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HOW TO CREATE NAMES
(AND TAGLINES) THAT WILL
RESONATE WITH YOUR
CUSTOMERS (AND GOOGLE)
Contents at a Glance
INTRODUCTION
1
CRAFTING A NEW NAME FOR YOUR BRAND
2
18 Strategies and Tools for Naming Your Business or Product
2
How to Create a Brand-New Name
7
Playing the Name Game: How to Pull Off the Perfect Name
9
Just Do It: How to Create a Memorable Tagline
GETTING YOUR NEW NAME FOUND ON SEARCH ENGINES
13
17
What Every Business should Know About Google’s Ranking of Names
17
10 Ways to Own Page One of the Google Search Results
21
SERPs: The Benefits of Being No. 1
24
ABOUT MARKETINGPROFS
28
INTRODUCTION
Naming your business is like naming your child. You want the name to be
special, memorable, and meaningful—but not something that lends itself to
mockery or laughter.
And just as in naming a child, no hard-and-fast rules exist about naming one’s
business. One expert’s rule of “no made-up names” clashes against the popularity of the made-up “Google” name. Another expert’s rule about “no numbers”
goes against the successful “37signals” name.
Naming a business can be hard work. A professional naming firm can
take six weeks to six months to select a name for a company, according to
Entrepreneur magazine.
Don’t have six weeks—let alone months—to spare? To help you speed up the
process of naming your business, we’ve brought together expert insights:
•
•
•
•
18 Strategies and Tools for Naming Your Business or Product
How to Create a Brand-New Name
Playing the Name Game: How to Pull Off the Perfect Name
Just Do It: How to Create a Memorable Tagline
We’ve also put together expert tips and ideas for making sure your brand-new
name gets found by search engines:
• What every Business Should Know About Google’s Ranking of Names
• 10 Ways to Own Page One of the Google Search Results
• SERPS: The Benefits of Being No. 1
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
CRAFTING A NEW NAME FOR YOUR BRAND
Just getting started is the biggest obstacle for many folks naming their business or product.
Coming up with a name that will be emblazoned on everything the company produces can feel too
onerous a responsibility.
The following excerpt from a MarketingProfs article by Scott Trimble can help you do the lifting—
and get on your way to finding the right name for your work.
Domain name availability
is possibly the biggest
hang-up to ever happen
to naming. Sure, you
can come up with great
potential names, but
can you come up with
great domains that are
available?
18 Strategies and Tools for Naming Your Business or Product
Instead of giving you a chronological chart of action points from which you’ll
undoubtedly stray, or assigning you a set of naming commandments that are
anything but set in stone, I’ve outlined a collection of methods, ideas, and
strategies that you should simply consider.
Consider this: The basic stuff
1. Be easy to pronounce and spell.
2. Make it memorable.
3. Don’t pigeonhole yourself. (Being too specific in the naming of
your company or product [example: Dave’s 256k Flash Drives
Inc. or Portland Flooring Inc.] can hinder growth later.)
4. Go easy on the numbers.
5. Don’t use names that could have a negative connotation in other
languages. (Baka Software Inc. sounds OK in the US, but won’t
fly in Japan.)
6. Stay away from negative connotations.
7. Make sure your name doesn’t alienate any group (race, religion,
etc.)
8. Search for existing trademarks on potential names.
9. Make sure that the domain is available or purchasable in
the aftermarket. Use your favorite registrar or use a bulk domain checker.
Consider this: Domain availability
Domain name availability is possibly the biggest hang-up to ever happen to
naming. Sure, you can come up with great potential names, but can you come
up with great domains that are available?
I won’t spend much time on this issue because it’s pretty simple. If you’re creating a name for a product or business that will require a .com, be patient, keep
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Every book out there
prescribes brainstorming.
However, instead of
just sitting back and
trying to come up with
any words that describe
your business, focus
your brainstorming
to answering a set of
questions.
trying, and you’ll start to get a feel for names that are more likely to be available
than others. I’ve listed some tools below that will help immensely.
Consider this: Focused brainstorming
Every book out there prescribes brainstorming. However, instead of just sitting
back and trying to come up with any words that describe your business, focus
your brainstorming to answering a set of questions.
Answer each by making as long a list or words and phrases as you possibly can.
Remember, the longer and more abstract your list, the better off you’ll be. So,
go wild...
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What does your product do?
What does your industry do? What’s its purpose?
What is your product’s benefit to the consumer?
What will happen for them?
What will they get?
What are the “ingredients” that go into your product or service?
How are you different from the competition?
What makes you unique?
What’s the lingo in your industry? What are the expressions that
are unique to your offering and business?
Add your own to the list, as you see fit.
Consider this: Synonym search
It’s pretty simple, really. Take every one of the words you brainstormed and plug
them into a thesaurus, like Thesaurus.com. Run through each entry, keeping the
words you like, trashing the ones you don’t. Put the remaining words into a new
list, paying attention to name possibilities.
