Businesses sometimes happen before brands do. However, your brand can have a big impact on the customer experience you provide and even, potentially, your performance in the search results.

Has your business developed a brand identity? How do you figure out what your brand is? Let’s discuss some ways you can use research to help you discover what your brand is, then how you can communicate that through content, your website, visuals, and interactions with the community.

• What is a brand?
• What does branding have to do with SEO?
• 4 steps for brand research
• Next: gather common themes
• Finally: communicate your brand identity
• FAQ: How can my brand identity enhance my company’s online visibility? 

What Is a Brand?

Your brand is your company’s identity and what your customers and community can expect from how you interact with them and the service/products you provide. A business is an operation; a brand is a more intangible aspect.

When you define your company’s brand identity, it adds order to a somewhat chaotic and intangible thing. It details guidelines for how it will handle every situation, every customer, every staff member, every communication, and every message – even down to your web content.

Brand identity also includes the visual representation of your company, such as the logo, the look and feel of the website, how marketing materials are designed, and the kinds of graphics/imagery you choose to display.

When brand guidelines are in place, business decisions should be made within that framework. You are able to always revert to them and ask: Is this upholding our brand? If the answer is no, you ditch it.

What Does Branding Have to Do with SEO?

When you think about the most successful businesses, who comes to mind? Companies like Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s succeed because they all have a memorable brand. Successful brands create unforgettable user experiences across all channels. And a website is no exception.

With a strong brand identity, you will have guidelines on how to create an authoritative website filled with quality content that creates a good experience for your website visitors.

A strong brand will also garner trust. How people feel and talk about your brand online could be a trust signal to Google, which can translate to higher rankings and more clicks. Remember that Google wants to reward sites that demonstrate experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust, among other things.

One study from Clutch showed that 26% of people said a familiar brand was also a reason for clicking on search ads. This serves as a glimpse into how some people navigate the search results.

Think about it: If you scanned the search results on Page 1 and saw a familiar brand’s website, would you click on that result over another result, even if it wasn’t in position one? I have.

So how do you define your brand? Let’s look at that next.

4 Steps for Brand Research

1. Talk to Your Target Audience

You may think you know your company better than anyone. And while you may know your business inside and out, this doesn’t mean you understand your brand.

It’s not that you don’t know; it’s just that you cannot possibly be everywhere at once. The best way to get an outsider’s perspective and understand how your community feels about your company today is to ask them.

If you’re performing your own brand research, you’ll need to be discerning with your sample. A quick-and-dirty approach to research may not give you extremely accurate results, but the information you uncover can be invaluable. So try to be as objective as possible when choosing your audience.

First, identify all your possible audiences. They may include:

• Current customers
• Past customers
• Vendors
• Internal staff
• Prospective customers
• Colleagues in your industry
• People in your social communities online (which could be a mix of all of those but their behavior and expectations might be different than an offline community)

You may want to segment these audiences by location, department or whatever other segmentation makes sense.

You might choose to pick people at random exclusively, or you might add in people who have had a great experience with your company and those who’ve had a bad experience as well. You want to understand all points of view about your brand.

Next, you’ll need to develop an understanding of how these audiences feel about your brand by collecting as much data and information as you can. Define the questions you want to ask, making these as objective as possible (no loaded questions that might sway their answers one way or another).

Here, you are looking for things like:

• Perceived value of your products, services, and company.
• What people know and believe about your company today.

In the end, it may be completely different than what you believe they think. Here are some ways you can gather data:

• Online surveys: Use a simple survey via Survey Monkey only to ask the most relevant questions. People typically don’t want to answer a long, drawn-out survey, so make it as simple as you can for them. You can also run surveys on social media platforms.
• Phone surveys: Get some people on the phone to ask your community the questions. You might get more responses this way. Again, make it brief as you can; respect their time.
• Market research: Ask Your Target Market offers affordable market research options for businesses of all sizes. Define your target audience and get access to a database of people you can survey.

For SEO purposes, you could even survey your prospective customers on what queries they might use to find your products or services.

2. Analyze Your Competitors

You’ve probably heard of the SWOT analysis. It’s a traditional marketing diagram that helps you get a picture of the competitive landscape and where you fit in. In the diagram, you explore a business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

You can use the SWOT to get a picture of your market competitors – those companies that you believe to be your competition in your space (prior to keyword research because your online competitors and market competitors tend to vary).

In this research, you can begin to note what your differentiators are from your competition. During this exercise, you’ll also want to note things your competitors are doing with their branding like:

• Imagery
• Messaging
• Content

Next, you’ll look at your online competitors. Your online competitors are any websites that are competing for attention in the search results.

Assuming you already have a keyword set for your website, your online competitors are on Page 1 of the search results for the queries you are competing for.

Look at those companies that are ranked for the keywords you are trying to target (using the right SEO tools for the job).

Probably the most revealing part of this is what you can learn from looking at your online competitors and the quality of their sites. You might identify quick wins for your site in the search results over your competitors.

So this is your opportunity to spy on how they’ve optimized their site, their link profile, the quality of their content, the user experience, and so on. And then ask, how can we do better on our site?

For SEO purposes, this step can be handy when you are crafting your SEO content strategy.

3. Find Brand Role Models

What companies do you admire? (Those companies that you feel are doing a great job.)  Write those down. These are your brand role models. These are the brands you aspire to be.

Maybe not just like them, but there will be attributes you love and want to emulate. Think about not just where your brand is now, but what you want it to be three, five, or ten years down the road.

Look at those brand role models and explore what they’re doing great. Also, look at what they aren’t doing so great and where you can differentiate from them. Because there are always differentiators, and this is where your brand shines.

4. Look at Key Messages, Colors, Visuals, Values

What words come to mind when you think about your company, its people, the way it interacts with the community, the products and services? Write all of these down.

In fact, you’ll want to have these written down before you see the research that has been performed with your community so your perspective isn’t skewed.

These are the things you believe your company stands for – your brand values. Every company has them; it’s what the company was founded on and the things it’s become.

And although it might be a while since anyone thought about what the company stands for, dig deep. It’s there. (And it’s not just to exist for profit!)

Now look at the visual and communicative elements of your company — are they streamlined or is there a mishmash of disjointed ideas?

Check out:

• The language you use in your marketing and website (tone, key messaging)
• The colors you use
• The images you use
• The fonts you use
• Your logo

Now look at each element in that list I just mentioned:

• Do you feel strongly about them as part of your brand identity?
• What can go and what should stay?

If you’re not sure what messages and visuals represent your brand, start gathering those. Using both online and offline sources, collect any words, messages, videos, and pictures that are an abstract representation of your brand.

You can use a physical wall in your office space and dedicate it to all the stuff you’ve gathered, or you can use something like the secret boards in Pinterest, where you can invite others in your company to pin it as they come across items.

Next: Gather Common Themes

Once you’ve gathered all the data, start exploring common themes such as the messages your target audience has repeated on more than one occasion.

The negative stuff you uncover should be turned into an opportunity to look inside at your internal processes and find ways to improve. Your community has that perception for a reason. Explore the causes and create an initiative to address that with.

The positive feedback may serve as a foundation for key messages about your brand identity. If people continuously see your company as warm and friendly, then that must be one of the things your brand stands for.

Whatever the common themes are, group the findings together so you have a point of discussion about where the brand is today, and where you want to take it tomorrow.

Finally: Communicate Your Brand Identity

Now it’s time to write down your brand identity. Companies typically do this by creating a brand standards document.

This document gives you the basis for what you do company-wide, from the way your customer service department talks to people on the phone or in social communities online to the types of people you hire, to the key messages about your brand that you subtly weave into your content to the images you use.

Then comes the streamlining and planning. Your content strategy should be driven by your brand (which is shaped by your target audience).

Starting with the website and the baseline content you create to the ongoing content creation strategy for your business, your brand should be there. Every blog post, e-book, video, logo, and meta tag on a webpage should uphold your brand.

Final Thoughts

The branding of a company should be based on research, and the implementation of it should be top-down.

In order for a brand identity to shine through, the key is consistency. Set rules for when you will absolutely always default to the brand to make key (and sometimes difficult) decisions easier.

Ultimately, your brand identity will seep into every nook and cranny of your company and your marketing. So when you’re ready to start exploring your brand, know that at the end of it all, you might not just earn rankings, you may have an entire cultural shift.

We can help you identify your brand identity and craft an SEO-centric content approach that delivers better engagement, more traffic, and higher conversions. Contact us today to get started.

