Brand Voice Versus SEO
Someone recently asked me what’s more important when writing for a brand: its voice or SEO. It's a question that every copywriter grapples with at some point in their career, especially when visibility and brand identity are crucial to connecting with consumers.
Understanding Brand Voice
A brand's voice communicates its personality, values, beliefs, and offerings to its audience. It sets the tone for all communication and shapes how the audience perceives the brand. A strong brand voice can differentiate a brand from its competitors and create a sense of loyalty among customers. Confidence and clarity go a long way when crafting your brand’s voice, as well as when you create content and other elements of communication.
The Importance of SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) is crucial for ensuring that your content is easily discoverable online compared to that of your competitors. It revolves around using carefully chosen keywords and phrases that people are likely to search for. The goal of SEO is to improve your content's visibility in search engine results by connecting with what your consumers are searching for across all digital platforms.
Finding the Balance
So, which is more important: brand voice or SEO? The truth is that both are essential. A strong brand voice helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level, while SEO ensures that your content reaches a wider audience. While SEO is important for driving traffic to your website, focusing solely on SEO can sometimes lead to content that reads like a robot wrote it. If you only focus on your brand voice, you potentially tread the line of omitting keywords and phrases learned through research that can help you extend your reach to a greater or more specific audience. The key to successfully creating content is finding a balance between the two.
Tips for Balancing Brand Voice and SEO
Conduct keyword research to identify the terms your audience is searching for and incorporate them naturally into your content. Remember, the idea is not to sound like a robot wrote your work. Your audience is looking to connect with your brand on a more conversational level – even if your brand voice runs on the more serious side.
Stay True to Your Brand
While incorporating SEO, ensure that your content stays true to your brand voice. Your brand's personality should shine through in every piece of content you create. Next time you go to write content, start by focusing on letting your brand’s voice be highlighted throughout. Then apply those carefully curated keywords or phrases to what you’ve written. Don’t forget to include internal or external links where they can be applied to your content! This will do wonders with reach and visibility.
Monitor and Adapt Your Strategy
Keep an eye on your analytics to see how your content is performing. Use this data to adjust your strategy and find the right balance between brand voice and SEO.
When it comes to writing for a brand, finding the balance between its voice and SEO will help you with visibility and reach online. Take these tips and try them when you create your next content to watch it rank better in search engine results while also resonating with your audience on a deeper level. Nothing feels better than having an open channel of clear communication between your brand and your audience, and that’s easy to achieve when you blend your brand voice and SEO seamlessly.