Before we address the question of this blog post, here’s a tip for free: almost everything you do online will have some influence over where you rank on Google.
Your brand’s name is not only part and parcel with everything you do, but it’s also front and centre.
Does your brand name affect SEO performance? Of course, it does. Does that mean you should base it around your focus keyword? It’s a good strategy, but it’s also not necessary.
Now that we’ve established that brand names do affect SEO performance, let’s discuss some strategies you can use to make your brand name work for you.
Focus keyword?
Your focus keyword is the search term most people type into Google when they’re searching for businesses in your industry.
Let’s say, for example, that you own a lawn mowing business. After conducting a little research, you may find that the most common search term for your industry is ‘lawn mowing service’.
You could use this knowledge to your advantage and name your business Bob’s Lawn Mowing Service—and this would, no doubt, give you a built-in boost in search rankings.
However, it’s also important not to rest on your laurels.
What are the best strategies for naming my business?
Incorporating your focus keyword into your business name is certainly one strategy, yes. As a digital strategist in , however, I recommend focusing on the following. If this comes at the expense of using your focus keyword, so be it.
Choose something unique
As a business strategy consultant in Melbourne, I would encourage you to scour the competition for inspiration. However, I must also stress that your point of difference is so important.
What does that mean? It means that you should leverage your competition’s strategies—without making it obvious you copied them. Name your business James’ Mowing and customers will (rightfully) brand it as a cheap ripoff.
Choosing a unique business name is important not only from an integrity standpoint but also from an SEO perspective. Choose something unique and you’re not competing with similarly-named businesses.The last thing you want is to appear on a Google results page, sandwiched between two other lawn mowing businesses, with little to set you apart from the others.
Choose something memorable
How many people actually access websites directly these days?
Android users, in particular, equipped with the Google Search app on their mobile device, often default to typing a brand name into Google rather than typing a URL in full.
So, if customers are counting on your brand name alone to bring your business to mind, you’d better make it a memorable one.
How do you do this? Here are three strategies you can try.
See if you can make your name alliterate. Doesn’t ‘Rolls Royce’ just roll off the tongue?
See if you can keep your name to two syllables. Shorter names are not only easier to remember but also rank better in Google results.
Make it phonetic. Spell your brand exactly as it sounds and no one will struggle with locating your website. Moreover, with the growing trend of talk-to-text technology, it’s important that devices can recognise—and correctly spell—your business name.
What’s the takeaway?
Brand names are more strategic than you may, at first, think. They may be just one or two words long, but there is a scrupulous method behind their selection. As an SEO consultant in Melbourne, here is my final advice:
See if you can incorporate your focus keyword into your brand name.
Choose a unique brand name that won’t throw you into direct competition with similar businesses.
Choose a brand name that’s going to stick in people’s minds.
It all boils down to using marketing principles and basic human psychology to optimise your brand name into something that ranks well on both a Google results page and in people’s minds. This name is your hook—load it with all the bait you can.
If you enjoyed this blog post, I have plenty more wisdom to impart. For an SEO consultant in Brisbane who gets it, call me on 1300 777 847 OR book your consultation online. There aren’t that many digital strategists in Brisbane that can help quite like I can.