Consider this: Word combining + a cool name-combining tool
After you’ve done some focused brainstorming and a synonym search, try word
combining.
Pop all of your words into a word combiner (google “word combination generator,” “word combiner tool,” and the like to find such tools) and see what they
come up with; some of the tools will even check to see whether the resulting
names are available as domains.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
I once tried a new beer
specifically because of
its name. It was called
Tricerahops, a double
IPA made by Ninkasi
Brewery. How can you
create a name like that?
Consider this: Name and word lists to get your juices flowing
Plenty of great product, company, and website names have their roots in other,
irrelevant names. Look up “list of [item from the following list]” in Google and
you’ll get more than you can handle:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Geologic periods
Fruit or food names
Types of dinosaurs
Kinds of rocks
Latin or Greek roots
Place names
Historical figure names
Zoological names
Botanical names
Math or engineering terms
Astronomical terms
Animal, fish, or bug names
Also think about this abstractly: For example, if your product is new and unique,
what foods or plants have fresh connotations?
Consider this: Punning and plays on words
I once tried a new beer specifically because of its name. It was called
Tricerahops, a double IPA made by Ninkasi Brewery. How can you create a
name like that? Look through your focused brainstorm and synonym lists for
words that describe/define your product.
In this beer example, we might find “hops”—one of the main ingredients in beer.
Then, we can look through lists of animals, foods, places, etc to see whether
we get any good combinations (i.e., the words fit seamlessly). In this case, the
dinosaur name “Triceratops” was a logical fit, and simply changing one letter
resulted in a catchy name.
Consider this: Groovy word tool
Use this More Words tool and search for any words that contain various letters.
You can search for anything—words that contain “top,” or words that have a
double “e,” and so on: virtually any sound or letter combo you want to find in
a word.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
4
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Some say creating a name
with built-in meaning
is a must—and new
companies or products
need to seem familiar
and safe. Others say
non-meaningful names
are the best: The name is
completely yours, free of
meaning (which you can
then define).
Consider this: Meaningful or not?
Dave’s Rocket Repair Inc. has meaning; Simble Inc. does not. Some say creating
a name with built-in meaning is a must—and new companies or products need
to seem familiar and safe. Others say non-meaningful names are the best: The
name is completely yours, free of meaning (which you can then define); plus,
newly coined word names connote innovation.
The jury, as they say, is out.
Some things to keep in mind, though: Newly coined words can convey meaning.
The most championed of these may be Acura, which was formed from the morpheme “Acu” and with suffix “ra.” Acu as a root connotes accuracy or precision,
which fits nicely for a luxury car line.
The creator of the Acura name (Ira Bachrach of NameLabs) is purported to have
a list of thousands of combinable morphemes.
Consider this: Killer naming tools
Word Lab (specifically Name Generators), offers a massive list of company
names, a morpheme name creator, name builder, and so on. Also consider The
Congnātarium, a lexicon of English-language cognates—words related by common origin. Check out GlobalNaming.com, too.
Consider this: Metaphorical naming (some powerful stuff)
I call it metaphorical or lateral naming... but no matter what you call it, it’s a
branch from the focused brainstorm; often, the coolest names come from this
method. You’ll need a more creative, abstract frame of mind, so do whatever you
need to do to break out of your linear comfort zone.
So, after you’ve changed into your tie dye and stared at your Led Zeppelin poster
for a while, grab your focused brainstorm. Here, we’re going to center on this
question: “What does your product, business, or industry do?” You’re going to
sequentially take each word and phrase you came up with, and come up with
other things in life that also do those things.
Let me repeat (or rewrite) that. You’re going to take what your business does,
and come up with other things in life that do the same thing. Make a list of
everything you come up with. Here is an example:
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
5
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Each industry has its
lingo, and you may
have noticed that many
taglines come from
such lingo—or, more
appropriately, from
words and expressions
used by customers.
I have a software company, and our newest product’s function is to copy files
(pretty high-tech, I know). So I ask, “What else in life copies things?”
A copier—too logical.
A cell—might work, but a little “out there.”
A mime—Aha!
Why not call the new software product... Mime?
Here’s another:
My marketing company helps its clients voices get heard above the competition’s. So, what else gets voices heard or makes things louder?
A bullhorn.
A volume dial.
An amplifier—Aha!
Why not call the company Amplify Interactive (happens to be a real company
here in Portland). Volume Media wouldn’t be bad, either.
Consider this: Misspellings
Misspellings of commonly used words can get you in familiarity’s proverbial
backdoor. Example—Netflix. It’s familiar and short, and you instantly know what
the company does. Though, if looking for an available domain, you’ll have to use
some fancy combinations because common misspellings are already registered.
Consider this: Industry lingo
Each industry has its lingo, and you may have noticed that many taglines come
from such lingo—or, more appropriately, from words and expressions used
by customers.
