While Google likes to keep us all on our toes with its mysterious and ever-changing algorithms that determine which websites make it to the top of our screens, one thing we can be certain of is that Google favours established brands or entities.
This may not sound like great news for small or independent businesses that get dominated by bigger brands all too frequently. Fortunately, with brand entity SEO you can establish a brand identity that’s recognised by search engines, effectively helping you rank higher on SERPs.
Fed up with getting trampled by industry giants? Sharpen your pencils and get ready to take notes (figuratively speaking, because nobody’s using actual pencils and paper anymore, are they?) Here, learn how to up your Google reputation game with brand entity SEO.
Brand Entity SEO: What is it?
Let’s break this down.
Brand entity is the distinguishable identity associated with a person, place, or business. This includes much more than just the logo or the colour scheme used by a brand, but also the reputation and voice of a brand. What are their values? What do they stand for? What is their personality?
SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the way a website or webpage can be organised to improve its presence in search engine results.
So, when we put these two terms together, we see that brand entity SEO is a way of optimising a website to help the perception and understanding of the brand’s overall identity. But why would we want to do this?
Brand Entity SEO: Why do we need it?
Google wants to get into the minds of its users (creepy, right?), and rather than provide results that are simply in line with the words the user has searched, it wants to provide all of the relevant results the user could be alluding to. Google explains this as being about ‘things, not strings’. Meaning, it puts more focus on the thing itself, rather than a string of words. It uses Google Knowledge Graph to do this.
For example, if you run a search for ‘Dave Grohl’, you aren’t just going to get a list of results that include the keywords ‘Dave Grohl’. Instead, you’ll get a whole picture of what Dave Grohl is about, including photos, videos, related bands, his age, and links to his social media accounts.
This is a result of the Google Knowledge Graph.
And the Google Knowledge Graph is to Google what the Big Mac is to McDonalds. That is to say, it’s a pretty big deal.
The Google Knowledge Graph puts entities into context for Google, showing how they relate to other entities.
If a brand is recognized by Google as an entity, it signifies that Google acknowledges it as an established brand, thus increasing its likelihood of being presented in relevant searches.
Google wants to bring trusted brands to its users, and this is largely determined by what ‘facts’ it can piece together about an entity.
It’s clear then, that if entities that are recognised by the Google Knowledge Graph are featured more prominently in search results, brands need to establish themselves as an entity to grow organic traffic and increase their online presence.
Brand Entity SEO: How to Build Brand Entity
Think of the Google Knowledge Graph as someone you want to make friends with. When someone searches for a particular topic, and your content is equally relevant to another website’s content, which one is more likely to be featured at the top of the search results? You, a close friend that the Google Knowledge Graph can trust and rely on, or another website that Google has only heard about via other sources? Google is always going to favour its friend.
So, how do you make friends with it?
Sadly, compliments and gifts aren’t going to get you very far here, but there are several things you can do to make yourself stand out as a solid option. In essence, you’ve got to establish a brand entity.
Name Definition
To establish your brand entity you first need to establish your brand name. This might sound incredibly basic, but the name of a brand needs to appear consistent throughout all of its content and wherever it is mentioned online.
Take the brand name ‘Green Door Hair Salon’, for example. This might also be referred to as ‘The Green Door Hair Salon’, or ‘Green Door Salon’, or ‘Green Door Hair Salon.co.uk’, or ‘Greendoor Hair Salon’, and so on. Each of these could be understood by Google as different entities, so you need to ensure consistency throughout all of our marketing, including on social media channels.
Bio Definition
Next, define your bio.
You can do this using the ‘About Us’ page of your website. work on your bio.
This needs to clearly establish your brand name, your relation to the industry you are in, and a selling point that sets you apart from competitors. Avoid meaningless taglines that Google won’t understand, and focus on plain-speaking words that can’t be misinterpreted.
A good bio will look something like these:
- ‘Green Door Hair Salon is Stamford’s Redken-certified hair salon, specialising in hair colouring’
- ‘Green Door Hair Salon is a pet-friendly hair salon located in Stamford, Lincolnshire.’
Additionally, add any certifications your business has, any awards it has received, any organisations it is affiliated with. Include your address and contact details, a map, and links to your social media profiles.
Schema Markup
Now you have a clear ‘About Us’ page, confirm each area using organisation Schema markup. Aim to mark up every detail on the page, essentially translating your on-page content into search engine language.
This sends very precise signals to Google, telling them exactly what each part of your bio means, and how it relates to your business and industry. Using comprehensive structured data helps Google to see your information as facts, which is a crucial part of the search engines Knowledge Graph.
To Sum Things Up
Being recognised as an entity by Google is a big deal. This tells you that you, or your brand, is doing something right. You’re a VIP in the online world.
As a recognised brand entity, you’re going to get more online exposure in search engine results, which in turn leads to more traffic to your website and more opportunities to convert. This is why brand entity SEO is so crucial for any brand who wants to be successful.
Follow our tips for building brand entity, or contact us for help.
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