Experience matters a lot in making advancements in SEO with the only exception of understanding search algorithms.  Search algorithms remain an enigma because search engines have never explained how algorithms work during searches. Every user has interpreted its working in the way they have understood it.

The problem in understanding search algorithms by trial and error is that one must continuously pay close attention to it because it keeps changing frequently and without notice. Your prior experience with algorithms may not hold good today, and you must adapt new methods to meet the expectations of search engines. The formula for success that you had hailed some time back is now redundant, as new algorithmic behavior has replaced it. The recent inclusion of brand signals in search engine algorithms is a case in point. In this article, we will explain what brand signals are, why it is important and how you can build it.

The significance of brand signals

Some brands have the capability of producing happy customers and searchers while there are many runs of the mill generics that are unable to do it. Google has a distinct liking for brands that are more dependable and wants to separate it from generics. To do this, it uses brand signals.  Businesses that want to establish its credentials as a brand have no other way but to make the best use of brand signals that convey a positive message to Google.  It tells Google that your business is a legitimate entity that can be trusted and there must not be any doubt about its existence. Brand signals help to establish the credibility of your business that adds value to the user and customer experience.  

Uphold your brand’s credibility

The goal is clear – you must sustain your brand as a credible business entity to search engines, and the best way of doing it is to make proper use of brand signals. Of millions of websites that you see around you, only some are brands, and the rest are generic business entities in the eyes of Google. You must, therefore, know how to tell Google that yours is a brand and not a business that belongs to the ‘they also ran’ category.

Establish your brand

Take guidance from the best SEO Company Toronto to make your brand credible to search engines. They will tell you the best ways of doing it.

  • You must have a physical address and presence for your business with an office, which is the first sign of any credible business entity.

  • All necessary licenses and clearances from the Government to run the business legitimately must be in place, and indeed, you must have some employees.

  • In addition to your online existence to gain visibility, there must be offline advertising and marketing strategy to back up the online initiatives as part of the brand building process.

  • You must highlight your business across the social media platform and be capable of generating branded search volume that adds value to the brand.

  • The About Us page of your website must be comprehensive and not sketchy with the contact details displayed prominently.

All these actions convey a strong message to Google about your credible online existence that they can rely upon.

Start building brand signals

Now that you have established the brand, it is like winning half the battle. Prepare to win the next one too which consists of building brand signals.  Brand signals help search engines to identify your brand quickly from among the crowd of many generics and treat it as a dependable business entity that is worthy of preference during searches. Search engines acknowledge that your company brand is capable of passing on good value to customers and provide them the best experience, which is the reason for preference.  Having a comprehensive About Us page, being active on the social media, creating high-quality visual content and promoting your brand on review sites are some measures you must take to build brand signals.

Emphasize on high-quality visual content

In SEO, ‘content is king, ‘ and you must ensure that your website uses the only high-quality content. Be ready with a pool of resources for maintaining a pipeline of high-quality content that alone can place your SEO campaign way ahead of others. Ensure that you are capable of producing the same high-quality content consistently and continuously.  Use more visuals like images and videos in the content to increase its appeal to viewers who find it easy to understand and consume.  It helps to increase onsite engagement that enhances the optimization efforts.

Put your brand on review sites

The integrity of your brand automatically gets enhanced when you promote it on various review sites like Yellow Pages, Yelp, Angie’s List, Bing Places and Google Places. Being on these sites help to create brand signals that attract search engines and puts your business a few notches above many others.

Make a comprehensive About Us page

Use the About Us page to talk in as many details as possible to paint a complete picture of your business that captures all its dimensions. From your business philosophy and ethics to goal and culture, touch all aspects that tell people the inside story about your business candidly. Share information about you, your mission and endeavors so that people can figure out the business in the right perspective, and get a feel for it. Although you might have a separate place to highlight contact details, the physical address of operations must find a place on this page because it builds credibility.

Be active on the social media

The social media is a great place for building brand signals. Display your business emphatically across several social media platforms.  With an eye on branding, make good use of YouTube in addition to other platforms that you find convenient. Experience how your traffic increases and at the same time, the brand signals you generate bring more value to your website.

What begins by boosting your brand equity culminates in higher ranks in search results, which is the ultimate goal of any search engine optimization.

About the Author: John Nelson is the head of the best SEO Company Toronto for almost a decade. He worked for nearly five years in his earlier assignment to learn the tricks of the trade in SEO. He shares interesting insights on the subject that users find very useful.