I’m sure that I might ruffle a few feathers among SEO enthusiasts but I’ll be blunt: I’m not a fan of SEO-optimised websites. When SEO takes the lead, websites lose the essence of a brand. My SEO specialist and I have had some heated debates over this. While he is all about getting those keywords just right, I’m more focused on making sure the brand speaks to people, not algorithms. It’s a constant tug-of-war, but in the end, it’s about balance—where branding comes first, SEO—second. That’s how we build websites for our clients.
Of course, everyone wants their business to be found and to rank higher. And we get it—watching that organic traffic graph climb is satisfying. But in the race for numbers, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters...
So why does branding always come first?
SEO and branding principles are kind of like oil and water—they don’t mix. SEO is all about competing for the same key phrases, playing in a crowded pool where everyone’s fighting for the top spot. If you’re just chasing the same keywords as everyone else, you sound like everyone else.
Branding is about standing out, being unique, and differentiating yourself from the crowd.
Our aim is to transform your website into a truly memorable experience—both visually and verbally. We believe that a website should be more than just ticking the proverbial boxes; it should engage, and leave a lasting impression. Aesthetic design is important, it engages, creates order for messaging and sets an expectation. Equally important though, is how your brand speaks, the words, the tone and the actual content. We don’t just want people to visit your website; we want them to feel something, remember something, and connect.
Branded searches improve rankings!
Did you know, that If people actively search for your brand name, Google recognises it as a signal of credibility. The more recognisable your brand, the stronger your presence in search results. Our own experience proves it.
We were in the SEO game. When we were still positioning ourselves as a Wix Design Agency (Wix Pro), we started noticing a clear trend—most of our traffic was coming from the search phrase "Olya Black" and not from generic searches like ‘Wix website design’.
That told us something significant: Olya Black was already an established figure in Wix design community, recognised for her expertise and distinctive approach. That's why we focus on our rebranding, and now, instead of chasing broad, highly competitive keywords, we leaned into brand strength. We renamed our agency, refined the brand strategy and legally protected it.
Now, we don’t need to compete in an endless SEO battle for visibility—our audience finds us directly. And that’s the power of branding—it creates recognition, trust, and authority that no SEO strategy alone can replicate.
This is what truly matters—owning your brand presence instead of playing the SEO keyword game. A strong brand name carries more weight than any optimised website ever could.
Sure, SEO can bring in visitors, but if your brand doesn’t have a solid, clear presence, those visitors won’t stick around. They’ll bounce, scroll aimlessly, and move on to the next. The result? No engagement, no conversions, and definitely no loyal customers. Branding is the glue that holds everything together. Without it, SEO is just a fleeting traffic boost.
That’s why we only collaborate with businesses that see branding as an essential part of their digital strategy. If a company isn’t ready to define its identity and what sets it apart, then investing in a website—or SEO—simply won’t yield real, sustainable benefits.
Without an engaging brand narrative, SEO is just an empty traffic strategy with no lasting impact. A successful digital presence isn’t built on SEO alone—it’s built on branding first, then a great website, and only then on SEO strategies that extend the brand’s reach. (So if you’re getting good traffic to your site and not converting sales, it’s probably the brand strategy that’s letting you down.)
If you’re thinking about SEO, take a step back. Start with your brand. Make it distinct, meaningful, and memorable. Because without that, no amount of SEO will get you where you need to be.
