SEO Logo - What Should It Tell Your Customer?
You might have already noticed (after my color branding, SEO Slogans and branding outside SEO) that I’m particularly interested in overall SEO niche marketing and branding recently - well, that’s all because I am just starting promoting my brand and service and so the topic seems new and exciting to me. Today I am going to share my thoughts and observations on SEO logos and banners.
Now what is the purpose of a company logo?
- It gives visual representation of a company service/product (and thus accounts for its positive associations);
- It establishes a brand identity (making it unique and memorable).
Most important logo features are:
- trustworthy (<= professional);
- catchy/memorable (<= unique);
- associative/symbolic (=> conveying feelings, and sending a message…);
- matching the overall design;
- clean and functional.
How Can SEO Be Graphically Described?
1) It can be represented as ‘growth‘ (e.g. growth in rankings, profit, etc).
Example: SeoDesignSolutions
(Note: I would have made it left-to-right growth though to make look more understandable for US and European people who are believed to think (as well as read) from left to right):
2) Uniqueness (the service that makes you stand out).
Example: SearchEnginePeople:
3) The high quality of the service itself.
Example: a star by AdvanceRankings:
4) High level of professionalism/expertise.
Example: (well, besides myself) SearchEngineJournal:
Except for describing the service itself there are other types:
| Type | Example URL | Example Logo |
| Abstract graphic symbol | Distilled.co.uk |  |
| Unique well branded image | SearchEngineGuide |  |
| Domain/brand Name | ViperChill |  |
Get Inspiration:
- 56 Most Creative Logos - lists great examples to follow.
- Logo collection - another list of creative logos.
18 Responses to “SEO Logo - What Should It Tell Your Customer?”
Thanks for using us as an example Annie. I love your writing style, enticing and to the point with visual references. Always a great read.
By Jeffrey Smith on Apr 18, 2008
Of course my favorite seo logo is SEOBook. If your a fan of “the big idea” you know Donny would “love it” it sais what the product is
By San Francisco SEO on Apr 18, 2008
Ann, what a great post. I personally find most SEO company logos on the repulsive side, but you’ve picked a couple of great ones to highlight. A keen eye, obviously!
I also liked your brand post linked in the first sentence. Search Engine Guide has done a particularly great job of rebranding themselves recently, IMHO.
By David Mihm on Apr 18, 2008
The hard part: creating a good logo. Could take some time
By Lenen on Apr 20, 2008
Thanks for using me as an example, and congratulations on another very unique post in the SEO industry, something that is quite a challenge.
Keep up the good work
By Glen Allsopp on Apr 21, 2008
Hey Ann - thanks for using us in your example
Nice post!
By Tom on Apr 21, 2008
As always - very impressed with your creativity. You manage to come up with fresh ideas in an market that is ‘written to death’.
By Arnie on Apr 21, 2008
lol the day a logo makes or breaks an SEO company is the day proof of # 1 results no longer counts..
What’s sad is the SEO industry is grown to critical mass where the only commentary that is new is about logos for SEO companies….doesn’t anyone have something noteworthy to report?
Almost as good as the slew of what seos do pictures running amok…
By Clint Dixon on Apr 21, 2008
A good logo can make all the difference, I believe a good logo will be remembered by site visitors, or at least leave them with the memory of the brand/product
By blue star web design on Apr 22, 2008
Annie, Searchenginemarketingvox is a spam site; you have trackback spam above.
I’d add that besides quality/professionalism, the logo can carry a message of the benefit you bring or your brand position. Hence SEP’s get found, Advance Rankings’ enhance business, and my own leaders demand results.
By Gab "SEO ROI" Goldenberg on Apr 23, 2008
@Gab: yes, a very good addition. As for the trackback, oh, I stopped worrying about those people long ago
at least they linked back to me 
@everyone: thanks for the comments!
By Ann Smarty on Apr 24, 2008
Hey, great post. I found it to be one of the more challenging aspects of starting a company. Sometimes you get so caught up in SEO/SEM that you dont realize the impact a great company logo will have on many different aspects of your business (branding, repetition, sales materials, marketing materials, etc.)
By Ronnie on Apr 28, 2008
I don’t think these 2 elements have much to do with “having a logo” :
1) Trustworthy
2) Clean and functional
Else, it’s a wonderfully explained article!
keep going!
- Wakish -
By Wakish on May 10, 2008