For example, I’ve just developed the perfect fish hook. It never, and I mean never, lets a fish go. A common expression in fishing when you feel a fish take your
bait is “Fish on.” This great expression, combined with something else, might
make a nice tagline for my fail-safe hook. How about “Fish on... never off”?
Consider this: Ask your friends, but...
Ask your friends’ opinions, but take them with a grain of salt. First of all, your
pool of test subjects is probably pretty small, resulting in little accuracy.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
6
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
The first step in
generating a brand name
is to identify a set of
associations with the
entity—product, service,
website—to be named.
Associations are any
impressions that current
or potential customers
may have from your
offering.
Second, consider whether your friends are in your target market. If they’re not,
they may not “get” a name that might be perfect for your market.
Consider this: How is the competition named? What are the trends?
I’ve made the mistake (like an idiot, I might add) of not checking my competition before creating a name, only to find out the name I created is just like a
competitor’s. Time wasted.
Now, my general rule is to find out how my competitors are naming themselves
and simply be different. Stepping out of the box is always a bit of a gamble, so
make sure you’re different in what will be seen as a positive way.
Consider this: Name rhyming
Rhymed names are memorable, and they can work as long as they’re not too
cute or overboard. Rhyme Zone can help you find words that rhyme, as can
More Words.
Consider this: Don’t put too much stock in your name
They’re certainly important, but naming can also be over-emphasized. There are
plenty of highly successful businesses and products out there with bad names.
So, take your naming, like your friends’ opinions, with a grain of salt. And, as
with everything, the more you stress about obtaining perfection, the less likely
you’ll come up with that killer name that seamlessly fits your offering.
Ë
Need more help with the naming process? Here’s some guidance (based in
part on the book Managing Brand Equity by David Aaker) from Allen Weiss,
founder and CEO of MarketingProfs.
How to Create a Brand-New Name
The first step in generating a brand name is to identify a set of associations
with the entity—product, service, website—to be named. Associations are any
impressions that current or potential customers may have from your offering.
Next, look for ways to combine these associations. For example, you can...
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
7
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Names that are inherently
meaningful are more
readily stored in memory,
which isn’t the case if
you use a nonsense word
for a name, though that
shortcoming can be
overcome with lots of
advertising.
• Combine them into phrases (MarketWatch, TicketMaster)
• Take parts of words and combine them (Microsoft, Accenture [accent/
future])
• Use symbols (Oracle, Seven)
• Use humor
• Add suffixes or prefixes (vita, ette, dyne, com, etc.)
You can also use words that describe objects that may connote those important associations:
• Person types (Craftsman tools, for example, connotes ability)
• Flowers or trees (Rose Café, for example, connotes elegance
or relaxation)
• Animals (CheetahMail, for example, connotes speed or agility)
• Adjectives (e.g., QuickPrints)
You can also try using metaphors (something that suggests an idea you want to
get across for your business), or you can use words with no prior associations.
What Are the Characteristics of a Good Brand Name?
It is sufficiently different to attract attention. Would your firm’s name attract
your attention if you saw it the first time?
The name evokes interest. Rhymes and humor are some ways to gain interest,
but there are others as well. Think about your target audience and what would
interest them.
The name elicits a picture or image. Names that do this are “dual coded,” in
the sense that people remember them most because the name is stored both in
pictures and in words.
The name conveys meaning. Names that are inherently meaningful are more
readily stored in memory, which isn’t the case if you use a nonsense word for
a name, though that shortcoming can be overcome with lots of advertising.
Specifically, a name might have associations that are meaningful to customers in
that they convey the benefits that customers want.
The name conveys an emotion. Emotional associations, too, make it easier
to learn and remember names. The Love Boat, for instance, is very easy
to remember.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
8
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Before finalizing a brand
name, you should also
think about the following:
Does that brand name
suggest the product class?
Does the brand symbol,
logo, or slogan support
the brand name? Does
the brand name suggest
the desired associations?
Does the brand name
suggest no undesirable
associations? Is the brand
name distinctive and
legally defensible?
The name is simple. Simple names are easier to learn and remember than
complicated names.
Now you know why creating a new brand name is so difficult. The best names do
all of the things we just mentioned, yet they do so in a simple way. Is achieving that
impossible? Not really: poets, artists, songwriters, and others make their life out of
translating complicated ideas into simple language. But it takes time and effort.
A Few More Questions to Consider
Before finalizing a brand name, you should also think about the following:
• Does that brand name suggest the product class?
• Does the brand symbol, logo, or slogan support the
brand name?
• Does the brand name suggest the desired associations?
• Does the brand name suggest no undesirable associations?
• Is the brand name distinctive and legally defensible?
Ë
In addition to finding a catchy, engaging name for your product or business,
you need to give the new name a test drive to see whether it gives your business a competitive advantage.
In the following article, Hank Stroll of InternetVIZ offers tips for matching your
name and business, and for brainstorming in a group.
