SEO Keywords Too Competitive? Try Brand Keywords

I saw a website with a domain from 2021 for the first time. The website ranked first in Google for "image compressor".

The keyword "image compressor" is already very competitive. People directly register domains using the keyword and then dominate the rankings. It's difficult for newcomers to beat these top-ranked websites.

If you want to do the same thing, you can't use a keyword strategy. You need to use a brand keyword strategy.

What are Brand Keywords?

Simply put, brand keywords are the words that users specifically search for to find you (by name).

We can divide keywords into two simple categories to understand:

1. Generic Keywords Describe what something is or what function it has.

For example: image compressor, running shoes

Features: Highly competitive, because everyone who sells this thing wants to be at the top.

2. Brand Keywords Describe who you are.

For example: TinyPNG, Squoosh, Nike

Features: Unique, low competition. Usually only you will use this name, and users search for this word to find you.

What is a Brand Keyword Strategy?

Suppose you want to create an "image compression" website, but imagecompressor.com (a domain named directly after the function) already occupies the first place, and its domain contains the keyword, giving it high authority.

If you also register something similar like best-image-compressor.com, it will be difficult to beat it.

The solution with a brand keyword strategy is:

Instead of fighting for the ranking of the generic term "image compressor", you give yourself a nice, memorable name (brand name), such as Squoosh or TinyPNG.

Specific Methods

• Naming: Register squoosh.app or tinypng.com (no need to include the keyword "image compressor").
• Product Power: Make the product extremely easy to use (better and more beautiful than the old site that occupies the first place).
• Word-of-mouth Marketing: If users find it good, they will tell their friends: Search for Squoosh, it's especially easy to use.
• Search Accumulation: When more and more people search for Squoosh on Google and click to enter your website, Google will think: Squoosh is an authoritative brand in this field.
• Indirect Approach: As your brand keyword (Squoosh) search volume increases, your overall site authority will increase, and eventually you may even rank ahead for the generic term "image compressor".

Example

Cursor originally meant cursor, but now it has become a brand keyword. Everyone searches for Cursor to find this code editor, so Google gave it the top ranking.