Comments on: Is Your Brand Too Big For SEO?

By: Alan Bleiweiss

Alan Bleiweiss — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:02:58 +0000

For a long time it amazed me how so many big brands were clueless to the value of the web, let alone SEO. Then one day I realized that it’s almost always because they’re so entrenched in 20th century marketing. So it’s a cultural issue in many cases.

Your idea to offer starting with just one page is brilliant! Never thought of that til now…

By: Seth

Seth — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:34:15 +0000

Drew-
I have this same conversation all the time with my clients, who are primarily larger brands. Initially they’re happy seeing traffic and revenue from branded terms, and don’t really see what the fuss over non-brand terms is about.

What I find helpful is showing them the interest level in non-brand terms using tools like Google Insights, search volume from the Google Keyword Tool, and then show them how they stack up against their competitors for those competitive non-brand terms. It is usually an eye-opening exercise.

As far as content creation goes, I usually provide samples of copy and rely on teaching best practices related to content to get them pointed in the right direction. Then it’s a matter of being a tutor to their content managers.

I do agree that brands can be their own worst enemy and I have seen many successful companies get caught up in the minutiae of guidelines and miss huge opportunities. When that happens, I encourage them to consider pursuing those valuable phrases in paid search!

Sometimes it just pays to be small I guess.

By: Fran Jeanes

Fran Jeanes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:15:26 +0000

That’s a good tip Drew, thanks.

There’s nothing like data to prove a point, and by working on just one or two pages you don’t run into a wasted, massive time suck if the client still isn’t interested.

By: Wayne Smallman

Wayne Smallman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:49:11 +0000

I have a client who really are too big for SEO. In their industry, there are only really 5 companies who do what they do, and all are global players.

The volume of traffic they get is quite high, incredibly specific and targeted. Anyone who needs to know who they are already know, so SEO is just a needless indulgence to them.

And I have to agree with them. However, the mechanical SEO is essentially borne out of good design principles and accessibility, which is the angle I’m coming from.

That alone is worth their time because it’s mandatory by law…

By: James

James — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:19:19 +0000

I’ve managed to get the B2B I work for to believe in SEO, now they’re obsessed with keyword positions. Beware you don’t create a monster!

I’m trying to get them to do social marketing now. If you think SEO is fight, wait till you say you want users to create content, not marketing…

By: Drew Stauffer

Drew Stauffer — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:02:16 +0000

@ Joe

I would look at your analytics for a lot of your clues.

1) is the new page performing better than the old one (top content)

2) is the new page being found for your new keywords

3) you could even look at the bounce rate of the new page compared to other pages

4) on Google…is the new page appearing higher in the rankings than the old page

These are just a few suggestions, but there are really numerous ways you could shine a positive light on your new page.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:17:25 +0000

Nice article. How are some ways I can show results for a before and after SEO’d page?