Playing the Name Game: How to Pull Off the Perfect Name
Consider doing these two things when searching for the perfect name:
1. Match the name with the business or product
2. Involve others in brainstorming
Match the name with the business or product
This approach may seem like common sense, but can you think of brand
names that give you an idea of what they are? Consider videogame consoles.
Two names sound like their products (PlayStation and Xbox) while one doesn’t
(Nintendo). How about hotels? Many of them have “Inn” or “Suites” tacked on.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
9
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Unless you have a huge
advertising budget to get
your meaningless but cute
name (Yahoo, Google,
and iPod) out there, it’s
generally best to come up
with something logical
that people can relate
to your company or
product.
Christine Pilch, partner at Grow My Company, says associating the right name
could lead to a competitive advantage:
Think of the Swiffer duster or Lean Cuisine. These names leave
little doubt to what the product is, and they make marketing a
whole lot easier. Before you start thinking about the name, though,
back up and do your positioning work. Research your customer
base and determine specifically who they are, what they get from
you, and how you can provide it better than anybody else.
Once you know these specifics about your customer base, you
can develop your unique selling proposition and the abbreviated
version of that... your tagline. Think about what you’ve learned
through your positioning work. The right name should appeal
to these people specifically. Sure, many people buy their home
improvement supplies from Lowe’s, but it took a lot more effort on
their part to get into people’s heads than the folks at Home Depot
had to do. Its name says it all, what it does and who it appeals to:
middle class do-it-yourselfers.
Mary Bowling, promotion/SEO team with Blizzard Internet Marketing, advises
staying away from “too cute” names, especially when naming a business:
Don’t be too cute—you’ll only impress yourself (and maybe your
mom). Your name should accurately convey what you do. If it’s
important to your business, it should also tell potential customers
where you are located. If you miss the mark on these two things,
you’ll lose a lot of people in the initial phase of the shopping cycle.
For example, “Cowboys and Engines” is clever, but can you tell
from the name what this business is selling? “Denver Mobile Car
Repair” sounds boring, but it really targets the right customers by
clearly explaining what they do and where they are.
Involve others in brainstorming
Brainstorming is a great process for coming up with brilliant ideas. It’s tough to
do alone. Patti Norris suggests bringing in lots of people:
Unless you have a huge advertising budget to get your meaningless but cute name (Yahoo, Google, and iPod) out there, I find it’s
generally best to come up with something logical that people can
relate to your company or product. Probably the easiest way to
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
10
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
You can be specific with
a product name, but for
a company name look
for something more
general that speaks to
your overall vision or
mission. You don’t want
to be forever linked by a
company name related to
your first product when
you’ve expanded into
other areas.
take a stab at this is to sit down with as many people as you have
who know something about the product or company (especially
from the customer/user perspective) and just start making a list of
the uses, attributes, and unique selling points.
From that list, pull together some word combinations that sound
good and will be easy for people to remember. Keep your audience
in mind too; a “cute” name is better for children’s or retail consumer products than something directed to engineers in the B2B
world. You can be specific with a product name, but for a company
name look for something more general that speaks to your overall
vision or mission. You don’t want to be forever linked by a company name related to your first product when you’ve expanded into
other areas.
Nia Carter, president of Spread the Word Marketing Communications, relies on
a team of sales professionals, business developers, marketers, and friends who
aren’t familiar with sales or marketing:
I get the professionals together in a room, and we brainstorm
names. After we review a list of well-known product and service
names, and after I explain what I wish to accomplish for my clients, we generate a list of names and have everyone vote. Then we
examine each name on the semifinal list for positive and negative
implications (public relations value, does it advertise well, does it
work for events, and so on.) The final list is presented to my nonsales/marketing friends who let me know which name reveals the
most to them. I have the final say—based on my “gut.”
Jennifer Vignone shares a naming experience:
For the last financial institution I did consulting with, I designed an
application that needed a name. The name had to convey what it
was in some way (an analytic tool for the Fixed Income Mortgages
Trading Desk), as well as create a personality/brand for the product. We had no marketing professional, just me—the user interface
designer. I had led design workshops and marketing meetings for
my last firm, also a financial institution, but hadn’t ever had to
name a product. So I got the team involved. This meant the business owner and the traders, as well as all of IT.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
11
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
The best names tend to
become verbs because
the audience falls in love
with them. For example:
“googling” somebody,
“fedexing” it—the name
becomes part of how we
do things in our daily
lives.
We had email surveys, suggestions, and discussions, and worked
with internal branding and marketing to make sure we followed
their guidelines. I tried to create a buzz that was pervasive and had
everyone thinking. That said, it came down to the inspiration of the
business owner, who came up with the name in a flash thought,
and it was brilliant. Whether or not what I tried to cultivate as
far as a buzz, excitement, involvement, helped to contribute to
the “flash” I can’t say. But we had our name, and it was a great
experience. Having everyone excited about the product made them
feel involved.
