media channels only.
Summary
Search engine optimization will be around to stay. It will never go away. Google and other search engine companies will merely adapt and add changes, but the core of SEO will be the same. As a company, you must stay away from a Gray Hat or Black Hat SEO. Focus on what is legitimate, and no Google update will ever harm you.
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