It’s an interesting call whether branding or SEO is the superior course of action to take when marketing your online business. The truth is that both methods can be done simultaneously and in fact complement each other quite well.
For many, SEO does seem like the obvious first choice because branding is a more ethereal concept that can be difficult to employ as a marketing strategy. However, in order for your SEO to have maximum impact it must work with your branding efforts from the beginning. As you develop your branding strategy, the SEO marketing will naturally come along and soon you will have a tandem approach that provides definite advantages.
Start with Branding
It may seem a little odd at first to start with formulating a branding strategy even before you put your website online. However, it is important to give your branding strategy direction as you launch your website so that your SEO efforts will have something to reach potential customers.
In order to develop your branding strategy, you will need to answer the following questions;
- Who are your buyers?
- Where will they be found?
- What language will they use when searching for you?
By understanding the thought process of those most likely to purchase your products, you can not only build up your brand, but also develop a strategy for your SEO marketing efforts.
Develop Your Brand
You will need to shape your branding efforts to provide the right platform for your SEO. This means creating language that is unique to your business and pushing what separates you from the competition. So, you will have to know your industry and the customers who are most likely to purchase from your business.
Your slogans, logos, and taglines will all be developed from your branding research which means that they can be used with your search engine marketing. This one-two punch maximizes both your branding and SEO so that they work with each other.
Creating Your SEO Marketing Plan
Since you have determined your branding approach, all you need to do is make your SEO marketing match the language and tone. This will compliment your efforts and provide a pathway for even more people to discover your online business.
The importance of matching your SEO marketing efforts to the branding that you have created is vital because a disconnect between them may create confusion and ultimately reduce the number of customers you create. Potential customers will see this disconnect as the words used in your SEO marketing do not match the branding that has been taking place since the first day the website went online. People see the disconnect and turn to other business in the industry as a result.
So, the question is not whether to go with branding or SEO to start your marketing efforts. It’s how you can complement your branding and SEO so that they work together seamlessly in promoting your business. When you start with effective branding and add the right SEO, the results will have a powerful impact.