Episode 116 - Building Google Loved Brands

Hello everyone, this is Swapnil and you are listening to Perspective, the podcast produced by ISBR Business with Bangalore. Today on the show, we are joined by Dhanashree Ghatate, a marketer who knows how to make brands both searchable and unforgettable. Approach blends data-driven SEO with storytelling that builds trust, not just clicks. So from helping brands reach page 1 rankings to creating campaigns that still generate leads a year later, Dhanashree focus is clear, turning marketing into a long-term approach. So let's get into how she does it and what it really means to make a brand Google loved. So hi Dhanashree, how are you? I would like to welcome you for the podcast. Hi Swapnil, hello everyone. Hi. Yeah, I mean, it's been long we have been planning this episode. Yeah, actually almost 2-3 weeks. It's good, yeah. How are you? Yeah, if you want to tell something about you to the listeners as well, where are you right now, all these things, you know? Yes, so yes, currently at home, I'm enjoying my time with parents, family, great. You want to tell something about your background, about your profile to the listeners, you know, before we started? Oh yes, like I have around like 8 years of experience in digital marketing, I am mainly focused on SEO and content strategy. So I actually started my career with an architecture and interior design firm in Mumbai, where I have learned like more creativity and structure that goes hand in hand. So yes, and the two things that still shape how I work today. After that, I moved to a US based IT company where I worked as an SEO consultant, managing digital marketing for global clients and helping them grow their online visibility. Yeah, later on, I got the chance to work with a 100 years old legacy clothing and apparel brand, where I managed digital marketing for their main label and their six sub-brands. It was an amazing experience, like balancing traditional with modern digital storytelling. So yeah, it was actually a great experience. Yeah, that is some experience, I think you have done a lot of things and it will be actually very resourceful for the listeners to, you know, have your perspective on digital marketing and SEO. The first question I actually thought of asking you potentially was different, but because you told that you have done architecture in interior designing. So yeah, so this is a definite question like why this switch to digital marketing? Yeah, that's a question I get a lot like almost everybody asked me the same question. So I actually loved architecture, the creativity, the design thinking, the problem solving. But over the time I realized I was more fascinated by how people discover and connect with ideas than just how buildings are designed. So when I started helping my firm with their online presence, things like the showcasing project, writing content and improving visibility, I got hooked. That curiosity slowly pulled me into SEO and digital marketing. Then I realized marketing is a lot like architecture. It's all about structure, creativity and experience. You know, in architecture, you design space, you design spaces where people live in. And in marketing, you design experiences people are engaged with. So I made that connection and the switch didn't feel like, it actually didn't feel like a jump, it felt like a natural evolution. Yeah, I actually connect with you. I feel somewhere where we have some engineers who have an engineering background, then they come into MBA and I have not met a single person, I mean, this is my view, the single person who said his engineering did not help him in pursuing this MBA, somewhere it helped him. So I think every learning, I think the best part about learning is it resonated with other fields as well. Absolutely. So yeah, architecture taught me design thinking and digital marketing gave me the platform to apply it, just in the complete new dimensions. Amazing, amazing. Okay, so let's jump to the actual questions, which I prepared for this episode. Danshee, you worked both in agencies and on brand teams. So what's one big difference in how marketing actually gets done? Yeah, so yeah, I have worked with marketing and I mean agency, marketing agency and brand. So I always say like agency is what taught me speed. And brands I taught me consequences like agency life is full of variety deadlines and quick wins. You learn idea velocity like how to brainstorm first, then pitch faster and delivery even faster. Okay. Each agency has a new challenge every day and it gives me the same excitement. And agency made, there is a Russian saying campaigns go live overnight and getting instant feedback. But on the brand side, it's completely different. It's actually a completely different mindset. Okay. Here it's all about ownership, depth and cross channel alignment. Every decision has a ripple effect. It touches sales, product, customer experiences and long term brand equity. And on the brand side, it has a ripple effect on every decision and that's why you have to think and work. You just don't launch a campaign and move on, you live with the outcome, analyze them and when you have to keep refining it. Okay. So now I try to bring the best of both worlds. It's like a saying, small chip wins fast, like an agency while also building