SEO Strategy: Brand or Product Focus?

Pictured: Search Engine Spider
(artist's rendering)

I recently had a client call me, panicked, because his company website wasn't showing up when he Googled the company's name. See, they've recently changed their company name, and while their site will show up naturally over time thanks to their clever little spiders, his question got me thinking.

Let's leave the technical end of SEO behind for a minute and focus on the philosophy. The key to SEO, like so many other marketing initiatives, is strategy. And the first step in that process is to take a look at critical keywords and determine your SEO goals. To do this, you need to start thinking like your customers.

Beware: SEO requires a good deal of initial thought and planning. If you're thinking about how to enhance your search engine strategy, my first question to you would be this: What should the SEO process for your website focus on: your brand, or your product category? Most companies rightly focus on a product category, because most companies aren’t Kleenex (gesundheit!). Internet searchers don’t know and aren’t familiar with your brand, and therefore will not be searching for your brand.

I can tell you right now that we typically do NOT recommend optimizing sites for a brand-focused term like your company or product name. There are several reasons for this:

• If someone knows the name of your company, it’s likely because he/she has one of your business cards, brochures, or catalogs. The business card, brochure, or catalog will already have the your website URL printed on it. Most computer users, when they know the URL of a website, simply type that into their browser address bars rather than going through the extra step of searching for it in the Google search bar. These people are familiar with the company and already know how to find your website. 
• You should be more concerned about people who want your particular product but have no idea what your company name is. Most of the time, your company or brand name is not going to be synonymous with your product (again, think Kleenex or Band-Aid), so people won't be searching Google for it. 
• Most of your potential customers will be searching for products, like "handheld power tools," or "spherical roller bearings." THESE are the terms you should optimize for, so that you can be sure your website shows up on search results pages for the terms people use most to find your products. 

So, before you embark upon an SEO program, lock yourself in a dark room with plenty of soft pillows and try to make a mind-meld with your customers. Once you have a good idea of the words, terms (and spelling of those terms), and phrases your customers use to find your products, you can begin to optimize your website.

Confused about where to begin? No problem. Contact Ashby Dillon for customized help and a crash course in Search Engine Policy 101.