Stop chasing traffic and start chasing conversions with a brand-led SEO strategy

Getting web traffic is easy. Getting customers? That’s where the strategy comes in.

Imagine you run a petting-farm, where kids can spend a day stroking goats. You do some keyword research and find out that the words 'dangerous goats' has low competition and the search volume is massive. You might be tempted to change your business name, H1 and meta title to 'Dangerous Goats Petting Zoo' because it'll get you loads of traffic.

Or maybe not - most sensible people, like yourself, would never dream of it. Of course that's an awful idea! (Shame on you if you were actually tempted...)

But sometimes choosing between something that represents the brand and something that ranks well on Google is not clear cut.

Naughty SEO

Firstly, let's make sure you understand SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation.

SEO is:

• A way to help people find you without having to scroll endless search results on Google

• Matching what people search in Google with what you actually offer

• Adding the right keywords in the right places so Google's crawler bots find what they need to easily

• Appealing to Google's crawler bots so they trust you're legit, and therefore rank your website higher in relevant search results

• An art of balancing relevant search terms people use a lot against keywords lots of websites use

SEO is not:

• A quick win - you don't rank better overnight

• Easy - choosing the right keywords that truly explain what you do and fit the brand is bloody hard

• A more is better kinda situation - if you use too many, you damage your reputation with the crawler bots

• Fun - sorry SEO experts, it's dry as hell and I'd love life if I didn't have to spend so much time trying to balance this tightrope of keywords

The thing is, SEO is only tricky if you do it well.

Enter the dark side of SEO: some agencies and professionals will create SEO strategies around keywords that deviate from the brand purely because it'll improve traffic and make them look good. You may have been burnt by this behaviour in the past - our clients tell us so!

The offenders are probably thinking, 'Maybe most of the people who visit the site will bounce, but some may end up paying for a day trip to stroke goats when they hadn't set out to do so!'

The truth is, they probably don't care who converts, only that they get to show you a graph that goes up whilst looking at you with a smug, expectant smile....

Just look at this graph

SEO strategies don't have to be that way

Pheobe and I are only interested in quality traffic.

We opt for low-contested, decent-volume keywords that fit the brand and drive quality traffic. There are trade-offs at times, but none so great that visitors are left confused. I, personally, have never accidentally walked into Claire's Accessories and ended up with a pierced ear and a bag of hair scrunchies - I'm just not meant to be there.

You don't want website visitors. You want buyers.

Brand-led SEO strategy is smarter SEO strategy

A good SEO strategy doesn’t just chase clicks - it reinforces your brand.

It’s not about ditching search volume altogether. It’s about choosing the right volume for the right audience. When people land on your site, you want them to feel like they’ve come to the right place.

That means choosing keywords that:

• Reflect your brand voice and values

• Position your offer clearly

• Pull in people who are more likely to convert

  
  

Showing up in a search is one thing, but if you're not showing up as your brand then you may as well not be there.

But what if your brand voice and SEO don’t match?

And this is the tricky bit. Sometimes the keywords people search for aren’t exactly how your brand would say things.

Let's go back to the petting farm analogy but opt for a less extreme example.

You do your keyword research and you find out that 'rescued pygmy goats' has low competition but the search volume is massive, but you don't have any pygmy goats on your farm, and none of your goats are rescued. If you use that keyword, you might mislead people.

You’re left with two options:

1. Try to jam the keyword in - you either lie by saying you have pygmy goats and all your goats have been rescued (and potentially end up in the papers for misleading the public!), or you say 'we don't have any pygmy rescue goats' just so you've used the keyword (then have to repeat that phrase a bunch of times, in headers too)

   
   

2. Stay true to your brand - you opt for a lower volume keyword that really fits your brand, even though it might drive less traffic. It might still be a little off, like, 'High welfare goats', which could be tricky to get into your H1, but it's certainly not impossible with some clever thinking, and your goats are higher welfare (of course they are, you're a great person!)

   
   

A good rule: if it sounds weird saying it out loud (especially if it's a lie!) don’t plaster it all over your homepage.

Conversions over clicks. Always.

This isn’t about sacrificing reach - it’s about focusing it. You want to bring the right people through the door, not any old punter. You want the ones that want to be there - the ones that will buy. And that's why a brand-led approach pays off. It's quality over quantity.

So next time you look at SEO reports full of graphs and keywords and rising rankings, ask yourself:

• Are these people our people?

• Does this keyword match what we actually offer?

• Will visitors convert or bounce?

  
  

Because more traffic is fine. But more revenue is better.

Want help finding the sweet spot between search strategy and brand tone? That’s exactly what we do.

Get in touch - we’ll help you figure it out.