Sheryl Kravitz, principal with SK Consulting, provides other suggestions for
coming upon “the one”:
Smart marketers must first seek to understand the business or
industry segment and customers the name should resonate with.
Second, they need to identify how the name will fit within the
context of the organization (e.g., the employees must fall in love
with it so they can sell it with pride of ownership). Third, the name
should fulfill specific criteria—it must be relevant, lend a competitive edge, be easily understood and pronounced and be culturally
appropriate in other languages.
And finally, it should be legally protected. The best names tend to
become verbs because the audience falls in love with them. For
example: “googling” somebody, “fedexing” it—the name becomes
part of how we do things in our daily lives. They become synonymous with an emotive association.
Naming is highly subjective and strategic, and the process for
getting a great name is often easier said than done.
Ë
Once you find the perfect name, you will also need an accompanying tagline,
which will be used to set your company apart.
Choosing the right words for a tagline isn’t easy, though. Fortunately, in
a MarketingProfs article, Carrier Shearer, with insight and guidance from
Michael Goodman, offers advice for creating a memorable tagline.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
12
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Taglines position your
brand. They consist
of a few descriptive
words that set your
business apart from the
competition and arouse
interest in your product
or service.
Just Do It: How to Create a Memorable Tagline
Taglines position your brand. They consist of a few descriptive words that set
your business apart from the competition and arouse interest in your product
or service.
Exceptional taglines can remind potential customers about your brand without
mentioning your product, service, or company name. Among the first ones that
come to my mind are these: ‘When you care enough to send the very best,”
“The quicker picker-upper,” “We try harder,” and “Just do it!” (Hallmark, Bounty,
Avis, and Nike, respectively).
Basically, a tagline should communicate your company’s positioning. What
is the unique benefit that your product or service offers your target audience?
Remember the 7-Up tagline “The Uncola”? These two words clearly identified
the positioning of 7-Up as different from cola drinks. It was memorable: at the
time, no other soft drink could be described by those words.
That characteristic is vital to a good tagline: It is clear which product it defines.
In fact, the test of a good tagline is that it would not make sense if it were used
to describe a competitor’s product. Avis’s tagline is an excellent example of
using something particular about a product—in this case, being the No. 2 rental
car company—and using it to define itself to its potential customers.
Michael Goodman, president of Dialogue Marketing Group, put it this way in a
recent interview:
Typically, a tagline is used to communicate or explain the main
positioning benefit the company or brand provides—especially
when the company/brand name doesn’t do a particularly good job
of communicating that message. In that case, it’s important to go
back to the positioning statement and make sure the target audience is clearly and narrowly defined, and the benefit is really one
that’s important to that target audience….
Simply looking for a “catchy tagline” that customers and potential
customers will remember is like looking for a joke to open a
show. It’s quickly forgotten unless the subject matter and substance are important to the target audience. Better to start with
Marketing 101. Develop an overall marketing strategy and a solid
positioning statement, and use those as the basis for communicating what’s important for the business/brand.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
13
Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
The goal of a tagline is
to have your company’s
name or product be
the first that potential
customers think of when
making a purchasing
decision.
What makes one tagline better than another? They are short, pithy, and easy to
remember. As a general rule, taglines should be short and sweet, yet descriptive
enough to get your message across. In many ways, they function as a threesecond billboard.
The goal of a tagline is to have your company’s name or product be the first
that potential customers think of when making a purchasing decision. Can you
name a company other than DeBeers that makes diamond jewelry? Probably
not. Why? Its tagline, “Diamonds are forever,” is in magazines and TV and
radio advertisements.
In 500 words, anyone could craft a compelling statement about a product. But
the best taglines have fewer than 10. And they accomplish the following:
• They clearly state why your product or company is superior.
A good tagline immediately tells potential customers why your
company is better than competitors. It allows you to distinguish
your company from the competition, which Polaroid did with its
“We don’t have negatives.” In the days before digital cameras,
this four-word phrase clearly differentiated Polaroid from other
camera manufacturers.
• They provide a call to action. If your tagline can suggest an
example to the customer, it will resonate with potential customers. American Express’s tagline, “Don’t Leave Home Without it,”
has made the card an essential part of many people’s wallet.
The message is that sensible people carry the American Express
card. In the days before Skype, cell phones, and email, AT&T’s
tagline, “Reach Out and Touch Someone,” reminded people that
although family and friends might be far away they could still
stay in touch.
• They promote a positive feeling about your product or company.
Your tagline is your promise. Good taglines define the emotion that accompanies your product or is triggered by using it.
Consider Nike’s “Just Do It!” tagline. It boosts confidence in Nike
products by simply communicating that using Nike products
can improve your performance and enhance self-confidence.