a narrative that compounds like a brand. I think, yeah, I mean, your point highlights how the processes and pace and priorities shift between agency life and in-house teams. Yes. Okay. You want to add something else? No, I would just like to give one example like when I was, so example of this like managing both, I mean agency experience and the brand experience and implementing it in my daily routine and work routine I must say. So I'll just give you one example like when I was working on a campaign for a fintech line, we had to launch a new digital product in just 10 days. Okay. On the agency side, we moved super fast like daily stand up, midnight brainstorm, like five version of copy, three design iteration, it went live on time, branded for two days and everyone celebrated the win. Do you think that actually this kind of, this kind of tactic also works sometimes. Yes, sometimes, yeah, but later when I moved the brand side, I saw the other side of the campaign, that campaign like the messaging that got instant leaks actually created a long term confusion for customer support and the product team actually must say. So that's when it hit me, like agency speeds give you the buzz, but brand ownership gives you the balance, so, so it's like my, so now my approach is very simple, like launch quick, learn fast and refine with purpose Wow, this should be a drag line of this episode. What was that? Launch fast, launch quick, learn fast, but refine with purpose, great. So I mean, I ask you actually, I ask you the second question for the episode, but the first question was something different. So you often say SEO isn't a checklist, but a conversation. So how do you bring that mind side into your campaigns? Yeah, I always say this because it's like, I always treat SEO like three way conversation. It's between the user, the brand and Google. So I tell every, so I tell you, every campaign start with intent. So it's like, what is this person really trying to do is in the next five minutes, are they comparing, are they comparing options, looking for a quick solution or ready to make a decision? So it's like, so it's like intent. And then comes the listening part. We do this through analytics, search queries and behavior patterns. So what do they actually want? And how they're thinking. And next is the response. We do that by creating content that actually helps. So the format actually follows the intent. Like sometimes it's how to block, sometimes a comparison guide or maybe a short explainer video. Yeah, definitely. I mean, I mean, recently I'll tell you, I was shopping something on Amazon and I mean, I was actually, I was actually looking for a travel bag, you know, big travel bag. So I mean, I actually was confused between two products. And the one had to explain a video of the product, you know, it showed how it opens and you know, what is this inside, how much you can keep it. A detailed video was there and the second was did not have. So I went for that, that product, which had an explainer video. The video. Yeah. It gave me the clarity, I was like, I don't want to waste my time, you know, getting the product, I don't like it and I have to return it back. So I was like, okay, this, this makes me, this makes life easier. Get this one because I have the explainer video. I saw that. Yeah. Yeah, that usually happens. Yeah. So yeah, and yeah, after responding, then it comes the iteration part. By watching user behavior, refining headlines, updating FAQs, improving internal links. Okay. And, and, and basically just keeping the experience better each time. Yeah. And, and the last part is the hygiene. Yeah. So once, so yeah, so we have to maintain it, right, like the site speed, the meta tags and the structure. Definitely. That's table stats, right? Yeah. I'm talking from a customer perspective, whatever you're saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, what really wins is the conversation, ultimately. Yeah. Because that's what keeps your content useful and alive. True. True. So if, if it's relevant, clear and helpful, the algorithm will always catch up. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I think SEO is more about understanding people than just ticking boxes. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that mindset really changes how campaigns, campaigns perform. Yeah. Yes. I remember something is the, the example which you gave me right now. I just, it reminded me something like, so one campaign, so that, that really, I mean, we were working for, for a, actually we were working for a e-commerce client. Okay. And we worked with a lifestyle space. So they were getting traffic, but not, they're not getting the right kind of traffic. Like people were landing and leaving within the seconds. So we started by listening and by diving to the analytics and search queries, I mean, to see what people are actually looking for. And it turned out like most of the user were searching for budget friendly gift for friends, not luxury hampers, which they were focused, I mean, which was their focus. So we responded by creating a new content cluster, like simple guides, like five meaningful gifts under thousand rupees. And with Creel's like showing packaging and a long form of blog comparing and comparing the price ranges. So in, I remember in just two