tedster - 4:49 am on Feb 25, 2009 (gmt 0)

Very well said, ogletree. Your observations definnitely help to focus the discussion.

I can't see the Google algo differentiating between a "pure play" or online-only brand and a brick and mortar brand's online efforts. If there is a brand component in the algo, I think it would be tone-deaf on that score.

But the very nature of a brick and mortar brand often does seem to work against them. The web gene is just not very strong in their DNA, and the entire corporate structure has usually evolved to address other purposes, sometimes counter-purposes to web success.

And yet, the end user will often expect to see at least some of these offline brands represented in the more generic, non-branded queries. It's still a rare b&m brand that gets the power of that.

I'm often involved with brands that do not even include their drop-dead obvious keyword anywhere on the home page. And no, Google will not just hand them rankings for that keyword.

[edited by: tedster at 5:36 am (utc) on Feb. 25, 2009]