Who wouldn’t want to use such a product? Remember the old
M&M tagline, “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”? Who
could quarrel with such a statement? It makes you suspend your
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Engaging satisfied
customers in the process
of generating a tagline
will help ensure that
your tagline is unique
and speaks to what
differentiates your
product in the eyes of
your customers.
skepticism and forget that although the chocolate doesn’t melt in
your hand, the hard candy shell still does.
• They create a sense that the product is greater than goods and
services. Apple’s “Think Different” does this quite effectively. It
makes a statement about the type of person who buys an Apple
computer, defining that person as someone who thinks outside
the box. Another company that successfully did this was IBM
with the tagline for its Thinkpad, “I think, therefore IBM.” IBM’s
tagline intimates that those who have the capacity to think
purchase an IBM ThinkPad laptop.
Sometimes, it’s good to get some outside feedback on a proposed tagline in
development, and blogs and marketing forums are an ideal way of receiving
input from marketing peers. “The MarketingProfs Know-How Exchange Forum
has dozens of experienced marketing experts who have addressed these issues
for hundreds—maybe even thousands—of products, services, and companies,
and they’re ready to do it for you,” says Goodman.
Here are some tips for facilitating the process of coming up with a good tagline:
• Define your positioning
o What differentiates your product or service from
its competitors?
o Why would customers purchase from your company
rather than another one?
• Define your target customers in detail
o Who is your prime audience?
o What is their most important unmet need that your
product or service can satisfy?
• Define what you want your brand to represent
o In the future, when someone hears your company or
product name, what image should come to mind?
o Talk to your current customers to find out why they
bought (or buy) from you. What is it about (your product
or service) that appeals to them?
Engaging satisfied customers in the process of generating a tagline will help
ensure that your tagline is unique and speaks to what differentiates your product
in the eyes of your customers.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Crafting a New Name for Your Brand
Thinking through these questions is the crucial first step to developing a tagline.
Taglines are more than a clever set of words: They are a way to punctuate the
key benefits your customers will realize by using your product.
Before embarking on developing a tagline (either on your own or with assistance), Goodman recommends, “Ask yourself, ‘How will I know when a
tagline candidate is a winner?’ What criteria will you use to determine which
taglines are right... and which are not? The reason to ask this question before
you begin the sifting process is that you’re still in an objective strategic frame
of mind and you are not likely to be swayed by a very clever, but off-strategy
tagline candidate.”
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
16
GETTING YOUR NEW NAME FOUND ON SEARCH ENGINES
Part of naming your business is making sure that the name will rank high in search results. Your
new brand name should be linked to your business, not just sound good.
In the following article, Ann Smarty suggests that businesses think of search-engine optimization
when naming their businesses.
In some cases, even
when a word has several
possible meanings (and
the user’s intent is not
clear), Google won’t
suggest a choice. The
entire first page of search
results will be dominated
by one meaning of the
word.
What Every Business should Know About Google’s
Ranking of Names
Your brand will be googled—even if it’s not online. So, before you choose your
brand name, you should understand the following three major facts about how
Google rates and ranks personal and business names.
1. Some searches have an ‘obvious’ result
Some search queries leave almost no doubt about what a Web searcher is looking for. But, often, search engines must choose from various possible interpretations of queries.
Based on leaked information about Google’s rating guidelines, Google classifies
three types of possible search query interpretation:
That said, in some cases, even when a word has several possible meanings (and
the user’s intent is not clear), Google won’t suggest a choice. The entire first
page of search results will be dominated by one meaning of the word.
So, before you pick a particular brand term, check whether any “obvious” search
results for your brand keyword exist. It is easy: Just run a quick search of a word
you are planning to brand yourself with. If you find “dominant interpretation”
for that search query, the first page of search results will be stacked with that
meaning, as in the case of “apple”:
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
You don’t want to start a
business to later find out
there’s no way to rank in
the top 10 results for your
own business name. A
company named “Apple
Vacations” will not rank
for the word “apple.”
You don’t want to start a business to later find out there’s no way to rank
in the top 10 results for your own business name. A company named
“Apple Vacations” will not rank for the word “apple,” as the previous example illustrates.
2. ‘Generally-known’ does not mean ‘obvious’ (or ‘dominant’)
Some brands have managed to turn very generic words into brand-specific
queries. You won’t see any fruit-related search results for a search of the
term “apple,” and you will not see any mention of the river when searching
for “Amazon.” So, no matter how obviously biased some results are, general
knowledge does not really influence search results.
Even when a search term has no obviously dominant result, Google won’t always
focus on a better-known (or likelier) search result.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
Common interpretation
will not necessarily
rank higher than minor
interpretation—especially
if the latter is a brand
name.
In other words, common interpretation will not necessarily rank higher than minor interpretation—especially if the latter is a brand name. Here’s an example:
What’s your instant association with the name Armstrong? Tour de France?
Space? Moon?
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
Google seems to favor
brands and it is likelier to
suspect that your intent is
navigational rather than
informational (go instead
of know).
