Recent surveys have indicated that around 80% of customers select a brand that they are already familiar with and not based on ranking on the SERP. This has placed a new thrust on the importance of brand – the brand trust, recognition and advertising that entice winning clicks in the SERP. Though social media popularity has no direct control over search engine rankings, the brand awareness created by social media does play a role in creating brand awareness and thus provide a purchase opportunity, much more than a numero uno ranking on search engine result.
The penchant for choosing a familiar brand is more prevalent amongst youngsters at 91%, still the importance of brand recognition cannot be undermined even among the older generation. Google does not always highlight the most familiar brands, even with its advanced algorithms. Whether google ranks a familiar brand 8th or 9th in the SERP doesn’t really matter. They still get clicks because of their familiarity.
As we said earlier, going with familiar brand is more prevalent among young users, while the habit declines with age. But even then, about 67% of older generation is influenced by brand. It appears that more than Google or any other search engine result, people tend to rely on social media which give them the exposure to many of these brands.
Various studies have been conducted regarding the value of retaining existing customers vs. winning new ones. Trusted Brand and Familiar Brand are distinct factors of significance. Now, how to build trust among potential customers? How to increase brand awareness? The sheer magnitude of social media which is used by billions of people worldwide is daunting. Adherence to the most common and basic SEO principles is the key to success.
There is no doubt that there exist a connection between your Social Media Marketing and SEO, which though indirect, has a bearing on improved search performance. This is what exactly SEO is all about. It gives your brand a boost in search engine rankings. By accommodating local search and brand-specific search phrases, you can cover all aspects of your market.
It is therefore important for companies to create their own brand and make it popular. Consumers who find a known or familiar brand in the search engine results are more likely to click on the page for more information and are more likely to indulge in a purchase, if what they came in search for was available. To truly control brand awareness, Analytics is a great tool to assess and improve strategy surrounding brand awareness. If the traffic, customer engagement and conversion rates improve after implementation of a new strategy, then you are on the right path.
It should also be noted that SEO is just one of the strategy in improving brand awareness and impact buying decisions. Other factors such as the site design, the content and whether your SEO strategy brings the right people to your site are important too. Find your bet SEO agency in Dubai to increase your brand awareness.