months, their average session time doubled and the bounce rate dropped by around 30 to 35%. Yeah. I mean, that's totally understandable why it happened. Yeah. And the organic traffic from those gift related keywords went up to 60%. And that's when I realized, I think this example actually suffice this conversation party, you know, they communicate something and you actually responded the same way. Yes. Exactly. Yes. So at that time, you know, when I realized that when you talk in the user's language, then Google automatically understands. Nice. Okay. Great. Okay. Okay. Great. Okay. Let's let's talk something about, you know, project and is there a project or campaign you've worked on that you still look back at and think, yes, that, that really worked. I mean, you gave one example, any other example you have in your mind, this way, like you were like, Oh my God, this, this worked. Yeah. So one campaign that really worked for me was when we focused. Searchlet topic with social storytelling, it was all around real customer problems. So, so that time, we, we first mapped all the questions that people were actually asking on Google. It was all simple, real queries from the users. Then we turned those insight into carousel, short videos and blog, and blogs, like so, so every format was built to answer those exact questions. Okay. Everything sat on one single source of truth, design, content, and analytics. So the whole team was aligned every week, we did a quick review, we kept the content that earned saved and long dwell time and dropped what you didn't perform. And the results, I was say the results, the higher engagement, there was a higher engagement rate, more inbound interest, and, and the organic visibility was even stronger. All was without heavy ad spends. Okay. So, so from this campaign, we learned when strategy meets creativity, marketing moves from awareness to influence. Wow. Yeah. That's great. That's great. Okay. Let's, let's jump to the next question, this is very interesting, you know, with AI changing how we create an optimized content, how do you keep the human touch alive in digital marketing? Because everything is now, you know, and now people are also able to recognize what is AI generated and what is actually, you know, human touch content, human search data available. So how do you keep, personally, how do you keep that human touch alive in digital marketing? Yeah, so now everybody is using AI and it's, it's all trending everywhere. Yeah, I use AI for research, I use AI for research, outlines, clustering, and also for title variants. So basically, all the things that make my workflow faster and structured, but when it comes to writing, I keep the stories human. I use local examples, plain language, and always make sure that, that there is a clear next step for the reader. I have this, and every time I post something, I have this small test for myself, like, will someone stop and read it? Does it actually help a decision? And would I share it myself? And if the answer is yes, then the pieces are to move. These three checklists, you know. Yeah. Yeah. So, great, great. I mean, I mean, actually, AI is a tool, but empathy, creativity and intent are still uniquely human. You know, a very balanced perspective should be there. Yes. Absolutely. I agree. Yeah. Okay. The last question for the episode, Tinshree, you know, I mentioned this in the introduction as well, but you tell me, when a client says, we are a brand, Google loves, what does that moment mean to you? I mean, I mean, it has, it might have happened to you a lot, yeah, you tell me the experience. Yeah, I mean, that's a very good question. So the one line that reminds me every time is, if Google loves you, that's because people loved you first. And this also reminds me that algorithm don't create love. People do. Definitely. Definitely. So, it's all start with trust signals, stacking up like useful content, clean tech and consistent user experience, when people find your site helpful, fast and even easy to navigate, Google simply reflects the trust, that trust I need. So the real authority doesn't come from hacks or keyword tricks. It comes from clarity, credible citation and satisfied users who comes back and share your content. So you can't manipulate digital love, you earn it slowly with relevance and reliability over time, mainly because Google is just a mirror of how people interact, your brand. Okay, so this is it, I think, from interior designing to digital marketing, how creativity shaped your journey, that was very interesting to start off. Then you take on SEO as a conversation, product refreshing, human first angle, agency versus brand side, that was also very interesting. Obviously, we talked about your favorite campaign, and yeah, the last one, you know, your view on AI and realistic expectation, that actually read the conversation with clarity and honesty. So I would like to thank you, Dhanashree, for taking out time for this episode. Thank you so much for coming, thank you. And I'm actually looking forward to having you on other topics as well, because you have done so many things, you can have a different topic someday and talk about it. Sure, I would love to. Okay. Thank you so much. And thank you listeners for joining, it's a good bye from my side, see you in the next podcast.