| name | brand-marketing |
| description | Use when the user wants to build, audit, or improve their brand. Also use when the user mentions 'brand voice,' 'brand identity,' 'brand guidelines,' 'backlinks,' 'domain authority,' 'brand consistency,' 'how do I build brand,' or 'what should our brand sound like.' |
Brand Marketing
Expertise in building brand authority and recognition — grounded in domain rating benchmarks, backlink strategy, brand voice systems, and consistency across all touchpoints.
Domain Authority Benchmarking
What Domain Rating (DR) Measures
DR = aggregate backlink quality. It predicts:
- How quickly Google trusts new content you publish
- How well product launches rank from day one
- How much authority flows through internal links
Benchmark against competitors:
- Your DR vs top 5 competitors
- DR trajectory over 12 months
- Gap between you and the market leader
DR < competitor by 10+: backlink acquisition is your #1 brand priority.
DR within 5: content quality and citation strategy matters more.
Tools: Ahrefs Site Explorer, Moz DA, Semrush Authority Score.
Backlink Gap Analysis
Finding Your Targets
- Pull referring domains for your domain
- Pull referring domains for top 3 competitors
- Find high-DR domains linking to 2+ competitors but not to you → priority outreach list
Backlink Quality Tiers
| Tier | DR Range | Strategy |
|---|
| 1 | 80+ | Editorial — earn via data studies, tools, press coverage |
| 2 | 50-79 | Partnerships — guest posts, integrations, co-marketing |
| 3 | 30-49 | Directories — industry listings, review sites, communities |
| 4 | < 30 | Low priority unless niche relevance is very high |
Citation Opportunities
Directories and media where competitors appear but you don't:
- Industry directories (G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, AlternativeTo)
- Niche industry publications and communities
- Review platforms (Trustpilot, GetApp)
- Social proof aggregators
Submit to all directories where competitors appear but you don't. Citations build brand awareness AND domain authority simultaneously.
Link Acquisition Tactics
Earn (Tier 1):
- Original research or data studies (journalists cite data)
- Free tools that solve industry problems (tools get linked to)
- Comprehensive resources that become "go-to" references
Build (Tier 2-3):
- Guest posts on industry blogs
- Partner with integration or complementary product companies
- Sponsor or participate in industry events with web presence
- Submit to relevant directories
Reclaim:
- Find unlinked brand mentions (Ahrefs alerts: monitor your brand name)
- Reach out to authors who mentioned you without linking
- Check for lost links monthly and re-acquire where possible
Brand Voice System
Personality Sliders
Define your brand voice by rating 1-5 on each axis:
| Axis | 1 | 5 |
|---|
| Formal — Casual | Legal, corporate | Conversational, friendly |
| Serious — Playful | No-nonsense | Witty, fun |
| Technical — Accessible | Expert jargon OK | Explain everything |
| Bold — Understated | Big claims, provoke | Subtle, let work speak |
| Traditional — Innovative | Proven, established | New, fresh, different |
Document these scores and share with anyone who writes on behalf of the brand.
Vocabulary Guide Template
| Use | Avoid |
|---|
| "We help teams..." | "We empower organizations to leverage..." |
| Active voice: "Cut your reporting time by 80%" | Passive: "Reporting time can be reduced by 80%" |
| Specific numbers: "3 hours" | Vague: "significant time" |
| Outcome-first: "Run faster reports by connecting..." | Feature-first: "The dashboard integration allows..." |
Voice in Practice
Headlines: Lead with the outcome, not the feature. "Cut reporting time" not "Automated reporting."
Error messages: Users are frustrated. Be human and helpful. "Something went wrong — try refreshing, or contact us if it persists" not "Error 500."
Success states: Celebrate without being annoying. "Done! Your campaign is live." not "AMAZING! Your campaign is LIVE! 🚀🚀🚀"
Support copy: Empathetic, not corporate. "Here's what's happening and how to fix it" not "Please be advised that the system requires additional configuration."
Brand Consistency Audit
What to Scan
- Website: Homepage, About, Pricing, Blog
- Marketing: Email templates, social bios, ad copy
- Product: Onboarding copy, empty states, error messages
- Sales: Pitch decks, one-pagers, email signatures
Red Flags
- Inconsistent product name casing ("Acme" vs "ACME" vs "acme")
- Mixed formality levels in the same surface (formal headline, casual body)
- Passive voice in CTAs
- Generic claims without proof ("best", "leading", "innovative")
- Different company descriptions across surfaces ("We build" vs "Building" vs "[Company] is")
Consistency Checklist
Building Brand in AI Systems
AI models (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) form brand impressions from:
- Consistent entity markup (schema.org Organization schema)
- High citation volume in authoritative sources
- Clear, unambiguous product descriptions in structured data
- Wikipedia page or Wikidata entry (where applicable)
- Named in industry comparisons and review sites
Brand authority and AI citations are now the same problem. A brand that is well-cited by authoritative sources ranks in both Google and AI responses.
Brand Authority Roadmap
Month 1-3 (Foundation):
- Define brand voice (sliders + vocabulary guide)
- Submit to 10 industry directories
- Set up Ahrefs or Semrush alerts for brand mentions
- Claim all social profiles (even if not posting yet)
Month 3-6 (Visibility):
- Guest post on 2-3 Tier 2 publications
- Build one original data resource worth linking to
- Reclaim unlinked brand mentions
- Reach DR benchmark vs top competitor
Month 6-12 (Authority):
- Produce quarterly data study or report
- Build 1 free tool that solves an industry problem
- Pursue Tier 1 media placements (press, podcasts, industry events)
- Build community around the brand
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "Brand is just our logo" | Brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. DR is the measurable proxy. |
| "We'll build links later" | DR compounds. A 6-month head start is very hard to close. |
| "Our voice is obvious" | Every team member has a different mental model. Write it down or it doesn't exist. |
| "Brand takes years to build" | A focused backlink + citation campaign can move DR 10-15 points in 90 days. |
| "We don't need a voice guide — we just write naturally" | "Naturally" means differently for each team member. Inconsistency signals an immature brand. |
