With the different types of digital marketing small business owners can leverage, understanding the synergies can make a big difference.
Such synergy exists between search engine optimization and brand building.
Based on my 15+ years of experience, I can confidently tell you that implementing both in your 2026 marketing strategy is essential...Why?
Assuming I talk to a fellow small business owner, we probably have similar goals...increase brand recognition and conversions to boost revenue.
According to Ahrefs 2026 SEO stats:
- Over 63% of all US web traffic referrals come from Google. Thus, that's the best spot to put your brand in front of potential customers.
- Inbound marketing (search engine optimized content in particular) is the highest quality source of leads with a more than 14% close rate.
My name is Evan Ernst, founder of a Spokane-based digital marketing agency. You'll learn why combining branding and SEO leads to business growth and get some strategy tips.
What is the Correlation Between Branding and SEO?
Branding and SEO work together to enhance a business's online presence and instigate growth. Branding helps create a unique identity and trust, while SEO enables potential customers to find this identity through search engine results pages.
As one of my favorite Seth Godin quotes goes:
"Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell"
So, your goal is to create stories as part of your branding efforts. Then, tell those stories by reaching your prospects with optimized content for search engines.
Moving on, we'll look into how an SEO strategy impacts your brand awareness and vice versa.
How to Use SEO to Increase Brand Awareness?
Search engine optimization plays a pivotal role in building brand awareness. Creating content around branded and non-branded keywords is equally important for your strategy. It enhances your visibility on search engines and lets you connect with your target audience based on their search intent.
If you have any doubts about the importance of SEO for small businesses...read this article.
What Branded Means in SEO?
Simply put, branded keywords are search terms that include your brand's name, variations of it, or a particular product/service your company is associated with. The purpose of those keywords is to encourage direct searches, thereby enhancing the visibility of your brand online.
Here is an example...
In the introduction, I subtly incorporated a variation of a branded keyword by mentioning my name, Evan Ernst (my agency is called Ernst Media). While this article isn't specifically optimized for such keywords, including these elements impacts my SEO branding efforts.
First, you and everyone else who will read this article will be aware that I run an agency called Ernst Media. So, if it instigates curiosity, it will also generate some branded searches.
Second, by stating "Spokane-based digital marketing agency," I send signals to Google, potentially improving my search rankings for local queries like "Digital Marketing Spokane."
A strategic mention that helps with brand recognition and visibility in local search results.
Optimizing for branded keywords also involves creating content that highlights your offerings, testimonials, case studies, etc...anything that can strengthen brand identity.
Now, let me tell you about the strategy we utilize for all companies signing up for our small business SEO services.
Utilizing Non-Branded Keywords
On the other hand, non-branded keywords are general search terms related to your industry that do not include your company name.
Those will still help you build brand awareness and more. Let me explain:
Targeting such relevant keywords allows you to capture a broader audience who isn't familiar with your business but is interested in the products or services you offer.
The article you're reading again serves as an example...I'm targeting keywords related to small business digital marketing strategies, which are part of Ernst Media's core specialties.
The idea is to attract prospects from all stages of the digital marketing funnel and...
- Increase your brand's reach
- Generate more organic traffic
- Educate people and build trust
The two most important steps our SEO specialists take to make this work are:
Conducting keyword research to identify highly relevant but low-competition search terms
Creating educational content that addresses the needs of each business' target audience
Now that you understand how SEO strategies can enhance brand awareness, let's look at the other side of the picture.
If you have any questions about what we've discussed so far...reach out!
How Your Brand Impacts SEO?
A successful brand building strategy can significantly impact your SEO efforts in many ways. The main benefit of a strong brand presence is that it's associated with trust and credibility, translating to better positioning in the SERPs and more organic traffic.
Let me elaborate on this.
How Does Branding Influence Your Website Rankings?
When people frequently use branded searches, it sends positive signals to search engines like Google, indicating that your brand is trustworthy and popular. This has been proven multiple times to be an important factor for website rankings in the SERPs.
Additionally, a well-established brand that publishes valuable content garners more quality backlinks from other websites. This improves your site's authority in the eyes of search engines, leading to better online visibility.
The next point is more of an SEO tip for startups...still, it's worth saying a few words.
Does Your Brand Name Matter for SEO Results?
Yes, a distinctive and memorable brand name can also increase the number of branded searches, which are pivotal in enhancing your site's relevance in search engine algorithms. A well-chosen brand name also helps differentiate your small business from competitors, making it easier for potential customers to find you online.
Now, I'm not saying you should rebrand your established company for the sake of getting an extra branded search here and there. Instead, focus on your brand name appearing consistently across various platforms and content...search engines will notice it.
How Important Are Brand Mentions for SEO?
Brand mentions have always been a ranking factor, and its importance has grown recently. Google has been fighting SEOs trying to manipulate the SERPs with tactics like aggressive link building for years...and it seems like the 2026 Helpful Content Update did the job.
Here is what I'm referring to.
After examining a large amount of data on websites and their rankings, Tom Capper published a very interesting article on MOZ.
His findings suggest that Google's 2026 HCU:
- Punished websites that had tons of backlinks but low brand search volume
- Rewarded websites that had more brand search volume and fewer backlinks
I hope the point I made in the previous section makes more sense now. When your brand name appears in various places on the web, this will naturally lead to more brand search volume and better rankings.
Just to clarify...quality backlinks are still part of the game, but I'd suggest not buying in bulk.
First, you can easily get tricked into paying for spammy links that do more harm than good. Second, there are much more affordable small business SEO services that are safe and can deliver sustainable results.
I'll keep my promise and wrap this up by sharing a few tips.
Tips for Executing SEO Branding Strategies
Here are four actionable steps to consider when implementing your SEO branding strategy:
1. Conduct Thorough Keyword Research
Identify branded and non-branded keywords relevant to your industry. Dig into your Google Search Console and use SEO tools like Ahrefs to find search queries with high traffic potential and moderate difficulty.
2. Optimize Content for Search Engines
Create high-quality, educational content that enforces your brand messaging and addresses your audience's pain points. Apply the best on-page SEO practices to improve chances for visibility in search engine results pages.
3. Acquire Quality Backlinks
Publish industry insights, statistics, infographics, and other valuable content to acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable websites. It will strengthen both your brand credibility and domain authority, and improve your overall rankings.
4. Monitor Branded Searches
Take advantage of tools like Google Trends and Google Alerts to track branded searches and mentions. It's a great way to measure brand awareness, see what works, and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
I did my best to keep things simple. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how branding and SEO can work together for your business.
If it still feels complicated...I'm here to answer your questions.
Founder of Ernst Media. Fifteen years running paid search and paid social for small and mid-size businesses, and still the person who builds the audits by hand. Writes here about what actually moves accounts.