If your SEO rankings are slipping, ad costs keep rising, and social media engagement is flat, you’re not alone
The digital landscape is noisier than ever, flooded with AI-generated content, generic messaging, and short-lived trends.
The question is: How do you stand out and drive real, lasting results?
That’s exactly what Katie Morton, Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Journal, and Mordy Oberstein, founder of Unify Brand Marketing, tackled in a recent SEJ webinar.
Watch on-demand to see their discussion, and read on for their insights.
Their conversation revealed a game-changing truth that many marketers miss—performance marketing and brand marketing aren’t separate. They fuel each other.
Too often, businesses treat SEO, paid ads, and content strategy as standalone tactics, but Mordy made a compelling argument:
Without a strong brand, even the best-placed ads and highest-ranking content won’t convert.
Branding isn’t just about logos and taglines. It’s the foundation that drives search visibility, click-through rates, and long-term customer loyalty.
Whether you’re in B2B or B2C, the brands that win aren’t just the ones that show up in search results. They’re the ones that people recognize, trust, and actively seek out.
Why Brand Marketing Matters More Than Ever
AI-generated content and social media saturation make it harder for brands to stand out and connect with audiences.
Simply ranking on Google’s search engine results pages (SERP) or appearing in ads is no longer enough.
Referencing insights from Rand Fishkin, Oberstein explained that Google Analytics often misattributes traffic sources, misleading businesses into over-relying on search.
Brands must resonate with their audience to drive meaningful engagement. This challenge extends beyond B2C brands.
B2B companies also need strong branding to differentiate themselves in competitive markets.
B2B Branding Is More Important Than Ever
One common misconception Katie and Mordy debunked is that branding is only relevant for B2C companies.
Mordy argued that branding is even more crucial for B2B brands, as competition is fierce and many companies fail to differentiate themselves.
He critiqued common branding mistakes in B2B messaging, showing real-world examples of uninspiring, AI-generated marketing copy that lacks emotional connection.
Katie added that many companies further dilute their brand identity by relying on generic stock images.
In contrast, Mordy praised Zendesk’s branding strategy, highlighting an ad that successfully humanized AI-driven customer service.
The ad resonated with audiences because it acknowledged their frustrations (such as waiting on hold) and presented Zendesk as a customer-first brand.
This case study reinforced a key insight: B2B brands must embrace emotive branding to create authentic connections with their audience.
Want to see Mordy explore the case study? Watch the webinar on-demand here.
How Brand Marketing Drives Traffic & Search Visibility
Moving into performance marketing, Mordy explained how strong branding leads to organic visibility.
When consumers search for branded terms (e.g., “Nike running shoes”), it reinforces the brand’s authority and signals relevance to Google.
Additionally, brand mentions and backlinks naturally emerge when a company has a strong brand identity, improving SEO rankings.
To illustrate this point, Mordy compared Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop, two popular chicken wing chains.
Despite Wingstop’s strong social media presence and younger audience appeal, Buffalo Wild Wings dominates digital visibility.
Why?
Because it has clearer brand positioning—a sports bar experience that resonates with fans.
This brand association fuels organic traffic, branded searches, and media mentions, making Buffalo Wild Wings a stronger digital marketing contender.
Branding’s Direct Impact On Clicks & Conversions
Beyond traffic, branding significantly impacts click-through rates (CTR) and conversions.
Traditional CTR studies claim ranking position is the sole determinant of clicks. However, they miss the larger role brand recognition plays in click-through decisions.
Trusted brands consistently get higher CTRs than unknown competitors, even when they rank lower.
If someone searches “Yankees news,” for example, they’re more likely to click on MLB.com or Sports Illustrated rather than an unfamiliar website.
The same principle applies to businesses. Brand trust directly influences clicks, conversions, and audience loyalty.
Nike’s Branding Mistake: A Cautionary Tale
Mordy then examined Nike’s branding misstep, which resulted in a 20% stock decline.
Nike made a strategic shift from branding to digital performance marketing, believing direct online sales would sustain their growth.
However, this move allowed competitors like Hoka and On Running to take over retail shelf space Nike had abandoned.
This case study reinforced an essential takeaway:
Brands that neglect long-term branding efforts in favor of short-term performance marketing risk losing market share and consumer trust.
Once a competitor takes over a brand’s position, reclaiming it becomes incredibly difficult.
How To Build A Brand That Fuels Performance
To help businesses avoid this mistake, Mordy outlined three pillars of brand marketing:
- Brand Identity – What core emotions and values define your brand?
- Brand Positioning – How does your brand fit into customers’ lives?
- Messaging – How can you communicate your brand identity clearly?
He emphasized that messaging should be the last step, as it naturally flows from a well-defined brand identity and positioning.
Using an amusement park branding example, Mordy explained that instead of marketing “fun,” a brand should position itself as a place to “reconnect with joy”—creating a deeper emotional impact.
Check out more of Mordy’s breakdown of these three pillars in the full webinar, available on-demand.
The Role Of Branding In SEO & Performance Marketing
Mordy connected Google’s E-E-A-T framework to branding to bridge the gap between branding and SEO. He argued that E-E-A-T isn’t something brands “optimize for.”
It is an organic result of strong branding. Google rewards brands with mentions, branded searches, and backlinks, all of which stem from authentic brand presence.
Final Takeaways: Branding Is The Future Of Performance Marketing
Brand marketing is performance marketing.
Brands that focus only on short-term performance marketing will eventually see declining effectiveness and rising costs.
In contrast, companies that invest in branding, positioning, and storytelling will create lasting impact, higher conversions, and stronger audience connections.
If businesses want sustainable growth, they must stop treating branding as an afterthought.
Branding isn’t just part of marketing.
It is the foundation of long-term success.
Watch on-demand, and don’t miss your chance to see how the brand experts do it.
