30 replies to this topic

[Bernard]

Nice post PHP.

I might add that having a company name first in the <title> tag offers lots of branding exposure for high ranking listings even when visitors do not visit the site. Having the company name at the end of the <title> tag is not as effective since the (human) scanners are less apt to see/read it.

Having every major portal within a market linking to you with your company name also helps ensure that anyone looking for your product/service will see your name whether they visit your site or not.

IMHO, SEO can play a part in branding for the web savvy segment of your target market.

[websage]

I think branding and SEO are two different steps. Branding is about the instant association between a "thing" or action and a product, e.g. Google == search.

Branding is also about experience, predictable experience, experience which had been conditioned by the expectations and turned out to be consistent with these expectations.

Google's perceived quality of results and speed of delivering these results is what feeds the trust that results in Google's brand.

The impact of both SEO and branding is amplified by sustained quality. Correspondingly, both SEO and branding can suffer tremendously from drop in quality.

Last but not least, brand is a shared experience. People influence each other in their experience of the brand. Google's billion searches per day are a testimony.

So, to summarize: positive shared experience amplifies branding. This way, one can see the difference between branding and SEO. SEO is just a channel for delivering branding. Both are not to be confused. SEO does not create the experience, it helps deliver the audience to the place of the experience.

[websage]

To continue briefly with Jill's example:

As personal branding goes, she has achieved the goal. However, I do come to highrankings.com and do not search for her name (perhaps because I am a foreigner, I find certain last names difficult to spell, which of course is also good for personal branding).

Either way, I do come to this forum because I know I can learn from the intelligent discussion. I also like that the forum is managed by females -- I think it creates a more balanced and forgiving environment. The geek forums tend to be too harsh for my linking. Last but not least, I know that my experience is not unique -- many others have shared experience, which in turn amplifies the perception of the brand.

[OldWelshGuy]

There is a saying in the rugby world that pretty much translates across the board, ' form is temporary, class is consistent' if you are not consistent then you will never be regarded as a class act. And IMO consistency is the key to branding/image, give me something that performs consistantly abvove average, than something that is up and down like a yo-yo in its preformance.

[toprank]

"A brand is a promise kept". Am not sure of the author, but it seems appropriate in the context of a consistent experience for brand building.

SEO may not be the experience, but it's through SEO tactics (and online PR) that persistent brand visibility online can be achieved. Like Jill said earlier, where ever people look on the web for information on SEO, they see Jill's name.

[Scottie]

I also like that the forum is managed by females -- I think it creates a more balanced and forgiving environment. The geek forums tend to be too harsh for my linking.

I hate to tell you... we are just geeks of a different kind.

But we typically are nice geeks! Thanks for the kind words.

[Matt B]

I also like that the forum is managed by females -- I think it creates a more balanced and forgiving environment.

You are talking about THIS forum, right?

[websage]

You are talking about THIS forum, right?

Yes, I meant this forum. And sorry for the confusion, I meant the Administrators Jill and Scottie. I realize that there are males among the Moderators...

Years ago I used to go to many ASP Developer conferences. The audience was 98% males. Good talk but way too much testosterone. Then I went to a Macromedia World conference where there was a decent mix between programmers and designers and marketers, which improved quite a big the gender balance. As a result, the Macromedia conference was among the most enjoyable I'd attended. This was what prompted me to make the commend of female-administered forum

[Matt B]

I know what you mean - just having some fun.

You would like to think that Jill and Scottie are "balanced and forgiving" though, wouldn't you?

[Scottie]

I know what you mean - just having some fun. 

You would like to think that Jill and Scottie are "balanced and forgiving" though, wouldn't you?  

He knows we aren't.

Now, go help Qwerty clean the Pub, Matt. Somebody brought in sheep and there is a huge mess... :doh:

[mcanerin]

I'm sure I saw OWG in here with some rubber boots and some velcro gloves earlier, but I can't prove anything about sheep....

and I thought that was a Scot thing...

<knuckles back> I just finished your lawn, scottie, are you sure you want that piano moved? I mean, Jill was talking about me changing her oil but I told her you asked first.

I don't know what she muttered when she went off looking for you after that, but it didn't sound nice. Actually sounded kind of violent... <ducks>

Ian

[Scottie]

[Alan Perkins]

IMO there is aa very strong link between SEO/SEM and branding. Your listings in the search results may be the first impression a searcher has of your brand ... before they even see your site. I look upon a listing as an extension of (or window onto) the site itself. If you are concerned about your brand image on your site, then you need to be concerned about the way your brand is represented off your site - and that includes in the SERPs.

That's what my company (e-Brand Management) says, anyway.

BTW, not all of the admins are female ... :stash:

[Jill]

BTW, not all of the admins are female ... :stash:

Some just have a feminine side to them...

[Scottie]

Actually, Alan is the "balanced and forgiving" one.