For fashion and lifestyle brands, online expansion is inevitable.  McKinsey & Company’s “State of Fashion” report states that 30% of fashion executives consider digital expansion as the greatest opportunity for the industry at present. Now that plenty of competitors are out there, fashion and lifestyle brands are trying to ensure they are visible in retail stores and online platforms.

However, it can be tough for companies to stand out online because they’ll compete against local and international names on search engines. As such, it’s important that PR experts can boost your brand’s Google rankings through the following SEO strategies:

Conduct research on your competitors

You can ensure that your brand can stay ahead of your competitors on Google, especially if you know the SEO strategies that they’re using.

As such, fashion and lifestyle brands with tough competition should start by doing extensive competitor research. Marie Amelie White, the  Head of SEO at Kurk Geiger, suggests that your team should identify your possible competitors in the online space and look into sectors that are related to your target market. In your research, you’ll need to determine the keywords your competitors use in their campaigns and consider how they may also respond to your campaigns. This information will help your brand make informed decisions about the right keywords and online campaigns.

Asses your campaigns through PPC audits

After researching your competitors, you’ll have to start assessing how your brand’s campaigns are faring compared to theirs.

You can do this through pay-per-click (PPC) audits that can help you spot issues in your campaigns.  Digital agency Ayima states that conducting a PPC audit should start with a checklist of the things that you want to examine, such as your account structure, keywords, and ad copies. You should then build your own PPC template to closely look into important factors for your brand’s needs and priorities. Through these targeted PPC audits, you can identify which keywords are working for your brand and which are directing people to competitors.

Leverage the right keywords in campaigns

Once you’ve done competitor research and PPC audits, it will be easier for your brand to find the keywords that can lead consumers to your website.

Keywords can be very powerful for marketing campaigns, which is why many brands are increasing their visibility through terms that are associated with them. To illustrate,  Tropic is using keywords related to its values so that more people can view them as a revolutionary and eco-friendly skincare brand. They use terms like “carbon negative” in their campaigns to stand out from other skincare brands that also have eco-friendly products. Likewise, maximizing the right keywords in your online campaigns can set your brand apart from competitors and make it easier for consumers to find you on search engines.

Publish content tailored to your audience

You can also maximise these keywords by using them in the online content that your fashion or lifestyle brand publishes.

Writing SEO content that is relevant to your audience can place your website higher in search results and give you greater visibility on Google. However,  marketing expert Laura Stupple explains that you should use keywords where they make sense to avoid getting penalized by Google. Repeating the same term over and over will be considered keyword stuffing by Google, making you achieve the opposite of what you intended. Instead, keep it natural by writing copies related to your keyword and relevant to what your target consumers want to read.

Competition is tight in online platforms. However, your brand can establish its name online and get ahead of its competitors once you execute the correct SEO strategies.

By JB Peterson for irishacademy.ie