5 Reasons why Branding should be an Essential Part of Your SEO Strategy

Branding and marketing (SEO strategy) go hand in hand as the single most powerful dissemination tool you have at your disposal. Search engine optimization is a part of online marketing, so you can easily draw the conclusion that a strong brand must have something to do with successful SEO. And it really does.

So much so, that if you spend the time and financial resources needed to build a compelling brand identity, you can easily boost your entire marketing strategy, including your position in the SERPs and your authority in the hearts and minds of the online audience. Here are the five definitive reasons why branding matters in the SEO world.

Name recognition builds CTR

Coming out at the no.1 spot on Google is important, very important, but it’s not the be-all-end-all of stellar CTR. As any experienced SEO professional will tell you, there’s only so much they can do with your website if you don’t have a compelling brand identity and brand-centric copy that will incentivize people to click on your link.

Yes, the top link on Google does tend to drive an average 20% CTR, but imagine what it could do if the name was recognizable, if the name was associated with an authoritative source in the industry. You see, when people are searching for a product or a service, they will first encounter the three blue links indicating a paid advertisement. After that come the organic rankings.

For someone who’s searching for something specific or are just getting acquainted with the product they’ve been searching for, they will scroll down to a link that will provide them with more information. Skipping the ads and the unknown brands, they will land on your homepage because your name and identity are familiar. Remember, name recognition increases CTR.

Building authority in the saturated online world

Got an amazing product? Your customer service is top-notch? What’s that, you’re dedicated to excellence? Good for you, so is every other growth-oriented company in the modern business world. In other words, your products or claims don’t set you apart, nor do they build the authority needed for Google to rank you higher or your customers to trust you. Branding does.

The packaging and the visual identity, the tone of voice and the values you portray, yes, all of that matters. But if you want to rank higher in the SERPs, you need to create authoritative content with SEO in mind. Your main goal here should be to get your content into the featured snippets.

This exclusive spot on the first results page is reserved for content that directly answers a certain question using the appropriate keywords and data-driven copy. This will help your brand build authority with the audience faster, and will greatly complement your entire content marketing strategy. Focus on creating in-depth, reader-friendly, SEO-optimized content on a regular basis, weave your brand into the copy, and you will build a deep connection between the brand and the online audience.  

Earning relevant backlinks to boost ranking

Building quality links that will lead people back to your website is arguably one of the most powerful ways to build authority in the online world, boost your brand’s image and recognition, and of course, rank higher on Google. It all works together to build a comprehensive digital marketing approach, which is why every successful SEO agency uses white-hat link-building tactics to promote your brand as a whole, and on the flip side, score quality links using your brand’s identity as leverage.

This is where branding plays a vital role in your link-building strategy, as building quality backlinks from authority sites in the industry can be downright impossible if you don’t have a strong brand presence to back you up. This not only means crafting all around quality content, but also ensuring brand consistency across social media channels, posting regularly, engaging with your community, gathering positive reviews and testimonials, and making sure your on-site SEO game is on point. Do all of this, and you will be scoring quality backlinks like crazy via the popularity and authority of your brand.

Cater to brand-specific searches

There are people out there who are consistently searching for information, services, and products using brand names and brand-specific terms, you know. By branding your business on all fronts, and especially through name and brand copy, you will easily improve your ranking and CTR for brand-specific searches. This will further improve your brand’s recognition in the online world.

Provided that you put effort into building a strong brand in the first place, you will start seeing a gradual increase in the number of people who are searching for your business specifically instead of typing some general terms into the search bar. And remember, branded searches build authority and traction like no other.

Improve other on-site metrics

Bounce rate, readability, engagement, sales rate, all of these key performance metrics are vital to the long-term survival of your company. Not only do they provide you with the insights needed for you to improve your overall approach and web presentation, but they also tell Google how relevant your website truly is in the eyes of the online audience.

For example, by weaving your brand and its values into your content strategy and portraying every piece with your distinct tone of voice, you will effectively improve engagement rates on your site, and thus minimize your bounce rate. With a reduced bounced rate comes better ranking, and the best part is that this is but a single example of how quality branding can help you improve your on-site metrics and take your SEO game to the next level.

In conclusion

Branding is not just the creative part of your business. It’s not a pretty face and a chirpy voice you use to greet your visitors. Branding is an essential element of a thriving digital marketing strategy and a lifelong partner to your SEO efforts. Don’t waste its potential, but rather use it to reach new heights of success in the online world.