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  • Dofollow Digest #16: Brand recognition in search results

Dofollow Digest #16: Brand recognition in search results

Author

Eric Carrell
March 07, 2025

Hey, it's Eric đź‘‹

New research confirms a pretty wild trend: brand recognition significantly impacts search behavior. According to a recent survey, 59% of Americans click on search results from brands they recognize, while less than a third click on the top-ranked result.

This aligns with some of what we're seeing with our SaaS clients. Let's look at what this means for your link building and SEO approach in 2025.

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🔍 DEEP DIVE: Brand Recognition in Search Results

A recent survey from Page One Power shows that brand familiarity now has more influence on click behavior than ranking position. The key findings:

  • 59% of Americans click on search results from brands they recognize

  • Less than one-third click on the top-ranked result

  • 49% trust organic results more than paid results

  • 46% trust organic and paid results equally

  • Only 5% trust paid results more than organic

This data confirms what we've observed with our clients: technical SEO alone isn't enough. Building a recognizable brand has become a fundamental component of SEO strategy.

The survey also revealed interesting generational differences:

  • Baby Boomers (50%) and Gen X (52%) are drawn to compelling headlines

  • Millennials (55%) and Gen Z (63%) prioritize star ratings and reviews

For SaaS companies, this suggests tailoring content based on the age demographics of their target audience. Your SERP presence needs to highlight different elements depending on who you're trying to reach.

We've seen this play out in our client work. SaaS companies that appear consistently in respected industry publications tend to get higher click-through rates even when they aren't in the top position. The brand recognition they've built through strategic content placement creates a familiarity advantage.

What does this mean for your approach?

  1. Publication quality matters. Links from respected, relevant sources build both authority and brand recognition.

  2. Consistency helps. Regular appearances across multiple publications reinforce brand familiarity.

  3. Consider your content mix. Your link profile should include a variety of content types that showcase different aspects of your expertise.

This trend is consistent with Google's long-term direction. As the search landscape evolves, focusing on building genuine authority through quality content placements positions you well for the future.

What This Means for SaaS Companies

For SaaS businesses specifically, these findings highlight the critical intersection of SEO and brand building:

  1. SEO can't operate in isolation. Your search strategy needs to integrate with your broader marketing efforts. When different marketing channels reinforce your brand identity, it strengthens your performance in search results.

  2. Content quality impacts brand perception. The content you publish or contribute to industry publications doesn't just build links - it shapes how prospects perceive your brand when they encounter you in search results.

  3. A holistic approach yields better results. We've seen this repeatedly with our clients - SaaS companies that align their content marketing, PR, and link building efforts typically outperform those that treat these as separate initiatives.

  4. Brand-building is a long-term investment. Unlike tactical SEO tweaks that might yield quick results, brand recognition builds gradually. However, it also provides more durable benefits that aren't easily disrupted by algorithm changes.

The most successful SaaS companies we work with understand that while rankings matter, becoming a recognized name in your niche matters more. When potential customers see your brand in search results and think "I know them, they're credible," you've gained an advantage that technical SEO alone can't provide.

đź”— LINK ROUNDUP

Til next time,

Eric