When it comes to ranking in SERPs, bigger brands are generally given preferential treatment. Even with fewer links and keywords, they often rank higher than smaller brands. Whenever they are penalized, you’ll see them resurfacing only after a few days. But the same is not true for smaller companies.
Sounds not fair? You can also get this unfair advantage by building your ‘B’ quotient.
So, if you own a small business and working twice as hard on your SEO strategy, it might still be very challenging for you to enjoy the privileges of bigger brands. This, in itself, is a significant reason for smaller businesses to focus on their branding.
More importantly, the advantage of branding is not limited to SEO. It is also one of the most effective ways to build customer loyalty and improve your ROI.
Here are 3 different ways in which branding can boost your SEO and ROI-
1. Branding Boosts Awareness
Start-ups offering a never-heard-before product or service need to understand that people will not be searching for them as they don’t know something like that even exists. And if people are not searching for a brand, its products, or services, it will not get the clicks, traffic, or sales.
Branding is the most commonly used strategy to improve brand awareness. It helps people know about your business, what you do, and what products/services you offer.
| When someone searches specifically for your brand or what you offer, it gets much easier to rank at the top spot in SERPs. |
2. Brand Recognition Key for Receiving Clicks
While SEO aims to help you rank higher, you ultimately want people to click on your link and visit your webpages.
Now, let us assume that there is a small sportswear brand that sells sports shoes. When someone searches for the term “sports shoes” on Google, the chances of them clicking on a result from a global brand like Nike is significantly higher even if the new brand is listed at one of the top positions.
The point here is,
| While ranking is essential, brand recognition will many times outweigh the ranking especially. |
If searchers know your brand, there is a high possibility that they will click on your link in the search results even if you are at the 2nd or 3rd spot and not some rather unknown brand that holds a slightly higher position than yours.
3. Branding Builds Customer Loyalty
At the heart of it, branding is about building an emotional connection with the target audience. You don’t want people to shop from your brand just once. You want them to consider you every time they think or talk about products or services related to your industry.
| Brand loyalty aspect plays a significant role in your ROI too. |
According to research by KPMG, 55% of Indian consumers have agreed to shop from their favourite brand even if there are other cheaper and more convenient options available. So, by working on your branding, you will not only be able to improve the results of your SEO strategy but also work your way towards an improved ROI.
Improving Your SEO and ROI with Branding
Modern consumers prefer shopping for products or services from brands that have an emotional appeal. If you are able to get this appeal right, your business can experience its extensive benefits, especially with regard to SEO and ROI.
Branding is the most effective way to build your brand identity and create something your target audience could relate to. Brands can work with a reputable digital marketing company to build a custom branding strategy that fulfils their business objectives and customer expectations.