The truth is, Google thinks neither Neil nor Lance Armstrong are what
you are really searching for. Instead, it’s much more probable that you are
searching for flooring or ceiling products, pumps, or Armstrong Atlantic State
University Savannah.
That’s a good example of search results’ giving you a not-so-obvious choice
(because your initial intent is unclear).
But even if Google can’t know what you are searching for, why does it
bump weird results to the top of the page when the other two results are
more obvious?
That’s possibly because Google seems to favor brands and it is likelier to suspect
that your intent is navigational rather than informational (go instead of know).
When no dominant interpretation exists for a keyword, getting ranked in
most SERPs is easier than you might think. All you need is to build a strong
brand name.
3. Make your name and brand name stick together
You don’t need to be a celebrity to become a dominant search result for your
name in Google. All you need is a unique name.
However, though you may be unlucky enough to have the name of a celebrity
or a common English name that may have hundreds of possible interpretations,
you still want to rank on page one and promote your personal brand without
creating an online moniker.
Google suggests one solution: Make your name and your brand name stick
together, and you instantly become a dominant interpretation.
The following is from the aforementioned Google rating guidelines.
For example, Dave Jones is a common English name, and the query “dave
jones” [English (UK)] can have no vital result because Google doesn’t know
which Dave Jones the user wants.
However, the very specific query “dave jones codemonkey” [English (UK)] does
have a clear dominant interpretation.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
Now that everything is
being googled, having a
Google-friendly brand
name is one of the most
important criteria to keep
in mind for your business.
So, before you name it,
search—a lot!
Picking your brand name is crucial, and it may take months to find a proper
name for an emerging business.
Now that everything is being googled, having a Google-friendly brand name is
one of the most important criteria to keep in mind for your business. So, before
you name it, search—a lot!
Ë
Now that you have a freshly minted name, you’ll want to make sure that folks
can see it ranking high in the search results.
Nathan Hanks, co-founder and president of ReachLocal, suggests 10 tips for
owning the first page of Google search results.
10 Ways to Own Page One of the Google Search Results
Consumers are more likely to click on search engine results that appear on the
first page, according to research. When consumers hear of a local business
that is not well known, it’s only natural that they conduct some research before
making a purchase. Thus, “owning” the first page of the search engine results
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
You can optimize your
Web presence to own
page one of the Google
SERPs in a variety of
ways. Use a “build and
buy” strategy that begins
with paid advertising,
and claim and create sites
and social profiles that
are active, optimized for
search, and linked to one
another.
page (SERP) is an important part of Web-presence optimization for any local business.
You can optimize your Web presence to own page one of the Google SERPs in a
variety of ways. Use a “build and buy” strategy that begins with paid advertising, and claim and create sites and social profiles that are active, optimized for
search, and linked to one another.
Here are 10 effective ways your business can own the first page of search results.
1. Search Engine Advertising
Google search ads can appear at the very top of the SERPs, creating instant
visibility for your brand, regardless of what results appear on the rest of the
page. That’s why it’s important to bid on your business name. For any business
keyword, search engine advertising is the quickest and most cost-effective way
to secure top billing on a SERP when consumers search for your type of business or your business name online.
2. Website
A business website is important for ranking well on search engines, especially if
your domain contains your exact business name. By creating a search-optimized
site with a front page that strategically lists your business name, address,
phone number, and other important details, you can help your site rank well for
searches that use your business name.
3. Optimized Website Pages
Create keyword-optimized pages throughout your website (e.g., the About,
Products, Contacts, and Press Releases pages) to increase the chances of getting
your business website ranked for your business name and getting individual
pages of your site to rank high on SERPs.
Typically, up to four additional pages can rank on SERPs before Google displays
a “Show more results from [website URL]” link.
4. Blog
Search engines love relevant, fresh, dynamic, and regularly published content
about your business, industry, and community. Blogging is therefore one of the
most effective ways to dominate the first page of SERPs.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
Claiming, optimizing,
and using social profiles
are important ways to
own more real estate on
page one of SERPs. The
four most popular social
networks used for ad
campaigns are Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube,
and LinkedIn. Company
profiles on those social
sites will often rank high
for your business name.
In addition, social “likes” and “shares” are becoming important signals to search
engines. People tend to share timely, informative, or entertaining content from
blogs, rather than static pages from websites, so you can create search-friendly
links and social authority via your blog.
You can create and host a blog in several ways. For example, you can integrate
your blog with your business website, or create a blog on a different Web
address and cross-link the blog with your website. The latter will enable your
blog—with its unique Web address—to rank on its own. Moreover, your blog
will be deemed a unique site, which means multiple pages from your blog could
rank individually on SERPs for your business name.
5. Google Place Page
Claiming your Google Place page is an absolute must for any local business.
You can optimize your Place page for search around your business name and
business keywords, and your listing can also appear in Google Maps and at the
top of the SERPs.
