New research conducted by Epiphany Solutions, a search marketing firm, has found that the top brands in the UK have poor search engine optimization (SEO).
The study indicates that a lot of the top brands are more devoted to offline forms of brand development. By relying on brand-specific search terms rather than industry-related keywords, these top brands are allowing more search-savvy competitors to steal potential customers.
"It’s not necessarily that big brands are complacent when it comes to search – it’s more that the potential of search isn’t always understood, so isn’t seen as a priority," says Epiphany Solutions director of search Andy Heaps.
The data was collected using an automated system developed by Epiphany Solutions. The program’s algorithm collected and analyzed the visibility of a brand in both paid and natural searches. A scoring system was applied to the data, allocating points depending on where each of the top 10 keywords ranked in the three major search engines, weighing the results proportionately to the search engine’s size and traffic.
Epiphany Solutions used the top brands established by the UK independent researcher Superbrands for its study.
Search marketing is quickly becoming one of the leading platforms for advertising, so this may be a good time for companies to re-evaluate their search engine optimization (SEO). A recent report from ZenithOptimedia found that search marketing may make up 17 percent of all ad spend in 2017.
