SEO Blog Post #2 – Positioning is Key

Being a marketing major has continued to push me to think about SEO with marketing efforts in mind and a specific example has come up recently in class. In SEO, we have been discussing the power of search and its significance when it comes to consumers finding websites that offer solutions to their needs. Search is one of the leading ways for consumers to find companies that can solve their pain, but how do these companies do it well?
In Advertising with Dr. Powell, we talked a lot about the importance of positioning, which essentially is the ability for a brand to be the dominant thought of a specific product or service in a consumer’s mind. In order to be positioned well, brands have to own an idea; brands have to own a keyword or key phrase. For example, when you think of tissues you think of Kleenex, when you think of ketchup you think of Heinz, and when you think of adhesive paper notes you think of Post-it. Now the list goes on and on, but I think you get my point. The top companies in every industry are positioned well because their brand is the affiliated brand with said product category.
Many companies achieve great positioning through advertising campaigns but right up there with advertising are their SEO efforts. SEO increases positioning for a company because their websites have been set up to rank high when specific keywords are searched. Now, to be even more dominant in a category, companies should have what are called “positioned key phrases” which takes their strengths and utilizes them for search. For example, if you look up “reliable cars” on Google, Toyota is the top car company that shows up. Their position in the consumers mind is “reliable” which is an internal strength for Toyota that they take to their marketing efforts, especially SEO.

Read “Keyword: Positioning” by Mark Vandergrift