Ideas in the Wild: Author Cory Schmidt On How Brands Can Boost Their Google Rankings
If brand owners want to promote and grow their brand, there’s an SEO red carpet with their name on it. Believe it or not, Google has rolled that carpet out at their feet.
All they have to do is take the first step. In Cory Schmidt’s new book Brand Primacy, business owners learn how to pair a solid SEO strategy with the perfect content to attract thousands of organic leads and convert them into sales. I recently caught up with Cory to learn more about why he wrote the book and the ideas he shares with readers.
Why did you write this book?
Google has given brands the opportunity to gain a ton of valuable traffic, but it has always amazed me to see that so many companies do not take advantage of this. Even in an industry like software that is more agile, up to date, and could benefit greatly from taking advantage of the opportunity Google has given them, they still do not. It both fascinates and shocks me to hear things like “we don’t do SEO” from marketing teams at software companies.
The benefits of harnessing organic search traffic are massive. For most industries, organic search is valued in the billions. I have seen companies burning a ton of cash on ads lower their cost per acquisition greatly by harnessing organic search. More importantly, with the content they create for Google’s audience, they are building a great, long-term brand.
For me, SEO was a natural part of my career progression and something I was interested in since university. It is a beautiful thing when the hobby or skill you are most talented at, something you have crafted your entire life, becomes one of the most sought-after things in a growing industry. It is even more satisfying when your skill used to be “unimportant.”
A major change was taking place that would elevate the importance of my abilities to the top. This change involved the landscape of SEO and how it would affect brands.
What’s an idea you share that really excites you?
Most brands only consider themselves when attempting to rank on Google. They think in terms of “How can we do this well?” This is acceptable, but it will only deliver mediocre results. The other half of this battle is attacking our opponents directly.
Here is an exercise that will begin to build your overall potential and solidify your brand. Find a brand that is similar to yours — similar domain authority, size, etc. Preferably, pick one who barely outranks you on important search terms (use either an SEO tool to check this, or simply search for the keyword in an incognito browser window on Google).
If you are fifth in the rankings, they should be fourth. Now, start picking them apart piece by piece. Undoubtedly, they have mistakes in many areas. Locate these mistakes by reviewing their content and the technical aspects of it. Learn from these mistakes. Research everything about them. Find ways to outdo them and go for it.
For example, if a competitor has written an article that only briefly answers the search intent, write a competing article that answers it better. You can create an even more comprehensive article with a unique voice, more examples, new sections, and an angle toward the current year, or a topical situation the reader will relate to.
How will implementing your idea improve your readers’ lives?
The reality is every brand can’t always be in the lead (biggest domain, largest financial backing, etc.). Sometimes, they’re at a disadvantage to bigger and more resourceful brands. When the difference between brands is overwhelming, special tactics are required.
Patience is also required. Achieving a high rank in the Google search engine results pages doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a strategic approach: focus on the competition ahead of you, and keep an eye out for any weaknesses or oversights in their SEO marketing. This is how you win the race: by putting one foot in front of the other and overtaking one opponent at a time.