FAQ: How can my brand identity enhance my company’s online visibility?

The symbiotic connection between brand identity and online visibility can significantly impact your company’s success. Your brand identity is the cornerstone upon which your online presence is built. Well-defined brand identity encompasses your logo, color palette, unique value proposition, mission, and voice.

To maximize online visibility, start by ensuring consistency across all online platforms. Your brand elements should seamlessly transition from your website to social media profiles, evoking instant recognition. This harmonious coherence fosters familiarity, enhancing user engagement and prolonged browsing.

Engagement is key. Cultivate a narrative that resonates with your target audience, weaving your brand story into every piece of content you publish. Share authentic, relatable stories that humanize your brand, forging emotional connections with your online community. As these connections deepen, your audience becomes brand advocates, organically amplifying your online reach.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the bedrock of online visibility. Incorporate relevant keywords and phrases into your website content, meta descriptions, and alt tags. A strategic SEO approach ensures your brand appears at the forefront of search engine results, driving organic traffic and fostering credibility.

Utilize the power of visual content. Compelling images, videos, and infographics tailored to your brand identity capture attention and convey messages more effectively than text alone. These captivating visuals are shareable assets that can propel your brand across social media platforms, exponentially expanding your online footprint.

The nexus between brand identity and online visibility is a potent force in the digital realm. You can elevate your company’s visibility and resonance with your target audience by crafting a cohesive brand identity and strategically leveraging it across online channels. In an era where digital impressions matter, your brand identity is the linchpin of a captivating online presence.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Enhancing Online Visibility through Brand Identity

1. Define Your Brand Identity: Clearly articulate your brand’s core values, mission, and unique selling proposition.
2. Design Consistent Brand Elements: Develop a unified visual identity, including logo, color palette, typography, and imagery.
3. Craft Compelling Brand Story: Create an authentic narrative that humanizes your brand and resonates with your target audience.
4. Optimize for SEO: Conduct keyword research and integrate relevant keywords into website content, meta descriptions, and alt tags.
5. Ensure Responsive Website Design: Design a mobile-friendly, user-centric website for seamless device browsing.
6. Engage on Social Media: Establish a strong presence on relevant social media platforms and actively interact with followers.
7. Create Shareable Visual Content: Develop visually appealing graphics, videos, and infographics that align with your brand identity.
8. Implement Content Marketing Strategy: Regularly produce high-quality, valuable content that addresses your audience’s needs.
9. Leverage Influencer Collaborations: Partner with influencers who align with your brand identity to expand your reach.
10. Monitor Online Reputation: Keep track of online mentions and respond promptly to maintain a positive brand image.
11. Embrace Email Marketing: Send targeted, personalized email campaigns that reflect your brand’s tone and offerings.
12. Utilize Pay-Per-Click Advertising: Run targeted PPC ads to increase visibility and drive traffic to your website.
13. Offer Value through Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for reputable websites to showcase your expertise and enhance visibility.
14. Participate in Online Communities: Engage in forums, groups, and discussions related to your industry to establish authority.
15. Optimize User Experience: Ensure easy navigation, fast load times, and intuitive design for a seamless user experience.
16. Monitor Analytics: Regularly analyze website and social media metrics to refine your online strategies.
17. Adapt and Evolve: Stay updated with industry trends and evolving online platforms to adjust your approach accordingly.
18. Run Contests and Giveaways: Host online contests aligned with your brand identity to increase engagement.
19. Collaborate with Other Brands: Partner with complementary brands for co-marketing initiatives that broaden your reach.
20. Seek Professional Guidance: Consider hiring digital marketing and branding experts for strategic guidance.

By following this comprehensive procedure, you’ll establish a robust brand identity that significantly enhances your company’s online visibility, enabling you to stand out in the digital crowd.

The post What Is Your Brand Identity and Why Does It Matter to SEO? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

But it’s not just about being a big brand. It’s about the signals that come along with having a strong brand. Like expertise, authority, and trust.

Presumably, big brands have bigger budgets and more resources, allowing them to do better SEO and compete better in the search results.

• Feedback loop for Google
• Familiarity matters 
• FAQ: How do big brands leverage their advantage in SEO to dominate search results?

Feedback Loop for Google

A more aggressive SEO strategy with all the right components can increase expertise, authority, and trust signals to Google. So, Google will reward that brand’s website.

If that brand ends up in position one on the search results, it will begin to garner more clickthrough than the other results.

And if people dwell on that site for a significant period of time, that could also be a signal that the page is very relevant to users.

All this can then act as a feedback loop for Google to continue to reward that page.

Don’t forget also that if you have a strong brand, people will recognize that, and it may impact their willingness to click on a result, too.

Familiarity Matters

One study showed that 26% said a familiar brand was a reason for clicking on search ads. Even though that study is referring to ads, it is telling nonetheless how people may react to brands in the organic search results.

So, there are many factors that can contribute to why big brands tend to show up in search results.

But are the giants always better than the little guys? The answer is no. In fact, a lot of times, big brands have more turnover and are less agile than the smaller guys.

However, despite a smaller company’s best efforts, there are times when big brands still outrank them.

For example, take RankBrain, Google Search’s machine learning component applied to its search results. It *may* enhance the favoritism of brands in the results, as I’ve written about here:

Because Google tends to favor big brands online for a variety of reasons, with RankBrain things like the site’s engagement rate, mentions of the brand across many social sites and so on could further enhance favoritism here. This could happen despite the fact that some bigger brands may have a weaker link profile than other websites in their space.

So, what do you do when you think you can do better than the big guys that are ranking number one? You try it!

Despite the fact that it can take a lot of work (and perhaps a bigger SEO budget), you can try to be “least imperfect” compared to the brand that is ranking for your desired keywords in the search results.

Remember, SEO is about beating the competition, not the algorithm. Also, remember that agility and speed to implement changes is a smaller company’s weapon against the big guys. Don’t be surprised by the traffic you didn’t get for the SEO work you didn’t do.

Will it always work? No. There are situations where it can be near impossible.

For example, if you are trying to compete for product-related keywords against a big brand, or if you have a history of spam or a manual penalty of some sort.

One way we’ve been able to help clients go up against big brands is by rethinking their keyword strategy altogether. Historically, brands have not been very good at owning long-tail keywords (those are the three to five-word keywords).

There is a lot of opportunity when you go after these keywords — you can get a good amount of traffic.

So does Google favor brands in the search results regardless of their SEO?

It occurred to me that this article could have been just one word – YES! But keeping to SEO answer standards – IT DEPENDS. Google tries to rank the highest quality, most relevant pages for a query. And major brands tend to have a lot of signals that Google is looking for.

Google is not perfect, however. That means smaller brands need to work harder to compete.

I have written about this topic at length in the past. So for in-depth SEO tips, see my article on how to beat the giants in the search results. And check out 50 “white hat” ways to get authority links to your site.

This article was inspired by a question I received during our live monthly Q&A sessions for SEOtraining.com members. Each month we meet to discuss all things SEO and answer member questions directly. If you’d like me to answer your SEO question live, head over to SEOtraining.com and sign up for membership.

FAQ: How do big brands leverage their advantage in SEO to dominate search results?

Big brands have mastered the art of leveraging their inherent advantages to secure top positions in search results. As an authoritative voice in the realm of SEO, I am excited to unveil the tactics that enable these brands to establish and maintain their dominance.

Harnessing the Power of Brand Signals

Big brands have a distinct advantage due to their reputation, expertise, and trustworthiness. These brand signals send a strong message to search engines, affirming the credibility and relevance of their content. By consistently delivering high-quality and authoritative content, big brands build a solid foundation that propels them to the forefront of search results.

Strategic Content Creation and Optimization

One of the cornerstones of big brands’ SEO success lies in their strategic content creation and optimization approach. These brands craft meticulously researched and informative content that resonates with their target audience. Incorporating relevant keywords and semantic variations, they optimize their content to align seamlessly with user intent. This strategic alignment significantly enhances their visibility in search results.

Elevating User Experience and Engagement

User experience plays a pivotal role in SEO dominance. Big brands invest in creating user-friendly websites that offer intuitive navigation, fast loading times, and mobile responsiveness. Providing a seamless and engaging browsing experience encourages users to spend more time on their site. This extended dwell time signals to search engines that the content is valuable and relevant, further solidifying their position in search rankings.

Strategies for Building Quality Backlinks

Big brands understand the importance of building a robust backlink profile. They forge strategic partnerships, collaborate with influencers, and engage in authoritative guest posting to acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable sources. These backlinks serve as a vote of confidence from the online community, enhancing their authority and visibility in search results.

