Know-How Exchange : Branding

For consistency, it may be better to leave the case studies as they are, with a note of introduction or clarification at the beginning of every instance outlining that the work dates from the period before the name change.

How much of a name change are you doing? Totally different from current?

If the old name has value (as it seems it may, as you mention possibly confusing clients) it is not uncommon to try to keep the old name in some way or form. For example, when a company is bought it is not uncommon to keep the old company name as a product brand name.

The objective should be to clearly communicate the LESSONS from the case studies, while fully disclosing the name change issue. If the case study is integrally intertwined with the former name you may want to drop it because the lesson is no longer relevant.

As for "... using the same content on the new website with the new branding and visual look but referencing the time when it was conducted," I'd suggest the reverse: use the same content on the new website with the *former* branding and visual look but referencing the fact that the company/product now has a new name. I'd also develop a story that explains the benefit of the new identity for your target audience.

Are the case studies downloadable PDFs or online articles? Different formats have different opportunities for changing your copy.

How frequently does your old name appear (and in what context)? If the name is only in the introduction and summary, then it's easier to consolidate the name change "story" (if any). If the name is sprinkled throughout, consider editing the case story to focus on the client's win rather than your name.

Are you willing to change your case studies over time? For example, your first change would be to include both old and new names with explanatory text. After sufficient time, you may wish to remove the old name entirely (once your target audience shows new name recognition).

What does your company make, do or sell?

Next, is the purpose of the website (New and old) to attract inquiries through an organic search?

Or is it more of a showcase where people who know of your company can visit it to see your offering, read your stories, get a phone number or an email address, or even see prices and place a request for a quotation or even place an order? If so, linking old and new names via hyperlinks will do the trick. Just hovering the cursor over and old name will reveal the new brand.

Now for the difficult but exciting bit! If it is your intention to produce new inquiries from people searching for what you do, rather than who you are, then your strategy will be SEO driven. If you do not see it as a driver of new business from people who have never before heard of you, you still should not neglect SEO, but you can be a little more care-free in referencing your new and old content.

What is your company name and could we see the website. (You can message me if you do not wish to disclose this)

The reason I ask the latter question is mainly to let me see which keywords your site scores for. And critically, to discover if you have a web-brand for your existing name. I have a number of clients who treasure their web-brand but when I look at how many people actually search for "Yourcompany LLC" or "Yourcompany.com", the answer is usually nil, zero, zilch.

You might have a brand on the ground and in the real world, but in the virtual world of web search, you might not have a single search for your brand.

If you are looking for new business, then maintaining SEO consistency and preferably improving on past efforts is going to be vital. You can only tell this by taking a look at current SEO (And if applicable Google AdWords) performance as it now stands. That performance should then be the baseline target for your new site.

You can overcome the re-branding problem in case histories and elsewhere on your site, by linking the old name (In the case histories) to the new name via a hyperlink. And you can link the new name to the old one elsewhere on your site by doing the same vice-versa.

This might also present you with a new and exciting opportunity. Long-tail keywords and topic clusters. Long term keywords are typically those which are less sought for (By absolute volume) but for which you can score position one, page one, in organic search. That means that you basically grab all the traffic!!

Google search these days is long-tail orientated if you are clever. Users are increasingly asking questions and using phrases rather than using single core keywords. So, rather than (Suppose you make and sell specialist gaskets) searching for "Gaskets" or even for PTFE Gaskets" they type "What are the best gaskets for an aggressive medium?" or "Who is the best maker of specialist gaskets?"

The get to position one and the question box on Google Search, in the body of your website you then have the core keywords (Gaskets, Copper Gaskets Titanium Gaskets, etc) but in your case histories, you have the chance to answer the questions which would-be customers might ask. Each study, case history, and blog entry then becomes a topic possibility, allowing you to build powerful Topic Clusters to mop up all those potential searches. It will require a bit of editing of the case histories, but you leave the name alone, turning it into a hyperlink to the new name.

So, in summary, check your web brand (I will do it for you if you want), link old and new names for the company and the brand, migrate content and use the old name in the stories, but link it to the new one, and then create some SEO genius by adding phrases likely to attract valuable new business and incidentally, lock out your competition.

My private email address is steven.alker@iSimutron.com. I am not seeking your business, just giving you an avenue for keeping some of your information private.

Sincerely

Steve Alker
CEO, iSimutron Ltd.