Over the past few decades, the role of search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies in day-to-day business marketing has increased exponentially, both in importance and application.  

In modern times, businesses have found it essential to invest in SEO due to the large part search engines play in connecting businesses with their customers. Strong organic online traffic is now an important factor to consider when running a successful business.

SEO involves the organic promotion of your brand online so that you are able to play into search engine algorithms and rank high on the search engine results page. But how exactly can you get your brand out there while satisfying search engine algorithms?

One way to do this is via brand mentions.

What are brand mentions?

Brand mentions are online references, citations and other ‘mentions’ of your brand in text. They tell people about your brand without necessarily linking to it, and are also an effective way of monitoring your brand or product on the internet. 

Brand mentions play an integral role in SEO as they work as implied links on search engines. Unlike express links (or manual hyperlinks, also called backlinks), implied links do not contain a URL link code to your website. Instead, they simply reference your brand or personal name through text without hyperlinking directly.

This means that people reading content online can find out about your brand through a direct brand mention, rather than through a referral link. Simply having a brand mention promotes your online presence and brings publicly to your business.

Examples of brand mentions

To help you wrap your head around the concept of brand mentions, here are a few practical examples that you may see other businesses use:

• Social media posts mentioning the brand in the text caption
• Media releases and online news articles quoting a professional from the business
• Author boxes after an article written by or for the brand
• Website blogs referring to the brand.

How can brand mentions contribute to your search engine optimisation strategy?

Search engines like Google and Bing prioritise naturally popular sites when constructing their search results. Their algorithms use over 200 factors when determining the ranking of websites. One of the most important factors in their algorithm remains backlinks. Backlinks play a large role in satisfying the search algorithm and often result in improved keyword rank.

A good backlink strategy is thus integral to the success of your SEO strategy. Backlinks help to increase your organic search value, and may include URL links to your website as well as implied links from brand mentions. Brand mentions signal authority, improve your website’s SEO value and help to boost your overall online presence.

In comparison to backlinks, brand mentions are also much more accessible and simple to incorporate into your SEO strategy. Chances are, if you are already investing in an SEO strategy, you will be creating high quality content for your website and brand. Brand mentions compliment this.

How can you get more brand mentions for your business?

One of the best things about brand mentions is that they are incredibly accessible and simple to incorporate into your SEO strategy. This is because there are many ways that you can implement to get brand mentions for your business. Below are a few to consider.

Post more on social media

Posting on social media platforms is not only a valid marketing strategy in itself, but also great to compliment other digital marketing strategies. Text captions are an opportunity for you to mention your brand name and include an implied link on your social media posts. You can readily post text which includes brand mentions on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Reddit.

Submit blogs to third-party platforms

In addition to having your internal business-run blog, you can also post original blog content including brand mentions on third-party platforms. These blogs are referred to as guest posts. It is important that you invest in blogging as part of your SEO strategy as according to HubSpot, companies who engage in blogging receive 97% more backlinks to your site, thus adding to your website’s search value.

You can distribute guest posts to many independent blog sites with high domain authorities to improve your backlink strategy, with and without hyperlinking. Simply mention your brand in your blog and you’re able to slot in an implied link for free.

Some third-party guest post platforms also include author boxes to credit your content. You can mention your brand in your author box as well for an additional implied link for your SEO strategy.

Reach out to traditional media sources

Traditional media sources such as news sites are another great avenue to look into when getting more brand mentions for your business. News articles will naturally include brand mentions in them as they will refer and quote directly from your brand (or personnel within your business).

Alternatively, you can also write up your own press releases, including adequate mention of and reference to your brand to distribute to news publications. This way, you are able to post your own original content, while also helping to source more news content mentioning your brand.

Work with a search engine optimisation agency

For a more professional take, you can consider working with an SEO marketing agency such as Orion Marketing so that they can produce more high quality brand mentions for you. SEO marketing agencies specialise in distributing large quantities of content (including brand mentions) to improve your brand’s online presence and hence, can produce brand mentions quickly and efficiently for you.

Invest in brand mentions for your search engine optimisation strategy

The more brand mentions you include in your SEO strategy, the more visibility and authority your website will have. As a result, it is important that you use brand mentions as part of your SEO strategy to increase your website’s organic traffic, which will in turn convert into increased sales of your brand’s product and services.

There are many ways you can incorporate brand mentions into your SEO strategy. Simply follow the advice above or work with an external SEO agency for professional advice.