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Businesses use search engine optimization (SEO) because they want to improve their presence in online searches. However, the truth is that for big brands – and especially national brands – SEO has little to do with why brands may show up in first-page search results. The core value proposition of SEO can be misleading or at least misunderstood.
Knowledge panels, social accounts, Wikipedia, and job reviews are all essential parts of your digital presence. Along with your website, these are the first things consumers, investors, and even journalists will see when they search for your brand.
Yet, despite greater visibility online, they are not particularly impacted by SEO, especially for direct brand searches. To understand why this would be so, let’s look at the key elements of your digital presence that SEO can help you with, and then dig into everything else.
Related: SEO isn’t just about link building. Don’t overlook these expert strategies.
The big 3 of SEO
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SEO has three main components: on-site, off-site and technical.
Onsite SEO covers all of your website’s copy and metadata and is essential to improving your rankings for specific keywords. For example, if you’re selling artisanal charcoal toothpaste, an on-site SEO strategy will involve creating content around search terms such as “natural dental products”, “organic toothpaste” and (I assume) “tooth cleaners”. old-fashioned teeth”.
Off-site SEO involves all external actions (taken outside of your website) to get Google and other engines to consider your site trustworthy and authoritative. The most common off-site tactic is to build backlinks. Content creation can be part of this strategy, as you want relevant sites – like the Center for Holistic Dentistry to follow the example above – to link to your pages.
Technical SEO is all about improving the cogs and bolts of your website as a whole, which can help with both search engine visibility and website functionality.
Offsite and technical SEO has broad applicability to any type of research. On-site SEO is more contextual and keyword-focused. But for searches directly related to your brand, these three strategies are less useful than you might think.
Related: Could SEO Permanently Ruin Your Website?
Avoiding SEO blind spots
The information that appears immediately when people search for your brand is critical to your reputation because very few users will click through to the second page of results.
So let’s think about the types of search results you see when you search for your brand name. Your business website should be the top organic result – if not, you have an SEO problem.
But what comes next? If you’re a local business, you should see a Google My Business profile to the right of the organic results that includes photos, your website URL, a Google Maps link, hours of operation, and more. An SEO agency should advise you on how to claim and optimize this profile.
If you’re a top national brand, people should see a Google Knowledge panel instead of a My Business profile. Knowledge panels appear in search results for notable people, places, brands, and proper names. Google pulls data for Knowledge Panels from many public sources, including Wikipedia. Additional note: If your brand is well enough known to have an article on Wikipedia, then your brand almost certainly has a knowledge panel.
With a My Business profile, the most effective way to improve your listing is to first claim it (using a verified account) and suggest changes directly to Google. You can also search for updates for your Wikipedia article, as the descriptive language at the top of the knowledge panel is likely taken from the online encyclopedia.
Your social profiles are also going to appear on the first page of search, both in the knowledge panel and as organic entries. An SEO agency may advise you to update these profiles to ensure that all relevant descriptive data is correct and consistent across each profile (eg, that you use the same tagline, list the correct website, etc.). Using these channels effectively to promote your brand is entirely up to you. Too often, the first page of search results for brands will include links to social accounts that haven’t been updated in months or don’t reflect a recent brand change.
SEO also won’t help you deal with negative reviews or outdated information on Glassdoor and Indeed job boards. Both appear high in search results for businesses and are frequently visited by job seekers as well as journalists and investors.
Researchers for your brand will also see countless company profiles on sites like Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Crunchbase, GitHub and others. Some of these profiles can be updated directly by verified employees, and that’s a good idea if you want your Google results to stay accurate.
Related: 5 Common SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Your digital presence is more than just your website (way more)
To reiterate, SEO is essential to online marketing. I just want to remind brands (and brand managers) that traditional SEO doesn’t cover everything, and there are important and very vital pieces of your digital presence that fall outside the scope of search engine optimization. .
