Branding and keyword strategies, can they work hand in hand?

In the digital world now, SEO Singapore strategies no longer depend solely on keyword strategies create a successful campaign. Many SEO service providers and strategists are adopting various ways to create a highly successful SEO campaign. One other strategy often adopted is brand strategy. There have been extensive comparisons between SEO keyword and SEO branding strategy, with questions raised as to whether they are able to work together hand in hand.

SEO keyword strategy

Keyword strategy is the most common practice for SEO service providers and strategists. A good keyword strategy involves selecting the high-performing keywords that will direct traffic to your business. Selection process for highly relevant and the right keywords are vital as they determine the success of your campaign.

Take for example, your company provides SEO services to various industries. Keyword strategists would select highly relevant keywords to ensure that your site appears on the right search. Highly relevant keywords would, of course, involve the word ‘SEO’. However, it is not enough just to have the individual word ‘SEO’. People in the digital sphere now no longer search on individual word basis. So instead of just ‘SEO’, highly relevant keywords might be ‘SEO services’, “SEO Singapore’, ‘Singapore SEO Company’, etc.

The best keyword strategies employ effective long-tail keywords and include a negative keyword list as well. Long-tail keywords are phrases that are longer and more specific that people are more likely to use in the digital sphere now. For example, if someone is looking to hire SEO services, instead of just searching for ‘SEO services’, it is likely that they would search for ‘reliable SEO services in Singapore’ instead. Long-tail keywords are more effective as compared to short keywords as they have lesser competition.

However, the bid for these highly relevant keywords is often expensive and costly, especially if you engage in pay-per-click (PPC). Hence, keyword strategies often include a list of negative keywords as well. Negative keywords work in the way to restrict your link from appearing when people search for certain keywords. For example, when you include the keywords ‘free SEO services’ into your negative keyword list, your link will not appear for people who search for ‘free SEO services’. This prevents irrelevant people from clicking on your website and at the same time targets your desired market, hence lowering cost-per-click (CPC) and driving more relevant traffic to your website.

SEO brand strategy

Brand strategy involves the building of the company’s brand, creating higher brand awareness. People often forget the importance of branding while in the pursuit of achieving success through keyword strategy. Branding is not just about a logo or a design. It is the identity of the company. It shapes the way people perceive your products and your company.

Branding involves creating an identity for your company so that people are able to associate your company with your services and your products. Establishing your identity through a strong branding strategy allows you to create your unique presence and leave an impression on your customers. Once you have established your presence and brand yourself into the hearts of people, it becomes hard for them to forget your name, your brand and your website. They will search for your company when they are in need of the services you provide.

Take for example, Apple. Brand building for Apple is so established that whenever people want to buy a phone or a laptop, Apple immediately pops up to their minds.

When there are sufficient numbers of people searching for your company on your website, your ranking on the search engine will rise. If the brand search for your company is high, there wouldn’t be a reason why you will not appear top on the search engines when other people start searching for your brand.

Thus, brand building as SEO strategy is an equally useful and important platform to create company awareness

Which is better?

In this current intensely competitive digital space, there longer exists a strategy that is better than the other. The best way to achieve maximum results is to combine different strategies. In this context, SEO branding and SEO keyword strategies both target ranking, but they work in a very different manner.

While both serve as advertising strategies, keyword strategy achieves ranking through bidding for high-performance keywords, and branding strategy though establishing brand awareness. People can reach your website through searching for keywords and terms. However, they might not trust your company, especially if your company is relatively unknown in the industry. People would often choose to go with more reputable companies. This is where branding strategy comes into play. Building brand awareness would allow for brand recognition and brand loyalty in the long run. Once your brand becomes a household name, your credibility strengthens and trust naturally increases.

Keyword strategy targets people who are searching aimlessly on the web for the services they are looking to engage, while brand strategy targets at creating brand awareness and building trust and credibility in people. In the long run, once brand loyalty is established, brand strategy becomes a complement to keyword strategy. People who search for the services you provide will be able to identify with you, which might serve as a competitive edge in persuading them to hire you over other providers. With brand strategy as a complement, keyword strategy can target the more specific audience by increasing the number of negative keywords, hence driving even higher relevant traffic and lowering CPC more.

In other words, yes! Branding strategy and keyword strategy can and should work together hand in hand for you to maximise your business opportunities.