Staying Ahead of Algorithm Changes

Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and big brands quickly adapt. They regularly monitor algorithm updates and industry trends and adjust their strategies to align with the latest best practices. By staying ahead of the curve, they maintain their competitive edge and continue to dominate search results.

The dominance of big brands in search results results from strategic and multifaceted SEO techniques. By capitalizing on brand signals, creating optimized content, prioritizing user experience, building quality backlinks, and staying agile in the face of algorithm changes, these brands carve a path to search supremacy. For businesses aspiring to emulate their success, a comprehensive and strategic SEO approach is the key to unlocking similar achievements.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Leveraging SEO Advantage for Search Dominance:

1. Establish a robust brand identity focusing on expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
2. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant search terms and user intent.
3. Create high-quality, informative content aligned with user needs and search intent.
4. Optimize content using relevant keywords, semantic variations, and structured data.
5. Ensure a seamless user experience with a mobile-friendly and user-friendly website design.
6. Monitor website speed and performance to enhance user engagement and dwell time.
7. Develop a strategic backlink acquisition plan, including influencer collaborations and guest posting.
8. Focus on building quality backlinks from reputable and authoritative sources.
9. Regularly audit and optimize existing content to maintain relevance and search visibility.
10. Stay updated with search engine algorithm changes and industry trends.
11. Adapt SEO strategies in response to algorithm updates to maintain a competitive edge.
12. Continuously track and analyze website performance using analytics tools.
13. Monitor keyword rankings and organic search traffic to assess SEO effectiveness.
14. Leverage data-driven insights to refine content and SEO strategies over time.
15. Engage with your target audience through social media and online communities.
16. Encourage user-generated content and reviews to enhance brand credibility.
17. Foster partnerships and collaborations within your industry to amplify your brand’s reach.
18. Regularly update and refresh content to provide up-to-date and relevant information.
19. Implement structured data markup to enhance search engine understanding of your content.
20. Cultivate a continuous learning and optimization culture within your SEO team.

The post Does Google Favor Brands Regardless of SEO? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

That’s because Google evaluates a website’s quality based on three factors — expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

Sentiment indicates reputation, which indicates trustworthiness. However, if the sentiment is negative, it can damage a reputation.

My belief is that the sentiment around a brand or website is its primary indicator of trustworthiness. This is why sentiment analysis is now part of SEO success.

To help you use sentiment analysis to strengthen your site, here I’ll explain how to do it both manually and with today’s best tools. In this post:

• What is sentiment
• What is sentiment analysis
• Why reviews are important
• Sentiment beyond online reviews
• How to conduct sentiment analysis (manually and with tools)
• How to incorporate sentiment data in SEO
• FAQ: How can I use sentiment analysis to improve my brand’s online reputation and trustworthiness?

What Is Sentiment?

By definition, sentiment is the emotional tone behind someone’s words, whether written or spoken. When it comes to your business, it’s what people are saying and feeling about your company and products.

Discovering your brand’s online sentiment has many benefits. You can use that kind of info to improve customer satisfaction, influence product development, expand brand awareness … the list goes on.

How do you discover your online sentiment? Through sentiment analysis.

What Is Sentiment Analysis?

Sentiment analysis is the process of analyzing text to determine the speaker or writer’s emotional tone.

Basically, it’s figuring out how the writer feels about the subject. This can be done with a few key searches or with sentiment analysis tools.

As humans, we are pretty good at understanding what people say as either positive, negative, or neutral. So, we analyze sentiment naturally.

Computers, on the other hand, have a much harder time with it. Consider these examples:

• “This place is terrific!”
• “This place is a terrific waste of money!”

We can tell the difference easily. But can a machine tell that these two comments have opposite sentiments? Thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning, analyzing sentiment is now possible — and I believe Google is using sentiment measurement to detect that trust component.

When Google wants to analyze the sentiment of a brand or website, it mostly looks at online reviews.

Why Reviews Are Important

User reviews affect purchasing decisions. Online reviews signal trust and help increase the buyer’s confidence.

A study by Spiegel Research Center found that “The purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than the purchase likelihood of a product with no reviews.” Interestingly, the study found that reviews carry twice as much weight for higher-priced products.

So, the bigger the purchase decision, the more people rely on reviews.

If online reviews influence people’s purchasing decisions this much, it’s no wonder search engines want to factor them into their algorithms.

Search engines want satisfied searchers. So, they need to show trustworthy results.

But review sites aren’t the only places to find user sentiment …

Sentiment Beyond Online Reviews

Social sentiment is all over the web. Customers are sharing how they feel about you on social media, in forums, in news articles, and in Wikipedia.

All that sentiment, so little time.

Reading all comments across every social media platform and review site is a lot of work. Even a small business will find that challenging.

Luckily, there are relatively pain-free ways to perform sentiment analysis — both with and without tools.

How to Conduct Sentiment Analysis

Now that we know it’s possible to analyze online sentiment, the question is: how do you mine and analyze online sentiment across multiple sites?

Using a combination of manual searches and sentiment analysis tools, you can get a pretty good understanding of a site’s online reputation and monitor it in real time.

First, I’ll show you how to run a sentiment analysis without tools.

How to Do Sentiment Analysis Manually

Tools are helpful when monitoring real-time reviews and conversations. But even without them, you can get an accurate understanding of a brand’s reputation online. Here’s how.

Step 1: Start with the Better Business Bureau.

The Better Business Bureau’s slogan is “Start with Trust.”

It is one of the most important metrics for a business’s reputation (for businesses within the U.S.).

Pay attention to your BBB rating and address complaints. You’d be surprised at the number of clients that don’t do either.

Step 2: Check independent rating services.

Besides the BBB, millions of people use Yelp, Consumer Reports, Amazon, and Google Shopping. Visit these sites and learn how people feel about you by reading the reviews.

It’s also a good idea to check smaller review sites that focus on your industry niche. BrightLocal has a great list of high-quality niche review sites for your reference. Many people rely on these specialized review sites when it comes to industries such as healthcare and law.

Step 3: Take advantage of your review accounts.

SEOs should make sure websites are making the most of the review sites and social media platforms they already have.

If you’re not doing so already, monitor and encourage Google reviews. Make sure your Google My Business account is current.

Also, turn on Reviews on your Facebook business page. Recommendations that people make on Facebook are integrated into reviews, so it is important to enable this feature and add greater trust.

Your Google reviews and ratings appear prominently in the knowledge panel when anyone searches for your brand. Facebook or other site’s reviews can also show up, so don’t miss out on these trust signals.

Step 4: Use the 100-Point Algorithm.

I am impressed with Brian Patterson’s metric for calculating a brand’s online reputation. Called the “100-Point Algorithm,” it calculates the sentiment score of a particular search results page. Brian is a columnist at Search Engine Land and he shared his equation back in 2015.

It’s a manual way to discover and track sentiment by page, and you can learn how to do it directly from him.

Now that you’ve done the hard work by hand, it’s time to see what the bots can do for you.

6 Tools for Sentiment Analysis

There are many sentiment analysis tools that offer different features and functionalities. Some only mine and analyze, while others also organize and display the data.

When choosing which tool is for you, consider the sources and features so that the tool complements your manual efforts.

Here, I review six sentiment analysis tools for SEOs:

1. Yext
2. Chatmeter
3. BrightLocal
4. Hootsuite Insights
5. Social Mention
6. Sentiment Analyzer

Yext

Yext recently added sentiment analysis to its Reviews monitoring software. A new Sentiment tab shows business owners what reviewers are saying as either positive or negative. It shows data based on keywords (like “place”) and their modifiers (like “great” or “bad”) used in reviews. Each word has a sentiment score assigned to it.

There’s also a way to create a collection of keywords (such as words related to “food”) to help the business understand how people feel by topic.

Chatmeter

Great for multi-location companies, Chatmeter Pulse is a text and sentiment analysis tool that shows sentiment analysis over time. One standout feature of Pulse is that it can recognize mixed sentiment within a single review and break down sentiment by topic.

The sunburst tool helps you understand the average sentiment for each topic and its related attributes with color-coded segments. If you’re working with a multi-site client, the product can compare sentiment by location, too. You can run a free brand audit to learn more.

BrightLocal

The BrightLocal Reputation Manager lets you monitor and manage all your online reviews in one place. Users get to see and manage reviews by source and can use the tool to simplify the way customers write reviews.