6. Google Profiles
The launch of Google+, Google’s social network, along with its decision to
open up the network to businesses, bodes well for those seeking attention from
search engines.
Those profiles can rank high on SERPs for your business name; of course, you
should include business-name keywords in your Google Profiles or Google+
About pages.
7. Online Directories and Listings
List your business on digital directories and listing sites, such as Citysearch.
Think of such sites as the “Yellow Pages” of the Web. By making sure that all of
your listings are accurate and the information on all the sites is identical down
to the details, you can help search engines such as Google pull your listings data
higher in search.
8. Social Profiles
Claiming, optimizing, and using social profiles are important ways to own more
real estate on page one of SERPs. The four most popular social networks used
for ad campaigns are Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Company
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
The benefits of ranking
on the first search engine
results page (SERP)
are more valuable than
ever: 60% of clicks are
generated by the top
three SERP results, while
the average CTR (clickthrough rate) for the top
spot is 36.4%, according
to a study by Optify.
profiles on those social sites will often rank high for your business name,
especially if you optimize your profiles to include your official business name in
the content.
9. Review Sites
Listing your business on local review sites, such as Yelp, is another way you can
own more territory in search. Customers may already be leaving reviews about
your business online, so it’s important to claim your business profiles on review
sites to monitor and manage your online reputation.
10. Syndicated Press Releases
Creating search-optimized press releases when major news occurs and syndicating them via a wire service can spread news about your business and help you
own more SERP territory. Major news sites can pick up your press releases off
the wire and run them, word-for-word, on their sites—which would pack a lot of
authority with search engines.
To add more authority to your overall Web presence, optimize your press-release
content just as you would a website page, and include links to your business
website, pertinent blog posts, and social profiles.
Ë
If you have any doubts about the importance of being on the first page of
search results pages, the findings of the following study from Optify will
undoubtedly dispel those uncertainties.
SERPs: The Benefits of Being No. 1
The benefits of ranking on the first search engine results page (SERP) are more
valuable than ever: 60% of clicks are generated by the top three SERP results,
while the average CTR (click-through rate) for the top spot is 36.4%, according
to a study by Optify.
Not all CTRs are created equal, however.
Although head, or high-volume, search terms, yield higher CTR for position No.
1 on the first SERP, low-volume, long-tail terms, generate better overall CTR on
page one.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
Comparing firstpage with secondpage performance
demonstrates the
importance of appearing
on the first SERP: Average
CTR on page No. 1 is
8.9%, compared with
1.5% average CTR for
page No. 2.
Below, other findings from Optify’s study titled The Changing Face of SERPs:
Organic Click Through Rate, which is based on analysis of organic keyword
visits (Google US) gathered from Optify’s software for a variety of B2B and B2C
websites in December 2010.
The CTR curve (the following chart) supports the traditional understanding of
SERPs—i.e., ranking on the first page is far more valuable than ranking elsewhere:
Moreover, the results show how moving keywords up within page No. 1 can
yield accelerating benefits.
For example, by doubling investments to move from the second position to the
first, one could triple visits for that keyword.
Results Page 1 vs. Page 2
But given the volatile nature of SERPs, a brand’s exact position is less predictable than the page it ranks on.
Comparing first-page with second-page performance demonstrates the importance of appearing on the first SERP: Average CTR on page No. 1 is 8.9%,
compared with 1.5% average CTR for page No. 2.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
High-volume, more
generic, head terms
(those with more
than 1,000 monthly
searches) perform in a
way different from lowvolume, more specific,
long-tail terms (fewer
than 100 monthly
searches).
With such low average CTR for second-page results, ranking below page No. 2
is likely good for monitoring traffic trends but may offer little business value.
Not All CTRs Created Equal
High-volume, more generic, head terms (those with more than 1,000 monthly
searches (Google US)) perform in a way different from low-volume, more
specific, long-tail terms (fewer than 100 monthly searches (Google US)).
For example, average CTR for head terms at position No. 1 is 32%, compared
with 25% for long-tail terms:
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Getting Your New Name Found on Search Engines
If a brand is optimizing
for head terms, it won’t
likely register huge
benefits until it reaches
the top few positions.
Brands that optimize for
long-tail terms, however,
can register relatively
strong CTR almost
anywhere on the first
page, and there is less
incremental benefit from
moving up search results.
Long- tail terms, however, deliver better overall CTR on page No. 1 (4.6% average CTR for head terms vs. 9% average CTR for long-tail terms):
The results suggest that if a brand is optimizing for head terms, it won’t likely
register huge benefits until it reaches the top few positions. Brands that optimize for long-tail terms, however, can register relatively strong CTR almost
anywhere on the first page, and there is less incremental benefit from moving up
search results.
About the study: Findings are from Optify’s analysis of organic keyword visits
(Google US) gathered from Optify software data for a variety of B2B and B2C
websites for the month of December 2010.
©2012 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
27
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