Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is likely something you’re already familiar with, where you essentially use a list of targeted keywords. But, are you using branded keywords in your SEO strategy?
Branded words are company specific words that you use, from specific products and services to slogans and otherwise. It’s a smart idea to optimize your branded words online, so if someone is searching for your company, they get your website results. Otherwise, your competition will benefit.
Here are a few ways to identify what your “branded keywords” on your website should be:
- Your company name, i.e. Martel Insights
- Your company products, i.e. Entrepreneur and Real Estate Wealth
- Your company name “dot com”, i.e. Martel insights dot com
- Your senior staff name (especially CEO’s and Founders), i.e. Steven Martel
- Your company slogan, i.e. Live Your Dream
Getting top SEO ranking for your branded keywords is fundamentally the same as other SEO keywords. You want to add these branded keywords to static pages on your website, so you can benefit directly from any referrals and associate your brand with your market keywords.
Here are 4 ways to optimize your branded keywords:
1- Register Your Business
It’s important to register your business in local directories because there are strong Google sources for relevant information. You want to have a listing for your business with your branded keywords on Google+, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Yahoo Local, any local directories, local blogs and more.
This is because Google recognizes these sources of data as valid and relevant, and will strengthen your own website SEO returns for branded keywords and your typical market keywords.
2- Post Your Business on Google+, YouTube and Google My Business
If there is any top platform for SEO consideration, it’s Google+ and YouTube. This is simply because they are part of Google’s data collection. It’s important that you keep your Google+ and YouTube account linked to your website and your business through a dedicated gmail account.
Once you have your gmail account, you can complete your Google business registration here.
Here are a few tips for your Google Business listing:
- Be sure to have your company information (name, address, phone, email, etc.) up to date and consistent
- Place your company within the right category of industry
- Add some photos to your listing
- Include business hours, methods of payment as well as keywords and branded keywords in your company description.
- Consider asking happy clients to rate your business with an link to your Google Business page.
3- Use Social Media to Optimize Your Keywords
You must have your business on Yelp and local directories to get the most of your social media SEO. Once you have these accounts on various platforms like Youtube, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and any others you use – make absolutely sure that your page names and keywords match all your social profiles! This gives your brand the most “link power” so you are top of Google results on your keyword searches.
Plus, be sure to use your branded keywords in any social media company blurbs so you can really make the most of it. Remember that your social media posts are part of your SEO strategy, so be sure that when you are posting updates, you use your targeted keywords and branded keywords as much as possible.
4- Optimize Branded Keywords On Your Website
Your branded keywords should be optimized on your website. How you do this is simply by entering branded keywords in your title tags on your website. Aside from the usual SEO tactics, such as adding your business branded keywords to your blogs and static pages, you also want to use title tags for branded keywords.
All you need to do for your branded keywords is go into your admin panel for your website to update your title tags.
You want to describe your business in the tags with your typical market keywords, then add your brand name at the end of the tag. Also, be sure to add your brand name in header tags, meta descriptions, alt image tags and URLs on your website when it’s relevant.
As you build up your online SEO association with your website, social media, continuous new bog updates and local directories, Google will begin to associate your brand with the market you’re in organically.
If you’re not using your branded keywords as part of your SEO strategy, you could be losing valuable traffic. Try the 4 steps above to make the most of your online marketing.