Most recently, Reputation Manager added 40 new niche review sites so that customers can now see and review data on more high-quality and relevant review sites. If you’re an agency or working with a multi-site client, the tool’s new Review Inbox feature is also a plus. It brings all reviews together in a single feed or dashboard.

Hootsuite Insights

A real-time social analytics tool, Hootsuite Insights lets you filter sentiment results by location, language, and gender. This tool goes beyond social media sites and mines sentiment from news sites, blogs, forums, and other public sources online (over 100 million) to produce results you can then use to run reports, stay on top of trends, and handle customer complaints before they backfire.

Social Mention

If you’re looking for a free social media analysis tool, Social Mention has a free option that allows up to 100 searches a day and two email alerts. Without the need to sign up or download anything, you can simply search for a brand or hashtag via a search engine to uncover real-time online sentiment. The report includes the number of mentions, users and a sentiment score with detailed analytics and a simple way to stay on top of everything that’s being said about your brand or keyword online.

Sentiment Analyzer

Another free one, Sentiment Analyzer allows you to analyze a snippet of text and produces a sentiment score from –100 to +100. Unlike the other tools listed, it analyzes a body of text as opposed to mentions of a brand or hashtag online.

Use this tool if you want a better way to decipher vague or confusing customer reviews. The example shown on the tool’s homepage is the Declaration of Independence, which, according to the tool, has a sentiment score of 26.8, indicating that the text is “somewhat positive/enthusiastic.”

How to Incorporate Sentiment Data in SEO

Now that I’ve explained HOW to analyze your brand’s sentiment let’s discuss what to do with it.

We use sentiment analysis to enhance our audits. We also use it to track the success of campaigns and spot potential issues.

Some customers have trust issues with a brand or website, and it’s our job as SEOs to discover why.

Analyzing sentiment can identify reputation problems and help a company develop a more customer-centric approach that:

• Addresses customer complaints
• Resolves satisfaction issues
• Rewards happy reviewers
• Reinforces the brand’s reputation and trustworthiness

More than a Feeling: A Trustworthy Site

As SEOs, we know when something’s just not right with a website.

We dig, we dig deeper, and often times we discover that it comes down to how a website or brand interacts with its customers.

Customers are real people with feelings. Feelings matter, and how we handle them does, too.

Make sentiment analysis part of your SEO toolkit, and you’ll lay the foundation for a trustworthy site.

As I mentioned in my first post, we now include sentiment analysis as part of our SEO audits. If you’d like to learn more about how to improve your online presence, request a free quote today.

FAQ: How can I use sentiment analysis to improve my brand’s online reputation and trustworthiness?

Maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for any brand. Consumers today are not just looking for products or services; they’re seeking trust and reliability. This is where sentiment analysis comes into play.

Understanding Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment analysis, also known as opinion mining, systematically determines the sentiment expressed in online content, whether positive, negative, or neutral. Brands can utilize sentiment analysis to gain valuable insights into customers’ perceptions. By comprehending the emotions behind customer feedback, brands can respond effectively and make informed decisions to enhance their reputation.

Real-Time Monitoring

Sentiment analysis provides instantaneous insights for brands. Brands can monitor comments and mentions across multiple online platforms, including social media, forums, review sites, and other review platforms. By staying informed about what customers say in real-time, brands can swiftly address issues, offer solutions, and express gratitude for the positive feedback.

Enhancing Customer Experience

Sentiment analysis can identify recurring issues or trends in customer feedback. By addressing these pain points, brands can improve their products or services, resulting in a better customer experience. This proactive approach shows that you value your customers’ opinions and helps build trust and loyalty.

Leveraging Positive Sentiment

While addressing negative sentiment is essential, leveraging positive sentiment is equally powerful. When customers express satisfaction or appreciation, acknowledge and share their feedback on your platforms. This showcases your brand’s commitment to excellence and encourages more positive feedback.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Enhancing Your Brand’s Reputation with Sentiment Analysis

1. Define Your Objectives: Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with sentiment analysis, whether improving customer satisfaction, resolving issues, or building trust.
2. Select the Right Tools: Choose sentiment analysis tools that suit your brand’s needs and budget.
3. Identify Relevant Platforms: Determine where your target audience is most active online and focus your sentiment analysis efforts there.
4. Create a Keyword List: Develop a list of keywords and phrases related to your brand, products, or services to monitor sentiment effectively.
5. Set Alerts: Real-time notifications can alert you to any mentions or mentions about your brand that might arise on social media so that any mentions can be addressed quickly and appropriately.
6. Assess and Categorize Sentiment: Evaluate each comment or mention and categorize it as positive, neutral, or negative.
7. Address Negative Sentiment: Respond to negative comments or reviews with empathy and solutions.
8. Acknowledge Positive Sentiment: Show appreciation for positive feedback and consider sharing it on your platforms.
9. Identify Trends: Analyze sentiment data to identify recurring issues or trends that require attention.
10. Improve Products/Services: Use sentiment analysis insights to enhance your offerings and address customer concerns.
11. Monitor Competitors: Extend your sentiment analysis to monitor how your competitors are perceived and identify areas where your brand can excel.
12. Educate Your Team: Ensure your team is trained to interpret sentiment analysis data and respond effectively.
13. Measure Progress: Continuously assess the impact of your sentiment analysis efforts on your brand’s reputation and trustworthiness.
14. Adjust Your Strategy: Adapt your strategy based on the evolving sentiment trends and customer feedback.
15. Engage with Customers: Engage with your audience through social media, forums, and review sites to maintain an open line of communication.
16. Share Success Stories: Share stories of how you’ve addressed customer concerns and improved your offerings.
17. Collect Feedback: Encourage customers to provide feedback directly, helping you gather valuable insights.
18. Consistency is key to success.
19. Assess Return On Investment (ROI): Evaluate the return on your investment for sentiment analysis efforts and verify if they support your brand goals.
20. Adapt and Grow: Continuously adapt your sentiment analysis strategy to evolving consumer preferences and industry trends.

Follow these steps to leverage the power and potential of sentiment analysis to build trust among your audience, improve your brand’s online reputation, and elevate its image.

The post How to Use Sentiment Analysis to Strengthen SEO Trustworthiness appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

We recently had an SEO repair project for a client with a penalized site. It’s a pretty common situation of late in the wake of Google’s core algorithm updates.

Our approach included doing a very deep dive turning over all suspect rocks. We found areas for some improvement, which we passed on to their teams for repair.

Based upon finding so few things wrong with their site, in my opinion, their SEO team was doing their job.

The few improvements we suggested were made. However, the site’s rankings did not bounce back enough in Google searches.

• Exploring factors beyond SEO
• Trust is a big deal to Google
• Radical recommendation 
• FAQ: How can sentiment analysis enhance the effectiveness of SEO repair projects?

Exploring Factors Beyond SEO

Google has repeatedly (and excessively) said there is nothing that webmasters can do about the core algorithm updates:

As with any update, some sites may note drops or gains. There’s nothing wrong with pages that may now perform less well. Instead, it’s that changes to our systems are benefiting pages that were previously under-rewarded….

There’s no “fix” for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content. Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages.

–Google SearchLiaison on Twitter

In other contexts, I’ve heard Google representatives say this differently — that with a core algorithm hit, there’s nothing “an SEO” can do.

So, I dissected their statements.

Instead of taking it at face value (nothing can be done), I questioned the claim qualifiers. If a webmaster and an SEO can’t “fix” it — is there something someone else could do? What is neither a webmaster issue nor an SEO issue but could still greatly affect SEO?

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

So what is outside of direct SEO that impacts SEO?

Google has defined three basic attributes that it looks for to determine quality websites — expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

One year ago, Google did an update. That was labeled the Medic update, and I believe it was a significant and obvious step focused on TRUST. Basically, it is my opinion that trusted sites that were interlinked with untrusted sites were penalized.

I believe the Panda update was about expertise, Penguin about authority, and Medic about trust. And I think artificial intelligence (AI) has allowed Google to make significant advances in sentiment measurement as a part of that trust component.

We also know that Google looks beyond the page content when evaluating E-E-A-T. Here’s what it says in the Search Quality Evaluator’s Guidelines … (Note that “MC” refers to the main content of a webpage.)

“For … pages that have a beneficial purpose, the amount of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) is very important. Please consider:

• The expertise of the creator of the MC.
• The authoritativeness of the creator of the MC, the MC itself, and the website.
• The trustworthiness of the creator of the MC, the MC itself, and the website.”

