What Do Taylor Swift and SEO Have in Common?

The internet is an exciting place where stories about Taylor Swift attending a Chiefs vs Jets game can suddenly lead us into the realm of SEO insights. Swift's intriguing online presence offers valuable lessons for understanding the dynamic nature of search engine optimisation (SEO) and its potential impact on digital visibility. Let's explore how creative strategies can transform your online presence into a powerful tool for boosting your brand.

Understanding the Swift Scenario: A Lesson in SEO Fluidity

Before Swift's appearance at the game, online searches for "Taylor Swift Jets" primarily yielded negative articles focusing on her carbon footprint and private jet usage. Following the game, the search landscape transformed, highlighting fun stories about her connections to sports stars and pushing the carbon footprint critiques to obscurity.

Swift's case emphasises the dynamic nature of search results and the influence of SEO strategies in shaping online narratives. It serves as a testament to the potential of SEO to alter public perception and visibility drastically.

How SEO Can Shape Your Story

The Taylor Swift-Jets saga underscores the importance of focusing on broader narrative building rather than fixating on the micro-optimisation of keywords. That said, keywords still play a crucial role in this strategy. Keep a good mix of fat head and long tail keywords, but don’t overdo it. Rather than focusing on ranking for as many keywords as you can, strike a balance between quality and quantity.

It’s better to understand which keywords are salient in your industry and focus on ranking higher for those. This shift in direction allows you to put more energy into creating a brand identity that shows in the search results. Why rank low on thousands of keywords when you can own the entire first page of the ones that matter?

A comprehensive SEO strategy should extend beyond just your website. Consider the story the search results can tell about your business. Choose your story and where you want to have the most visibility. Understand the fundamentals of SEO and build on that strategy. What is newsworthy in your industry? What media outlets are reputable in your industry? How can you create and disseminate compelling content to generate buzz around your brand?

Paid and earned media are extremely valuable. Submit guest posts to credible publications, grow your social media presence, and build upon your backlink profile to construct your brand identity in the search results and boost your website’s authority. When paired with other marketing channels, you have the power to change your narrative.

Key Takeaways

Ultimately, why should we care about Taylor Swift and the Jets? Because this demonstrates the fluidity of search results and that this approach to SEO can be powerful. Understanding the impact of the media in boosting your website in the rankings will shift your attention from the micro-optimisation of keywords towards bigger prizes. Thinking creatively about how you get everyone talking, writing and linking around your company or your offering can pay big dividends. Perhaps turning a common phrase into an owned phrase. Owned by you.

If the Jets story proves anything, it’s that SEO can be a fast-moving game—a game where creativity can beat 'best practice' any day of the week.