Search engine optimization has changed significantly in the age of AI. Those ubiquitious results boxes generated by artificial intelligence at the top of the search results page can answer commons questions quickly and succinctly. How can you top machine learning that scours the web in seconds and delivers a packaged response?
You can do it through innovative branded search content. Branding is the future of content marketing, especially regarding local search engine optimization.
But what is branding, and what is branded content?
The Definition of Branding
Many small-business owners think ‘branding’ means having a logo and perhaps a few dedicated colors for their business. Branding is much more than a logo.
In marketing, branding refers to creating and managing a distinct identity for a company, product, or service. This includes developing a name, logo, design, voice, and overall image that distinguishes it from competitors and leaves a lasting impression on customers. Branding encompasses people’s emotional, visual, and cultural associations with a brand, aiming to build recognition, loyalty, and trust over time.
It’s not just about appearances—it’s about the story and values you convey to your audience.
Stories and Values Add Personalization and Build A Memorable Impression
Branding builds a memorable impresion in your customers’ minds when initiated from a place of authenticity. The stories and values at the heart of the brand, even more so than the colors and logo, are what truly matters.
This is where good content marketing and local search work hand-in-hand to build memorable online brands that beat AI search to the punch.
Here are a few stats about the interaction between brands and search marketing that will make you think:
- Brand Trust and Loyalty: Around 81% of consumers state that they need to trust a brand before purchasing from it, and 86% believe authenticity is crucial when deciding which brands to support.
- Increased Visibility: Strong brand knowledge ensures your brand is more likely to appear in AI-driven search results and zero-click discovery scenarios.
- Consumer Behavior: Over 60% of customers are willing to pay more for products from brands they are loyal to, and 36% of U.S. shoppers feel loyal to brands they frequently buy from.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Branding plays a critical role in SEO, as well-known brands are prioritized in search engine algorithms, making them more discoverable.
These statistics highlight how a strong brand can significantly influence consumer trust, loyalty, and online visibility.
Creating Content That Builds Online Brands
According to AI and search marketing expert Ann Smarty, the wave of the future will be fueld by online content that builds strong brands. She recommends that companies have a good strategy to create, promote, and maximize branded content.
Branded content at its most basic should include:
- A robust About page that provides the company’s background, history, mission, vision, and other important stories that set it apart from local competitors
- Other pages that support the brand story include but are not limited to: awards, news (press releases), bios, and activities essential to the company, such as charitable events
- Frequently Asked Questions
These pages can be added easily to your website to build the brand story. Dashboard Interactive Marketing can find effective ways to create, share, and boost your brand to improve search visibility.
In addition to adding brand story pages to your company website, consider how your story can unfold across other platforms and channels. Social media, especially short form videos, are a great way to tell and retell your brand story. Press releases create a more ‘official’ online story since they are shared on multiple news platforms simultaneously. Guest articles add credibility to a brand as well as raise awareness for the brand among potential new customers.
Many small-business owners are concered that AI-enabled search will take away valuable traffic. Building a strong online brand is one of many things you can do to ensure that customers who want and need your services can find you quickly!
Dashboard Interactive Marketing provides local search consulting and services, content marketing and writing, social media marketing, and more. Call us at 763-242-2454 and let’s discuss how to build a memorable online brand.