 

So when we’re talking about E-E-A-T, the content, the author when applicable, and the site as a whole all matter.

Trust Is a Big Deal to Google

There are other indications that trust is a high priority with Google …

1. Google uses Pinkerton investigators to background check Google Local Services participants for its Google Guaranteed program.
2. You can find a Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating for most GLS entries right in the search results. To see an example, search for “plumbers near me” and click the top link to view the Local Services …
3. Google recently rolled out a new screening program called Google Screened. This will be a trust signal for searchers looking for professional services such as lawyers and financial planners. The designation shows up in search results based on Google star ratings and extensive background and license checks.
4. In searches with local intent, the trust factor of user ratings has played into the ranking algorithm for years. Google stated it openly in its features tour of Google Maps back in 2014:

So we dug into trust.

Trust Extends Beyond (Traditional) SEO

Looking beyond the website, we found that the client had some big trust issues.

First off, this online retail site had a rating of “F” with the Better Business Bureau.

Consumers refer to the BBB to gauge how trustworthy a company is. And the BBB is said to provide sentiment data to Google. So this was a bad sign.

Secondly, many customer review sites contained very negative reviews of the company.

We dug deeper to find out why.

The company apparently ignored (certainly did not satisfy) complaints. Commenters had left negative feedback in plain sight. But either it was being ignored, or nobody was even reading the reviews.

In aggregate, it appeared that the sentiment (the voice of their customers) had poisoned the brand’s online reputation.

This destroyed trust and impacted their search engine rankings as much as if they had a penalty. There is no lever to pull that can fix this situation.

Or otherwise stated, “There is nothing webmasters can do about the core algorithm updates.”

Pushing the Boundaries of SEO …

Understand reputation is not historically an SEO job. Brand protection and reputation management live elsewhere within marketing. That is why the client’s SEO team did not see it.

But if Google’s E-E-A-T factors grow in scope, the scope of SEO needs to expand as well.

By the way … when was the last time you checked your firm’s BBB rating?

A Radical Recommendation

Here’s what we did for our client. We produced a sentiment analysis report that documented what we found. It included quotes, charts, and screenshots, along with sentiment measurements.

Our recommendations detailed many specific to-dos. But the general message cut far deeper into the heart of their business than the advice we typically give in SEO consulting — we recommended they become customer-centric.

How to Fix Negative Sentiment

A business with widespread negative sentiment and too many bad reviews needs a radical culture shift.

The only solution is to read all the bad reviews, identify the problems, and then assign staff to their immediate repair.

Answer complaints 10 times better than necessary. Overwhelm people with support.

Managers should personally contact each negative reviewer and do what is appropriate to address their issue. Then they can post responses with their resolution on those review sites. Responding shows that you care and can be trusted to support customer problems.

And by all means, immediately fix any BBB issues. Claim your business listing on BBB.org and start monitoring the reviews. It’s important to respond to bad reviews appropriately, but also be sure to appreciate the happy reviewers.

As a last urgent warning, DO NOT pay customers or reviewers to change their comments. The Federal Trade Commission will charge a massive fine if you do that. People can “update” their own reviews if they want. But offering them any kind of paid incentive is illegal. (Here’s where you can read what the FTC allows for business owners.)

Sentiment Expands SEO

As SEOs, we have to stay on our toes. With algorithm updates and SERP changes happening multiple times daily, we either adapt or die.

Now, we have to expand our role. We have built this into audits and penalty reviews and regularly monitor ratings. How about you?

I’m convinced that sentiment is a trust signal, part of the “T” equation in E-E-A-T.

Google evaluates a site’s online sentiment across the web. When sentiment trends are negative, it can indicate many possible business problems. But we are convinced that it can also impact the site’s rankings in search.

If sentiment can affect a site’s rankings, either up or down, then it spills into the purview of SEO.

For this reason, I believe that sentiment analysis needs to be part of SEO now.

If you’re wondering how to do sentiment analysis for SEO, read my follow-up post on sentiment analysis for SEO.

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FAQ: How can sentiment analysis enhance the effectiveness of SEO repair projects?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) repair projects have become pivotal for businesses aiming to maintain a strong online presence. These projects involve identifying and rectifying issues that hinder a website’s performance on search engines. While traditional SEO strategies are indispensable, integrating sentiment analysis can take your SEO repair initiatives to new heights.

Understanding Sentiment Analysis and SEO Repair

Sentiment analysis is how public sentiments, opinions, and emotions are communicated through online content. Text data is examined to ascertain if its tone is positive, neutral, or negative; its primary use is for monitoring social media platforms and conducting market research, but with additional applications that go far beyond these areas.

In SEO repair, sentiment analysis offers invaluable insights into user perception. By analyzing user-generated content such as comments, reviews, and forum discussions related to your website, you can identify issues that may adversely affect your site’s reputation and user experience. This proactive approach enables you to address concerns before they escalate and impact your search engine rankings.

Leveraging Sentiment Analysis for SEO Repair Projects

1. Identify Negative Sentiments: Utilize sentiment analysis tools to identify negative sentiments associated with your website. Look for common themes in user feedback, such as complaints about slow loading times, broken links, or poor content quality.
2. Prioritize Issues: Categorize the identified issues based on their impact and frequency. Focus on addressing high-impact issues that users frequently mention.
3. Optimize Content: Improve the quality and relevance of your website’s content based on user feedback. Addressing negative sentiments related to content can significantly enhance user satisfaction.
4. Monitor Progress: Continuously monitor sentiment analysis data to track the effectiveness of your SEO repair efforts. Look for improvements in sentiment scores and user feedback.
5. Iterate and Improve: Use sentiment analysis as an ongoing tool for improvement. Regularly update your SEO repair strategy based on the changing sentiment landscape.

Incorporating sentiment analysis into your SEO repair projects is a strategic move that can lead to substantial benefits. By proactively addressing user concerns and improving the overall sentiment associated with your website, you boost your search engine rankings and enhance user satisfaction and trust. In the dynamic world of digital marketing, staying ahead requires innovative approaches, and sentiment analysis is a powerful tool that should not be overlooked.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Enhancing SEO Repair Projects with Sentiment Analysis

1. Define the scope of your SEO repair project and identify the target audience.
2. Select a reliable sentiment analysis tool or service that suits your project’s needs.
3. Gather user-generated content related to your website, including comments, reviews, and forum discussions.
4. Use the sentiment analysis tool to analyze the collected data and determine the prevailing sentiments (positive, negative, neutral).
5. Create a categorization system to prioritize and address issues based on their impact and frequency.
6. Focus on high-impact issues that are frequently mentioned by users in negative sentiments.
7. Develop an action plan for addressing identified issues, including content optimization, technical fixes, and user experience improvements.
8. Implement the action plan, making necessary changes to your website.
9. Continuously monitor sentiment analysis data to track changes in sentiment scores and user feedback.
10. Assess the effectiveness of your SEO repair efforts based on improvements in sentiment and user satisfaction.
11. Iterate and refine your SEO repair strategy based on the evolving sentiment landscape.
12. Regularly update and adapt your content to maintain positive sentiment.
13. Keep an eye on competitor sentiment and adjust your strategy accordingly.
14. Use sentiment analysis as an ongoing tool for improving user experience and search engine rankings.
15. Measure the impact of sentiment analysis on your SEO repair projects over time.
16. Share your success stories and insights with your team and stakeholders.
17. Stay updated on the latest developments in sentiment analysis technology and SEO best practices.
18. Continuously optimize your SEO repair projects by incorporating feedback and new insights.
19. Maintain a proactive approach to address emerging issues and maintain a positive online reputation.
20. Stay committed to leveraging sentiment analysis as a powerful tool to enhance the effectiveness of your SEO repair projects.

The post Is Sentiment an SEO Trust Signal? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

I spoke with a gentleman sitting next to me, who works at an online kayak retailer and has watched the PPC space become increasingly competitive over the last 10 years: “That’s why I’m here. Now that we have all that expensive traffic, let’s make the most of it.” — John Hoge

And that’s why I’m here reporting — to help interested digital marketers understand how to convert more site visitors.

Tim Ash is on stage to present a brand new keynote, and a topic he is very interested in: branding versus direct response.

Tim asks how many in the crowd are direct response marketers? How many are on the branding and creative side — to the latter question, not as many people raise their hands. Tim’s going to bring the DR and branding worlds together.

