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SEO and Branding Strategy
Both branding strategies and search engine optimization (SEO) are powerful tools of the trade. However, they are somehow antagonistic, and you may often find yourself forced to choose between them when doing business. Although it’s not impossible to find a way of getting them to work together, we will summarise a few reasons you should use internet advertising as a branding strategy, in terms of SEO and branding strategy.

What does search engine optimization actually mean?
Webmasters like to strategically customise written content in order to make it search engine friendly. This is usually done by inserting long tail keywords into posts at a certain density. High keyword density (3-4%) will make written content more sensitive to search engine queries, and therefore the website will be displayed at the top of the search results pages. Hiring professional writers to provide SEO friendly content is actually cheaper than paying Google to offer you the top spot. In terms of business, SEO can earn you money from two different points of view:

• more traffic, meaning more ad clicking and therefore more revenue to be earned
• more visitors, meaning more potential clients

Can SEO become a part of your brand strategy?
Actually, it can. However, it depends on what kind of online business you’re into. Building up a brand image for internet exposure is slightly different than any traditional business context. To be more specific, it’s a known fact that SEO is perfect for advertisers. Ads usually detect visitors’ geographical location, which obviously narrows down your targeted user area. You can therefore use SEO and expect users to find your brand among local search results (Google comes with different search settings and domains for each country, for example google.com for the United States, google.co.uk for the United Kingdom, google.fr for France etc.). Wicked, isn’t it?

SEO and branding strategy, the friendly way!
Now that you know what it’s all about, here are a few tips you should take into account when branding your company in an online business. Remember: branding is the key to a successful business, but it won’t do all the work for you.

1. Be unique. Come up with a creative name for your company, something which has never been used before. This is a very important SEO and branding strategy. When it comes to search results, this will also clearly distinguish you from other companies, something that wouldn’t happen if your names were similar.
2. Make a new name. This is what branding is all about in the first place. Think about an appropriate user name to register with social networks and domains. Just to be sure, check its availability on http://namechk.com/ – it might be already taken! If so, no worries! Your imagination has no boundaries; you will definitely be able to come up with something new.
3. Use keywords in your website’s tag line. Tag lines are displayed on your website, below the title or in the status bar of your browser window. Never use keywords in titles – it’s tedious and sometimes draws readers’ attention away from the main thing your website is all about. Moreover, taglines are way more sensitive to search engine queries.
4. Connect. Get involved. Don’t limit yourself to a mere website. Dedicate a Facebook page and a Twitter account to your business. People who spend a lot of time online are usually dedicated to social networks, so that would be another way to spread the word about your brand. Once you’re done setting up your business online, commit to it and get used to spending time online on a daily basis. Potential customers won’t enjoy slow response – they will feel ignored and probably make a bad impression.