The world is facing a climate crisis, and consumerism is responding by pivoting away from the harmful practices of the past in favor of more environmentally sound methods for fulfilling demand. The explosion of eco-friendly brands tagging onto this trend means it’s tough to get noticed despite the number of people eager to make their spending habits more ethically sound.
For most up-and-coming companies looking to capitalize on this market, achieving online visibility through search engine optimization is a primary aim. So here are some tips that will help you reach this goal if you’ve been struggling.
Formulating Your Keyword Strategy
Understanding and implementing effective keyword research is foundational to boosting SEO for any brand, especially those in the eco-friendly sector. The right keywords can attract a targeted audience keen on sustainability, increasing your site’s relevance and visibility.
Here’s what you need to focus on:
- Research with Purpose: Begin by identifying terms frequently searched by eco-conscious consumers. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush provide insights into search volumes and trends. For instance, words like “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “biodegradable,” or “zero waste” are often in demand.
- Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords that could be more specific but less competitive. These might include phrases like “organic cotton baby clothes” or “reusable stainless steel water bottles.”
- Local SEO Optimization: If your business has a physical presence or offers local services, integrate geographic terms related to your sustainable practices. For example, “sustainable fashion boutique in San Francisco” can help capture a more targeted local audience.
Research reveals that people are willing to spend 24% more on sustainable products, emphasizing the importance of targeted keywords that resonate with eco-conscious values.
Embedding these relevant phrases into your website’s content – across blog posts, product descriptions, and meta tags – means you can ensure that search engines and potential customers understand and appreciate your brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Take the example of EveryPlate, a delivery service of veggie-friendly dishes. Its landing pages look great and are crucially created using a carefully selected set of keywords that focus on its audience while also playing nice with search engines.
Detailed information, Q&As, and offers are all part of its optimization strategy, giving other eco-conscious brands a blueprint for their activities.
Building Links Ethically
Link building remains a crucial element of SEO, and it holds particular significance for eco-friendly brands – because there’s a right and wrong way to go about this from an ethical standpoint, which matters to your audience and to search algorithms.
The basic idea is that forming links with sites that share a commitment to sustainability can enhance your website’s authority and attract an engaged audience.
Here are some tips to follow:
- Partner with Value-Aligned Platforms: Seek out collaborations or guest posting opportunities on blogs focusing on sustainability, green technology, or renewable resources. For instance, establishing a link from a popular environmental blog like TreeHugger can significantly boost your site’s credibility.
- Create Content with Value: We’ll talk about content marketing in more detail next – but the main point from a link-building perspective is that when you want to get your site mentioned on authoritative, relevant third-party pages, you need to have content to couch links in which is valuable and unique. We’re currently seeing a raft of AI-backed spam clogging up search results. Google will hammer this type of content even more complex in future updates. Don’t cut corners by relying solely on generative platforms to produce your output, but work with human writers to get what you need and earn links legitimately.
- Engage in Community Initiatives: Participating in or sponsoring local and online eco-conscious events can lead to natural link-building opportunities from event organizers and participants who share about the initiative online.
According to a Deloitte report, an impressive 75% of business leaders are ramping up sustainability investments. If you’re keen to find suitable partners for your link-building activities, there should be no shortage of prospects. It’s just a case of having the nerve to connect with them and the right strategies to back up your offering.
Crafting Impactful Content
Content marketing is vital to promoting your products, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be a platform for telling your brand’s story and forging a deeper connection with your audience. That’s the perfect use of this approach, and for eco-friendly organizations, this means bringing sustainable practices and corporate responsibility to life.
Here’s what it can involve:
- Educational Blog Posts: Create content that educates your audience about sustainability, such as the benefits of using recycled materials or tips for reducing carbon footprints. This positions your brand as a thought leader in the eco-space.
- Customer Stories: Share testimonials or case studies from customers who have benefitted from switching to eco-friendly products. Real-world examples resonate strongly and can persuade new customers to make the switch.
- Behind-the-Scenes Looks: Offer glimpses into how your products are made, emphasizing any unique, sustainable processes involved. For instance, if you produce clothing, showcase the organic material sourcing or fair-trade manufacturing environments.
A Nielsen report indicates that 81% of global respondents feel that companies should help proactively improve the environment. Playing on this sentiment through detailed and engaging content demonstrates your brand’s commitment beyond just selling products – it shows a shared concern for global challenges.
This content boosts SEO with naturally integrated keywords and attracts shares and backlinks from like-minded readers, multiplying its impact across various online platforms.
The Bottom Line
These SEO tips aren’t reinventing the wheel. Still, eco-friendly brands remain a priority because they’re tried and tested, delivering results faster and more consistently than any of the more esoteric options. Get to work, measure the impact of your optimization efforts, and continue refining over time to make progress.