Right now there’s a war going on between DR and branding. Here’s his agenda:

1. Introduce the combatants.
2. Understand branding better.
3. Bring both sides together.

Introducing the Combatants: Direct Response vs. Branding

The direct-response view of branding:

• Branding people are restrictive and shut down powerful ideas due to technicalities. Good ideas are shut down by branding people.
• They’re controlling. They micro-manage and are focused on timid compliance and correctness issues. In order to get a test up, it takes months of jumping over hurdles from the branding team.
• And branding people are unaccountable. What’s the ROI of brand?
• Branding people are visually obsessed at the expense of clarity or functionality.
• They recycle media. They insist on the same approved campaign materials across all channels.
• Their favorite phrase is “That’s off brand …” This is the fastest conversation ender.

What you usually see from a brand-heavy organization is:

Who knows what to do with that? But it looks cool!

The branding people’s view of direct response people:

• DR folks are ignorant of the big picture.
• DR people are unprofessional — clueless clowns willing to try anything to make a dollar.
• They’re unethical. They’re willing to bend or break the rules to get results.
• DR folks are inconsistent and out of touch with all other campaigns.
• Their favorite phrase is “Let’s test that!” like that’s the solution for everything.

So you end up with something like this:

“But that’s what tests best!”

Are either one of these sides a flattering picture? No. No wonder we hate each other. But he’ll unify this.

Understanding Each Other Better

The traditional view of branding: something you project to the world.

Tim is going to describe branding in a way for all parties to relate to.

A brand is hard to change.

Think of a brand as a big aircraft carrier. It takes an entire mile for it to turn around.

Take a look at the search result for “Comcast Sucks.” It took Google half a second to return a quarter million results for that query. It’s going to be hard to change the momentum of an established brand.

Brands are ladders and shortcuts.

Think of a toothpaste brand and you’ll think of Crest or Colgate, but there are 270 brands in your supermarket. There’s no hope of making money if you’re not the market leader. If you’re not at the top of the brand ladder, you lose. A brand is effectively a shortcut for consumers. Your subconscious makes that decision automatically and tunes out other options. You’re not even in the consideration set.

A brand is a frame.

The frame creates the context. The unconscious backgrounds frame the foreground experience. Folgers instant coffee TV commercials was a campaign where Folgers coffee instant crystals replaced the regular coffee and then patrons of very expensive, top-end restaurants were asked on hidden camera what they thought of the coffee.

But this was a lie. Folgers wasn’t the brand frame for the experience. The famous restaurant was. Brands provide the context which increases the perceived value of the product.

The American Marketing Association defines brand in a very visual way:

“A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark. A brand may identify one item, a family of items, or all items of that seller. If used for the firm as a whole, the preferred term is trade name.”

An example of a brand that has multiple strong visual associations is Marlboro cigarettes. Think tall black letters, or solid red, or lone cowboy on the range, and you know that the brand is Marlboro. The underlying mental model is rugged masculinity and independence.

So the up side of not having the brand is that even though you don’t have the power, you have the freedom to see what resonates with your audience. Most of us here are on the DR side. We’re trying to move the needle. We’re not constrained by our brand — because we don’t have a brand.

Both branding and direct response are right. And both are blind.

The Brand Lives in the Minds of Customers

“When a customer enters my store, forget me. He is king.” — John Wanamaker

“Your brand is whatever your customer (or prospect) says it is.” — Groundswell

A brand is the underlying mental associations it evokes in people’s heads.

So how do we align the presentation with the brand frame? Understand which implicit goals your brand satisfies.

Here’s an example ad Tim made:

It hits these areas on the wheel of human motivation:

Does this work? Yes, because the ad and the brand frame have high congruence. This same thought experiment doesn’t work with Volvo’s logo on the example ad, which has a brand frame high on the security and discipline and autonomy areas. Did you know that Volvo has tried to sell high-performance sports coups for years but no one is buying them? It’s hard to turn that brand around.

Fighting on the Same Side: A Framework for Success

Here’s what success looks like if you unify branding and direct response.

1. Reality-check your brand. Go to that implicit goal chart. Think of what your brand is activating in the minds of visitors. Map the reality of your current brand frame.
2. Understand the unconscious motivations of your offer. What subconscious implicit motivations work for them?
3. Create messaging that is congruent with the brand frame.
4. Try different triggers to evoke the underlying brand concept. We have the freedom to experiment with different triggers.
5. Watch what people react to and feed it back into your brand.

Your homework is to read some books. Here are the ones he recommends:

• 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People by Susan Weinschenk
• Brainfluence by Roger Dooley
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
• Buyology: Truth and Lies about Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom
• Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy by Phil Barden
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Laura Ries
• Landing Page Optimization by Tim Ash

Subscribe to the blog to get all the news coming out of Conversion Conference 2016!

The post Tim Ash Presents #ConvCon: Ending the War between Branding and Direct Response appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

How do you create a brand advocate?

1. By having a truly useful, high-quality product or service.
2. By having customer service that goes above and beyond.

The ideal brand advocate will then go forth and proclaim their love for you, not only through word of mouth, but also on social media! When we work with our content and social media services clients, we are always looking for ways to create and cultivate brand advocacy.

Brand advocates come in many forms. You’re probably familiar with YouTubers, Instagram models, and mommy bloggers, but a brand advocate is anyone who writes a positive online review, posts a link to your content, mentions your brand in tweet, or snaps a photo … you get the idea. A brand advocate doesn’t need to have one million followers or a high Klout score. Brand advocates are simply real people shining a positive light on your brand.

Employee Brand Advocacy

One variety of brand advocate is your own socially engaged employee. As the name suggests, employee brand advocates are brand advocates that work for you brand. Potential clients and customers like to connect with real people advocating a brand – and when it comes to real people, who better than the men and women who make up your organization? They know it best. And they have insider knowledge and can offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of your brand.

Did you know 45 percent of social strategists report that developing an employee brand advocacy program is a top priority?

Why is employee brand advocacy important? Well, according to research:

• 90 percent of consumers trust people they know when seeking purchasing advice.
• 53 percent B2B customers trust friends and colleagues’ purchase recommendations.

In other words, brand advocates can have a powerful influence on the purchasing decisions of their friends, family, colleagues, and followers at large. What they have to say is seen as trustworthy and can have potentially more impact than what a business has to say about itself.

Two digital marketing leaders, Michael Brito and Mark Traphagen, are definitely prioritizing employee brand advocacy. Traphagen, the senior director of marketing at Stone Temple Consulting and an employee brand advocate in his own right, sums it up:

“In my experience developing your personal brand representatives from within, from existing employees, is going to have the most impact and be most effective. Your own people know your brand best and (we hope!) will have real passion for it. The advantage here is that training is minimal so content creation and social audience building can commence immediately.”

Brito, the head of U.S. digital marketing at Pulse, is currently working on a book on employee brand advocacy and recently published a robust report on the subject.

Employee Brand Storytelling: Lessons from Brand Marketers on Building and Employee Advocacy Program explores how to mobilize employees to become brand advocates. The report includes tips from digital marketing experts at leading companies including Adobe, Salesforce, Pitney Bowes, FedEx, Autodesk, and Kaiser Permanente. I invited him for an interview to talk about empowering employees to become brand advocates. You can watch that interview with Brito below!

Brand Advocacy + Social Media Marketing = Winning Campaigns

Michael, Mark, and I all agree: brand advocacy is a critical part of any social media marketing campaign, and well worth investing effort in. Reading Michael’s report is a great place to start learning more about the value of brand advocacy. If you’re interested in partnering with us to leverage brand advocacy in your social media marketing, and social media marketing within your overall digital marketing campaign, then don’t hesitate to call us at (866) 517-1900 or fill out our contact form here.

The post Why 45% of Social Media Strategists Say You Need Brand Advocates in Your Ranks appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Let’s take a look at some of the concrete examples of successful brand building done by REI and Zappos, and end by answering the critical question: how can we as digital marketers use the tools at our disposal — audience targeting and user experience design — to build our own loved brands. Take it away, Aaron.

In this article:

• Forge an Emotional Connection
• Establish Trust and Consistency
• Stay Honest
• Build with Innovation and Creativity
• Stay Relevant
• Stay Lovable

Some brands get all the love. We all know of certain brands that have achieved a status, a following, and a perception in the market that puts them in a category we can call “loved brands.”

So, what did these brands do to become so loved and highly valued? And what does it take become a loved brand?

Forge an Emotional Connection

In order to become beloved by their customers, brands must be successful at developing an emotional connection with the right audiences, and must be able to maintain that connection and relationship over time. To accomplish this, brands must first look inward, hire competent brand experts and brand stewards, dig deep to really know themselves internally, and develop an authentic brand story. With a well-developed, authentic brand story, a brand must first market to and win over employees and internal stakeholders.

