The New SEO Imperative: Branding

In 2025, SEO is evolving beyond a narrow focus on Google search rankings. With search behaviors fragmenting across multiple platforms—including TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, and AI-driven search engines—relying solely on Google will limit your organic growth.

Instead, brand-building is the key to SEO success in this new landscape. Your brand acts as the unifying thread that connects your content across various platforms, whether users are searching for products, services, or general information.

This article explores:

• How to prioritize organic brand-building for greater visibility and awareness.

• Key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure brand success.

• How to collaborate with paid search teams for maximum impact.

How to Prioritize Organic Brand-Building

Let's talk tactics.

Invest in Digital PR

If your business has already been investing in PR, great—you’re ahead of the curve. PR has always been a valuable asset for securing high-quality placements and backlinks, but today, it serves a bigger purpose: establishing authority.

Mentions in credible publications send strong signals to Google and AI-driven search engines. If PR isn’t part of your strategy yet, now is the time to integrate it. Set clear expectations: PR is about influence and awareness, not just lead generation.

Empower Your Brand’s Voices

Encouraging your CEO and other key team members to contribute thought leadership is an effective way to build authority. Deploying multiple voices at both strategic and tactical levels helps establish expertise across different topics.

Identify key forums and publications where discussions are happening and start contributing. If opportunities aren’t readily available, a digital PR campaign can help open doors for guest posts, interviews, and other brand-enhancing content.

Develop Proprietary Content

Exclusive research and original data provide a unique opportunity to build brand authority. Proprietary content is highly valued by AI-driven search engines, trade journalists, and digital platforms alike.

For example, a telehealth company might research average wait times for specialist appointments by state. Such insights make for compelling content that can be shared across platforms, driving visibility and engagement.

Optimize Structured Data

Structured data plays a critical role in search engine visibility and brand recognition. The cleaner your structured data, the easier it is for Google and AI-powered search models to index your brand-related content.

By implementing schema markup, businesses can improve their chances of appearing in relevant search results, FAQs, and AI-generated summaries.

Strengthen Owned & Partner Media

Your website, along with strategic partnerships, should reinforce your brand’s presence across digital platforms. Consider these tactics:

• Publish detailed case studies that highlight industry success stories featuring your brand.

• Use consistent branding in content (e.g., "{Brand} {Adjective} {Keyword}") to solidify AI-driven associations.

• Encourage brand mentions from industry partners in content discussing competitors.

• Create FAQ pages that directly reference your brand alongside key industry topics.

KPIs to Track Brand-Building Progress

Beyond traditional SEO metrics like rankings and click-through rates, here are some brand-specific KPIs to monitor:

• Visibility in AI-driven search models – Measure how often your brand is mentioned in AI-generated content.

• Brand search volume trends – Track how often users search for your brand name over time.

• Referral traffic from brand-related queries – Identify how many visitors land on your site after searching for your brand.

• Brand mentions on key platforms – Monitor where your brand appears across Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, and other niche communities.

Collaborating with Paid Search to Build Brand Strength

While PPC campaigns are often associated with direct-response marketing, they can also support long-term brand-building.

For example:

• YouTube and LinkedIn thought leadership ads can boost brand awareness and increase branded searches.

• Educational PPC campaigns on Google can insert your brand into conversations around high-intent topics.

• Co-optimization audits between PPC and SEO teams can uncover insights that drive better performance across both channels.

By integrating organic and paid search strategies, businesses can enhance brand recognition, leading to stronger rankings and greater visibility in AI-generated search results.

Better Branding = Better SEO

Following these strategies will not only strengthen your overall brand presence but also boost your performance in Google search results. As Google continues evolving, appearing in AI-generated overviews and ranking for branded searches will become increasingly valuable.

To thrive in this new SEO landscape, adopt a holistic approach—one that extends beyond keyword rankings and positions your brand as an authority across digital ecosystems.