Everyday, we speak to business owners who question the value SEO, being visible on Google search and even having a website has to their company. The ongoing case, between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, has put these processes directly under the spotlight and shown just how important they are in today’s society for image and reputation. Below, we run through the expert testimony of Doug Bania, an internet and social media analyst, who was called to testify by Johnny Depp’s legal team. Whilst his testimony pertains to the image and reputation of Johnny Depp, we seek to highlight how these guiding principles are also directly applicable to your business.

In his testimony, Doug Bania, referenced his use of internet analytic tools to assist companies in their brand monetisation strategies because as he quotes “everything is online nowadays”. This statement should not be lost on business owners. The most up-to-date statistics show that over 2 billion people purchased goods or services online in 2020 and over 4.2 trillion US dollars was spent in e-commerce stores during the same period. Clearly, more people are adopting online purchasing strategies and this trend is only expected to increase in the coming years. Convenience, ease of purchase and the ability to review and gather information on goods or services are just some of the advantages to buying online. Therefore, we think it is reasonable to suggest, that business owners who are reluctant to invest in search engine optimisation or even a website will, almost certainly, hurt their future company exposure and sales.

Two tools that Doug Bania used to measure how Johnny Depp’s image and reputation has been affected by the allegations bought forward by Amber Heard were Google Trends and Google search results. How is this relevant to your business you ask? The fact is, online platforms are becoming increasingly important for crafting the image and reputation of companies. Doug Bania quoted that “everything starts with a Google search these days” and referenced over 5 billion daily searches on Google. Businesses can take advantage of this trend. Websites and search rankings give organisations the opportunity to control the narrative and how they are portrayed to the public. In addition, by optimizing your website, Google My Business listing, social media pages etc., for targeted key terms (e.g. Dentists in London, Dentists near me) you can make sure you show up when consumers search for the good or services that you are providing. Websites and Chrome extensions such as “Ubersuggest” and “Keywords Everywhere” are great tools to use when analysing the keyword search volumes relevant to your line of work.

When tracking the change in Johnny Depp’s image and reputation over time, Doug Bania, testified that he analysed only the top 3 web listings that appeared on the Google search “Johnny Depp”. Asked, why he only chose the top 3 listings, Doug, replied that most people (approximately 75%) only ever click on the top 3 listings. The conclusion from this, whilst your website allows you to control the narrative that is portrayed to the public, it is equally, if not more important, that it shows up within the top 3 Google listings for your targeted key terms. Otherwise known as “Search Engine Optimisation” (SEO). This allows you to be exposed to the majority of people who are searching for your goods and services. Research shows that over 79 billion US dollars per year has been spent on SEO because of its demonstrated ability to increase business revenue and growth. Certainly, ranking at the top of Google is a great way to position your company as the trusted authority within your industry. In addition, maintaining this position, is one sure fire way to guarantee sales in the future.

Why Choose Ntwine International

We specialise in web design, SEO lead generation and reputation management. We appreciate that there is ample companies out there to choose from, but what makes us different?

• Our team have been tutored by some of the best marketers in the industry and also have experience in client acquisition and brand management
• We use the latest cutting-edge software to deliver optimal results for our clients
• We have a proven track of success across industries including construction, finance, healthcare, the trades and more
• We focus on building genuine, long term relationships with our clients that benefits their revenue and business growth.

To find out more details on our services please contact us today or call 0207 1015 161