For this reason, it’s important to periodically conduct a comprehensive audit of your digital presence, starting with all first-page search results for your brand. It can be helpful to compare your results with those of your competitors, as you can see effective steps others are taking to improve their presence that you can replicate.
One thing is certain: you cannot afford to leave your digital presence to chance.
A digital presence is how your business appears on the internet. It’s what people find when they search for your business online and it includes: Your website. Your social media accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Listings in business directories (Just dial, Sulekha, etc.)
What are the 4 stages of SEO?
Phases of our SEO campaigns
- Phase 1 – Onboarding, site assessment, strategy development.
- Phase 2 – On-site optimization.
- Phase 3 – Offsite Optimization, Quote Submission & To clean.
- Phase 4 – Ongoing & Advanced SEO: link building, tracking, updates.
What are the main pillars of SEO?
The four pillars of SEO include technical SEO, content, on-site optimization, and off-site SEO.
Is SEO paid?
Many people are attracted to SEO because it is “free website traffic”. And yes, you don’t pay when someone clicks on your site in organic search results. But make no mistake: SEO is NOT free. Not even close.
Social media helps reach a wider audience. Nearly 90% of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased their company’s visibility, and 75% say it has increased traffic. It’s a perfect way to build brand awareness and keep in touch with your customers.
What is the impact of social networks? The Negative Aspects of Social Media However, several studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media can promote negative experiences such as: Inadequacy of your life or appearance.
Social media allows businesses to build more meaningful relationships and get to know future consumers better. A business can build a fan base and receive feedback from its target audience. This can create new avenues of traffic that drive people to their products and reinforce their identity with the consumer.
The main negative impact of social media on business comes from the risk of bad reviews diverting potential consumers’ interest in your products. Numerous studies indicate that reviews on popular social media websites like Facebook or Twitter are taken as seriously as a recommendation from a friend.
Pourquoi les entreprises vont sur les réseaux sociaux ?
Social networks allow you to communicate about your products and the life of your company: about your news, your events, your projects, without forgetting the promotion of your products. Sharing content will generate engagement and increase your notoriety.
Pourquoi les médias sociaux Sont-ils essentiels à la réussite des entreprises ?
Understand customer needs – With a strong social media presence, businesses can understand customer needs by analyzing their engagement and interests on certain topics or products, and augment messaging in areas of higher interest.
Quels sont les impacts des réseaux sociaux sur la société ?
Each social network offers the possibility of multiplying relationships and developing new ones. Some find love there, others cultivate friendships there. These networks also make it possible to appeal to everyone in order to obtain help in certain circumstances and even to find a job there.
Positive publicity can increase your sales, while negative publicity can tarnish your company’s image. Either way, social media has become one of the main marketing and advertising channels, and using it has become a necessity if you want your business to remain visible and competitive.
Why digital strategy is important?
A digital strategy gives you more focus in your marketing efforts and clearly outlines the tactical steps to take. Without establishing specific goals, it’s hard to decide which online platforms and channels to use or how to connect with your online audience.
What is the objective of the digital strategy? A digital strategy is a written plan that clarifies your online goals and helps you put the right technology and processes in place to achieve those goals. Your online goals are tied to your overall marketing goals and what you want your business to achieve online.
Why digital marketing strategy is important for business?
Digital marketing is important because it connects a business to its customers when they are online and is effective across all industries. It connects businesses with ideal customers when they’re on Google through SEO and PPC, on social media with social media marketing, and in email with email marketing.
Why digital marketing is important for online business?
By using digital marketing techniques, you can reach global audiences in a cost-effective, scalable, and measurable way. Some of the main benefits of digital marketing include: The ability to interact with your prospects and learn exactly what they are looking for, which is to know your customers better!
What is the importance of marketing strategy in business?
Every business should have a marketing strategy, no exceptions. Marketing results do not happen by chance. Creating a strategy ensures that you’re targeting the right people, with relevant content that interests them. The more time you spend creating a clear strategy, the more sales opportunities you create.