And, in order to do this successfully, brands need to first start with the right audience: develop a marketing strategy that first finds and targets customers who are going to be the most enthusiastic about the brand, who will be the first to fall in love and bring life to the love relationship between brand and consumers. These are the folks who will then help evangelize, promote, and amplify the brand story.

Establish Trust and Consistency

As in any personal relationship, a brand’s relationship with customers requires building trust, and maintaining trust through consistency — consistent articulation and application of brand (and product) messaging, and consistent customer experience. This includes off-line and online experiences with the brand’s core content, its user experience design of website and landing pages, and the way a brand carries itself in the public sphere through ongoing advertising. Trust is also built and maintained through constant conversation with customers: listening to feedback, hearing what customers want, showing them that they are being heard.

How can brands improve their relationships with customers?

Brands must be constantly seeking out those core influencers who will be the most enthusiastic promoters and amplifiers of the brand in social and public arenas. In order to do this, brands must be constantly offering new things for them to share and to talk about. They must be open to feedback, listen to their customer’s opinions, and work at making them feel special, to maintain that sense of intimacy with the brand.

Stay Honest

Once trust is built, brands must continue to provide messaging and content to already in-love customers to maintain trust and build on that trust.  Brands need to maintain a thoughtful and honest messaging platform internally, and ensure that everyone in the organization speaks and disseminates honest brand messaging consistently across all marketing channels.

Build with Innovation and Creativity

To maintain that love connection, brands need to keep the love spark alive, through innovation. This means by coming up with fun and creative ad campaigns, news stories, and a constant flow of fresh and targeted content. It takes work to keep customers engaged and feeling like the brand is still their brand, but it’s the labor of love and effort that customers will appreciate.

Take REI, for example.  Last year during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period, when every other retail brand was publicly promoting deals to get customers in the doors, REI chose to invest in a campaign to tell its customers NOT to shop, but rather to spend time outdoors. Because REI is an outdoor retail brand, this message clearly resonated with REI customers. REI chose to forfeit millions in potential shopping revenue in order to show its commitment to loyal customers (and employees), reinforcing its brand image in a creative and powerful way.

Stay Relevant

Brands also need to listen to customer insights data to know when the right time might be for a brand makeover, and be bold when remaking the brand. Brands need to be comfortable with a constant evolution of their brand image and messaging (don’t hold on too tightly). Brand perceptions in the market are constantly evolving, so brands need to evolve their image and brand story in ways that align with those changing perceptions.

Stay Lovable!

Do good things that align with the brand’s values, and make those known to the public in ways that reflect positively on the brand. Do good for the environment, give back to local communities, have positive labor relations, do those “good things” that the target love-audience cares about most.

Take Zappos for example: over time, Zappos has built up a close trust relationship with its customers by providing a seamless and even enjoyable shopping experience through its intuitive and clear site UI design of product returns and the exchange process.

Additionally, Zappos’ CEO, Tony Hsieh, has been a vocal proponent of workers’ rights and employee satisfaction, work-life balance, and giving back to the community. In 2011 he donated over $300 million of his own money to initiate an urban revitalization project in downtown Las Vegas that has built affordable housing, created and staffed local arts and music education centers, and invested in local high-tech startups that has generated jobs for the local economy. His generosity and energy have been a big part of the Zappos brand story that has helped it maintain its love relationship with core customers.

What is the role of technology in building and maintaining a loved brand?

We need to understand a few key and important ways that technology can help build and maintain a brand’s love status. One is customer data technology, and the ways a brand collects and analyzes customer data. DMPs and analytics platforms can offer brands the right audience data points and customer insights, helping brands find and attract the right audiences to target and message to. These also help provide data for developing the right strategies for brands to use in reaching and communicating with the right audiences (audiences most likely to fall in love with the brand).

Digital advertising platforms and related technologies can help with media placement and audience targeting, which helps brands locate and target-market to the right audiences, with messaging that resonates the most, helping to develop that love connection.  There are platforms that can help brands practice successful social listening, and use social data that is gathered to build, maintain, and expand the love connection with customers – by hearing what customers are saying, showing that they are being heard. These platforms and technologies around social listening can also be leveraged as a testing ground for honing the brand story. Social media platforms are also the best place for brands to have their core enthusiasts share, advocate for, and evangelize the brand, to influence new potential customers to become loyal followers.

User experience design and web development technologies can help brands create the right visual language, and design the right online interactive experiences that align brand story with the right audiences. A/B and multivariate testing platforms (Optimizely, Adobe Target) help brands constantly test and hone their core messaging, across the right channels, to target the right audiences with personalized content. Personalized content is key to deepening the brand love connection, by having customers feel like the brand was made just for them. Technology now can help brands dynamically target and publish personalized messaging and content to a wide range of audience segments based on already available first-party data points.

In all, loved brands are necessarily good at staying true to three things: their own core tenets; the needs and desires of their customers; and the data that tells them the evolving story of who their customers are and what those customers need and expect in order to stay connected.

The post To Be a Loved Brand appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

We are also particularly thankful for the new additions to our team: Duane Forrester, VP of Organic Search Operations, and David Szetela VP, Search Marketing Operations. Bruce Clay said it best when he said: “I am thankful that the company was able to add key leaders to our roster. Along with myself and the BCI team, we form a powerful force in the SEO and PPC space.”

Check out the slideshow below to find out what else Bruce and folks on our team are thankful for.

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Real People Power for Brands – Mark Traphagen

Mark Traphagen (@MarkTraphagen), senior director of online digital marketing at Stone Temple Consulting, kicks it off. How can personal brands work for business? Businesses need to make real connections, he says, and that’s hard to do if you’re simply a brand. You need to create emotional connections with your consumers.

“How do you take something as dead and inert as a brand and make it alive?” asks Traphagen.

“How do you take something as dead and inert as a brand and make it alive?” – @MarkTraphagen
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Build community. Moz does this spectacularly. One of their great successes has been building this active, passionate community around their brand. This community is, in turn, more inclined to try out Moz’s products.

The Brand Humanization Ladder

“We’re not all ready to be at every stage, but we can do something to start the climb. Humanize your business to make it more connectable with people,” says Traphagen. Here are the rungs of the ladder:

Cause Supporter

Get involved in things that people really care about. Traphagen shares an example of a pet insurance company creating content about not leaving pets in cars when it’s hot. People care about that, and that made them care about the pet insurance company by proxy.

Engager

Look for real conversations that they can engage in, in real time. Denny’s was on its way out as a brand. On the verge of bankruptcy, they began to listen online to what people were talking about. They learned it wasn’t about food, but about getting together with friends at 3 a.m. Denny’s began to engage in those conversations and made their brand “hipster cool.”

Employee Advocacy

Give your employees the freedom and tools to be involved in social on behalf of your brand. “Advocacy is born form culture, not technology or marketing,” says Jay Baer. You can’t order your employees to do this, but if you create a culture where your employees LOVE your brand, it will come naturally. Encourage it.

Personal Brand Representation

Develop and encourage people to be personal brands. It can have a powerful effect because it is human. We have a desire to belong and to connect. We want that as humans. We want to converse. We want to speak and be understood. Conversations are extremely important. We’re very drawn to humans. It’s called pareidolia. Evolution has trained us to be drawn to other humans. Consider the now defunct Google authorship — Google recognized the value in seeing a real face next to a piece of content.

Your brand will most rapidly and successfully gain the social trust of its audience when it is associated with powerful personal brands (i.e., individuals). As they go out into the world and connect with people, the authority of those people is transferred onto the company itself. Read more from Traphagen on personal branding here: stonet.co/pbrmoz.

Personal Branding: 10 Practical Tips – Mel Carson

Mel Carson (@MelCarson), founder of Delightful Communications, calls brand an experience. An effective brand, he says, is way more than a logo. What is the impression you’re leaving?

He shares a quote from Seth Godin: “A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Be discoverable. Be shareable. Be memorable.

Build a brand through PR and social. Build relationships to become trusted. Differentiate through emotional connections to become more remarkable and unmistakable. Only 15 percent will be believe a brand, but 90 percent will believe a peer, friend or family member, according to Nielsen. Nurture your loyal fans.

