Keeping track of all the SEO trends on the web can be quite tiring especially since Google’s algorithm is always changing and evolving. Growth strategies that worked a few years ago might be entirely obsolete right now. So, is there a constant you can rely on? Is there something that will remain relevant in the years to come?
Yes, there is – content. Basically, everything comes down to creating exciting and informative content that will draw new users to your website and expand your reach. Visual trends come and go, but the content remains as one of the leading building blocks of every website. So, how do you make sure you have enticing content on your site? Using one of the first skills humankind has ever acquired – storytelling.
Definition of Storytelling
Despite what the title says, no, we are not going to explain to you what storytelling means in its most basic sense. You know it already. You’ve spent your whole life listening to various stories – whether it’s a fairy tale told by your grandmother, a somewhat unbelievable excuse you prepared to tell your boss for being late, or recollection of the crazy weekend you spent years ago. Everything and anything can be a story, depending on how you tell it.
That being said, what we are going to define is storytelling as part of good SEO strategy. At first glance, it doesn’t seem that SEO and storytelling have that much in common, right?
On the one hand, you have storytelling, which is emotional, fun, and targets real people. On the other, there’s SEO, which includes technical writing, which is often dull and aims to please Google. Well, as SEO Hacker suggests, storytelling can actually reconcile what people want to see and what search engines want from your website. Here are some of the ways it can help you.
Branding
Creating a recognizable brand is one of the best ways to get organic traffic to your website and rank up with Google. Rand Fishkin from Moz.com explains in this colorful video how branding helps the promotion of your site. Even if you hire a successful digital agency to create some solid content, people are less likely to share it online with others if they don’t recognize the brand. On the other hand, they are much more likely to share something they already recognize as reasonable.
Besides that, a strong brand can afford not to be at the top of Google search results page because it will draw clicks organically.
Creating a Memorable Story
So, how do you use the power of storytelling to build a strong, memorable brand that can withstand the passage of time? Well, this is where the real creativity shows up. There are millions of ways to establish a brand, and we’ve selected a couple of interesting famous examples.
Burt’s Bees – They say that every good story revolves around love in any of its forms. When you apply that to business, you get a heartwarming brand like Burt’s Bees. A beekeeper and an artist get together and create something new that combines both of their qualities. This story humanizes the company, which makes it more trustworthy and recognizable.
Airbnb – This famous company decided to take a slightly different storytelling route. Instead of building their own brand, they let their customers do it. Their website is full of real stories from people who used their services, and it works on so many levels. Above all, it tells the potential customers that the company really cares about what they have to say.
Everlane – When it comes to Everlance’s storytelling, they opted for complete honesty. Their entire company is based on transparency. They want their customers to know everything about the clothes they’re buying and the factories that make them. This makes them somewhat unique and separates them from money-hungry corporations that prosper through secrets.
In the end, why should you choose storytelling as a growth strategy for your business? Because stories are at the heart of everything. They help you establish a brand people can relate to and that automatically increases the value of any content you produce. Stories are at the heart of everything. You just need to find your own.
Beatriz Ferreira is a New York City-based graphic designer and freelance writer. When she’s not working as the Chief Editor I of DesignRush.com, you can find her copious drinking amounts of coffee, baking in her peanut-sized apartment, or traveling with friends and her tiny dog, Melody.
