Brand Recognition Proven to Improve SEO Results

We all know that brand recognition influences user behavior. The biggest brands like Nike and Coca-Cola are basically an embedded part of our existence. Everyone knows them and we’re drawn to purchasing those products because of their brand identity.

But the question is: how much does that brand awareness affect SEO success? According to a new report that followed the eye-tracking of 400 search journeys, “82 percent of consumers will select a brand that they’re already familiar with in search results, regardless of that brand’s actual ranking within the SERP.” One caveat here, the brands ranking in the SERPs needed to be prominent and visible enough to the consumer in order to be considered. So, ranking is still a major factor as position 8 vs. 9 are both on page one of Google. The real story here is that once your listing is visible and in the consideration set, brand recognition can improve you click-through rate at the expense of higher ranking listings.

As an example, the report noted that “For the search term ‘king-size duvet covers,’ someone clicked on Matalan, which ranked in position nine in the organic results – or for the search term ‘party dresses UK,’ ASOS ranked as the eighth result, and still got clicks.”

So what do these findings indicate to us as marketers?

Low Brand Awareness Could be the Cause of Low CTR in the SERPs

Here’s the scenario. You’ve been optimizing tirelessly to increase clicks to your site. Search engine rankings are high, but for some reason, the page is still not getting clicks. You’ve already optimized metadata and implemented schema markup. Now you’re stumped. Low brand awareness may be the culprit. Work on increasing consumer recognition and trust for your brand. Then monitor changes in the click-through rate (CTR) – not just the number of clicks – on your ads as a result.

Social Media Marketing can Influence SEO Performance

So, is there a link between social media and SEO? Indirectly, yes. Google’s algorithm doesn’t take social media likes and shares into account when determining page rankings. But social media, when done right, does increase brand recognition and trust. Both of which have been proven by this study to improve the CTR on the search engine results page.

Read more about the new report highlighting the importance of brand awareness in SEO in this article by Social Media Today.