Personal Branding Sweet Spot

The Ten Personal Branding Tips

1. Own your own name.
2. Invest in a professional photo. According to PhotoFeeler.com, the photos that resonate the most with others are close-up, smiling and showing teeth.
3. Make your out-of-office email work harder. Don’t just say you’re out of the office. For personal branding, you should say why you’re out of the office. Offer a Twitter handle, an email signup, etc.
4. Create a social media ratio that is 60 percent business and 40 percent personal.
5. Be thoughtful about your bio on third-party sites.
6. Label your photos with your name (for SEO).
7. Add social channels and messages to emails.
8. Make your business cards stand out.
9. Make LinkedIn a living profile.
10. Be social by design. Link channels and repurpose content.

Personal Branding of the Company: AKA Your LinkedIn Profile Probably Sucks — Matt Craine

Brand strategist Matt Craine (@MattCraine) asks, “what is your brand?” It’s not what you think it is — it’s what they think it is. You don’t own your reputation. You’re at the mercy of what everyone thinks of you.

Eighty-five percent of consumers rely on search engines to find a local business. Seventy-eight percent of consumers consult reviews or ratings before landing on a business. Business reviews are a really big deal. But what does this have to do with you as an individual?

Everyone is a stalker. People are online researching people they’ve met in business. When you’re in business, you are getting stalked. Craine guarantees us we’re all being stalked.

By association, you are part of the company brand. Everything online about an employee reflects on the company. With everything else equal, people buy from people they like.

If you own or represent a business, you and every employee has to clean up their act everywhere:

• LinkedIn
• Google+
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Image search
• Videos

Change your LinkedIn view settings. By default, your profile is not public. Change it to public. (He says that 67 percent of B2B marketers are actively using LinkedIn.)

Buy the domain name for all your employees. It’s $10 for a domain. It’s $20-45 for a good WordPress template. It’s $10 a month for hosting (or less!). If you and your employees dominate the first page, you’re way ahead of the game.

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1. Brand + Mission = Excellence
2. Think Bigger: Startups Save the World
3. Focus on Users with “Youtility”
4. Responsive Design isn’t the Only Choice That Makes Sense
5. Click-to-Call Extensions Reap Major Rewards
6. 75% of Users Access Pinterest on a Mobile Device: Optimize Accordingly

Brands Must Have Mission

Keynote speakers at Pubcon had a lot to say on the subject of mission, vision and “youtility” of a brand. If we can take these CEOs and bestselling New York Times authors at their word, successful brands must have a mission greater than sales, possess a clearly defined vision, and think of creative ways to be useful.

1. Brand + Mission = Excellence

“Brand is the outward expression of a mission. Mission is what drives your deepest purpose. Match these well for excellence,” said Chris Brogan, CEO of Owner Media Group, as he delivered a passionate address that appealed to idealism and the bottom line simultaneously. According to Brogan, brands that are fueled by a mission — something they could write on a flag and get people to march behind — are the kind of brands that reap the greatest success.

By infusing your company with a mission, your consumers will feel like they belong to something greater. Brogan asserts that if they feel like they belong to something greater they will become content creators and spread the word of a brand themselves. Brogan points to Crossfit as an example of this, noting how actively and avidly Crossfitters share Crossfit’s mission on social media. What Crossfit inspires (that ordinary gyms don’t) is that sense of belonging — and that allows them to offer their services at a premium.

2. Think Bigger: Startups Save the World

Angel investor Jason Calacanis examined the global impact that mission-minded brands can have. Calacanis discussed six major world problems (cancer, climate change, energy crisis, hunger, unemployment, and repression) and showcased startups that are finding solutions. His final thought? That the work entrepreneurs, engineers and the tech elite perform is the work that lifts the world up. Calacanis believes that even bigger things are coming.

3. Focus on Users with “Youtility”

Jay Baer, president of Convince & Convert, also believes brands are on a mission — a mission of “youtility”. Youtility is the idea of focusing on the “you” who is consuming your content. It’s marketing with the chief aim to be useful. As Baer said, “it’s marketing that people cherish rather than tolerate.”

Marketing that people cherish means abandoning a “me, me, me” attitude. It’s not about touting your brand, but about knowing your audience and supplying them with content (apps, articles, social presence) that will help them. For example, Hilton has a Twitter account called @HiltonSuggests. The account’s entire mission is to find traveler’s looking for suggestions or tips and help them. A look at their Twitter feed shows them talking food, attractions and sights; there’s no call to stay at a Hilton. This kind of youtility, though, leads to something priceless: brand recall and top-of-mind recall.

“Great Youtility can transcend the transaction. Give yourself permission to make the story bigger – you don’t just have to talk about your own stuff. You can talk about other things that are relevant and useful,” said Baer.

A natural consequence of focusing on the “you” is something all brands are hungry for: loyalty. Joanna Lord, vice president of marketing at Porch.com, echoed Baer’s sentiments at SMX East, using Starbucks as an example.

Lord explained that we’re in a place today where businesses need to be just as loyal to customers as they want customers’ loyalty. Look at the messaging on the Starbucks website. It’s hyper-focused on words like “you” and “we” and “our” and “us,” punctuated with three to four word phrases. Marketers are empowered when every morning they can wake up and know they’ve delivered a message to the world.

Consider Mobile Traffic at Every Turn

Mobile optimization has been a hot topic all year long. 2014 was, after all, the year that saw mobile search traffic overtake desktop search traffic. I recently interviewed Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge, and he reported that BrightEdge data shows mobile traffic is outpacing desktop traffic by 10. That’s precisely why digital marketers are focusing their efforts on mobile optimization and paying close attention to design, user experience, content and SEO. Like Bruce Clay said at Pubcon, “Mobile will disrupt everything. It’s already disrupting everything.”

4. Responsive Design Isn’t the Only Choice

Each type of mobile site implementation comes with its own set of unique pros and cons. Knowing, however, that Google’s preferred method is responsive design (as opposed to separate sites or dynamic serving), digital marketers tend to advocate responsive design, as well. But not the panelists in “What SEOs Should Be Doing with Mobile” at SMX East.

Cindy Krum (CEO of MobileMoxie) asserted digital marketers shouldn’t feel bound to one type of design; each page should be taken into account on its own.

“You don’t have to commit 100% to one mobile type. Part of your site can have one architecture and other pages can have a different architecture. If it provides a better user experience, then you should do it. Google is not against this if it’s warranted,” Krum said.

Gary Illyes, Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, agreed. What Google cares about most, he said, is making the user happy. He also emphasized that responsive design does not lead to ranking boost, and a lack of responsive design does not lead to penalty.

5. Click-to-Call Extensions Reap Major Rewards

Jason Spievak, CEO of Invoca, and Daryl Colwell, Senior Vice President at Matomy Media Group, shared statistics that demonstrated the importance of implementing Click-to-Call functionality on PPC ads in the Pubcon session New Mobile Behavior and Click-to-Call Strategies:

• 47% of mobile users will explore other brands if there is no phone number associate with the business’ search results (Google Mobile Playbook 2013).
• The average American consumer spends 34 hours a month browsing the Internet on a mobile device (source: Direct Marketing News).
• By 2018, mobile search will drive 73 billion inbound calls to advertisers (source: BIA/Kelsey).
• There are 30-50% conversion rates on a call.

Given these statistics, it seems more important than ever to make sure people viewing your ads can easily call your business.

6. 75% of Users Access Pinterest on a Mobile Device; Optimize Accordingly

In Pubcon’s Pinterest and Other Missed Social SEO Opportunities, Cynthia Johnson, director of social media marketing at RankLab, pointed out that 75 percent of users access Pinterest from a mobile device – it’s the digital marketer’s job to optimize accordingly. Practically, this means first and foremost have a mobile-ready site – there’s no point in sending users from Pinterest to a site that they’re going to bounce back from.

This also means limiting the characters in your pin description to those that can be seen on a mobile device (100 characters on iOS/125 characters on Android). It’s also important to consider the order of your boards. When you go to a brand/pinner’s page on desktop, the top eight boards are visible above the fold – on a phone, only the top four boards are visible above the fold. This means, then, that you need to strategically place your best four boards in the top four slots, rather than thinking you have eight to work with.

In addition to mobile optimization and mission-minded marketing, there was an abundance of new and insightful information in all arenas of digital marketing. Virginia Nussey and I liveblogged 36 key sessions throughout the conference. Find an easy-to-read overview of all of them in 36 Coast-to-Coast Liveblog Posts Covering Pubcon Las Vegas & SMX East 2014 and click through to the topics that interest you most. You’ll find coverage of sessions featuring the latest SEO, SEM, SMM and content marketing tactics.

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