Branding and your websites?

Agent · 2009-04-21, 06:17 PM

When I started making sites I said "there is no way I'm going to brand my sites using search terms." I got over that quickly. If I wanted that SE traffic, I'd have to adapt good SEO standard practices and change the way I built and market web sites. Later, I realized that if you are lucky you can take a generic search term and practically own it over time and brand it as your own. But both have their place. Having your own brand is more fun, interesting, and it gives you more wiggle room on the creative side. But if you take a search term and practically own it, it can become synonymous with your web site. Both are a win-win as far as I'm concerned.

As a surfer I think having your own brand and name is more exciting. Take TMZ for example. They have become synonymous with paparazzi. Now, if their product (web site and television show) was called Paparazzi Photos and Videos it wouldn't have the mystique that the name 'TMZ' gives it. And what does TMZ mean? It ambiguous, like an inside joke, and sticks in people's minds.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is a good book on branding.

2009-04-21, 06:17 PM	#7
Agent You can now put whatever you want in this space :) Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 631	When I started making sites I said "there is no way I'm going to brand my sites using search terms." I got over that quickly. If I wanted that SE traffic, I'd have to adapt good SEO standard practices and change the way I built and market web sites. Later, I realized that if you are lucky you can take a generic search term and practically own it over time and brand it as your own. But both have their place. Having your own brand is more fun, interesting, and it gives you more wiggle room on the creative side. But if you take a search term and practically own it, it can become synonymous with your web site. Both are a win-win as far as I'm concerned. As a surfer I think having your own brand and name is more exciting. Take TMZ for example. They have become synonymous with paparazzi. Now, if their product (web site and television show) was called Paparazzi Photos and Videos it wouldn't have the mystique that the name 'TMZ' gives it. And what does TMZ mean? It ambiguous, like an inside joke, and sticks in people's minds. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is a good book on branding. __________________ Brihana.com Last edited by Agent; 2009-04-21 at 06:25 PM..