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What Netflix Teaches Us About Managing Search Engine Marketing

Choose one: Amazon Prime Instant Video, Hulu, or Netflix

If you’re like most American consumers, you’ve heard of these three online video streaming services and have a preference for one. Or perhaps you’ve probably used at least one of these services before — maybe even all three.

And there’s a really good chance that you picked Netflix over Amazon and Hulu. With an astonishing 85% of U.S. households having at least one video streaming subscription, it is no surprise that the streaming industry is expected to be worth $330 billion by 2030. In fact, according to data from DemandSage, Netflix has 247.15 million subscribers as we enter 2024. Not to mention that it owns a 7.8% share of the US screen time and is preferred by 47% of Americans over other streaming platforms.

So what exactly is the deal here? All three businesses are fairly similar — they offer the same service (video streaming) and charge similar amounts annually (around $100 for 12 months of service). More importantly, why does any of this connect to a discussion about search engine marketing?

A while back, a 2015 article published in Adweek by Jason Lynch offered a simple explanation right in the title — “Here’s Why Consumers Love Netflix More Than Amazon and Hulu: Clear Branding is Key.”

Ultimately, Netflix simply pays more attention to branding awareness and promotes its brand in a continuous stream of original TV shows and custom web design improvements. For example, at the end of June 2015, Netflix replaced its old website design with a newer and sleeker design, featuring darker colors, which mimicked its mobile web design. This has since been an example of case studies referring to brands’ understanding of customer needs. Netflix did this by collecting and analyzing data from various sources, such as user ratings, viewing history, feedback, and surveys. They utilized this data to create customer segments and personas, which helped them tailor their content to different groups and individuals as well as identify gaps and opportunities in the market and test and validate new ideas (such as design) and features.

Coincidentally, most American consumers who use a video streaming service also think that Netflix will eventually replace traditional TV channels and other streaming services entirely. However, this is not a coincidence at all; 94% of people admit that they’ve assumed a business cannot be trusted because its website looked cheap, 48% of people cite a trustworthy website as the primary factor for engaging with the businesses, and 62% of companies that optimize mobile web design templates see a substantial increase in sales.

Ultimately, it only takes 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for internet users to form an opinion of a business when they look at its website. This is why when consumers look at Netflix, they see a business that knows its place in the industry (i.e., first place).

But shall we look a little deeper into Netflix’s marketing strategy? Their strategy focuses on getting the reader’s attention by appealing to their emotions through push notifications. This personalized content sends tailored alerts that surprise, delight, or even shock the users and build excitement, eventually compelling them to click on them. Netflix also uses social media to keep its movies and shows at the vanguard of pop-culture conversation. People are encouraged to engage with their posts by commenting, taking part in their polls, sharing posts, etc. Ultimately this keeps viewers informed about new things happening, builds excitement, and boosts viewership.

What about SEO? Well, Netflix has a domain authority of 93, which demonstrates they have a strong SEO strategy. Some marketers have noted that the brand uses key phrases like “watch movies”, “watch online”, and “tv online”, to rank higher as well as utilize header tags which improve readability and boost the page rankings.

As we recall what Lynch wisely said in his article, “Users talk about ‘watching Netflix’ as opposed to watching a specific show on Netflix,” which emphasizes how successful the brand itself is. Regardless of which shows viewers end up watching, they want to watch those shows on a trusted and engaging platform. And yes, it’s very likely that Netflix’s impressive use of social media marketing and search engine marketing for shows like Orange is the New Black has a lot to do with brand recognition.

While most small businesses today aren’t going to be targeting an audience of almost 250 million people, there are two important lessons to take away from Netflix’s strategy: First, pay attention to web design and make improvements before beginning any search engine marketing campaign. Second, remember that you want customers to buy your brand — not just your product. By prioritizing clear branding, SEO, and continuously refining its web design, Netflix has set itself apart from competitors like Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu.

Ultimately, the goal should be to create a brand that customers not only choose but also trust and advocate for. By adopting these principles, businesses can aspire to leave a lasting imprint in the minds of their target audience, much like Netflix has in the dynamic world of streaming.