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If you’ve ever felt like trying to rank your website into a good position in search engines was a tough struggle, there’s a reason why. No matter what topics, keywords, or industry for which you’re trying to get your business and website seen, there’s likely some invisible huge conglomerates that are eating up all of the top spots. It’s a big secret that they don’t want you to know … yet knowing what you’re actually up against is the only way you can find the right SEO strategy.
It’s a reality that millions of brands are vying for attention, and the unbalanced influence of conglomerates often goes unnoticed by the average consumer – and the entrepreneurs trying to compete against these giants.
These behemoths, wielding vast portfolios of familiar brands, shape not only consumer choices but also the competitive landscape businesses operate in. As entrepreneurs and small businesses struggle with the challenges of visibility and growth, they find that this plays out not only on the shelves of local retail establishments, but even in search engine optimization (SEO), where digital giants exert an equally formidable influence.
Take a moment to consider the products filling your shopping cart or the services you use daily. Brands like Dove, KitKat, and Olive Garden might come to mind, each seemingly distinct in its market.
However, these and so many other well-known brands fall under the expansive umbrellas of huge conglomerates like Unilever, Nestle, and Darden Restaurants.
The extent of their domination is staggering, with Unilever alone boasting over 400 well-known brands, and Nestle reigning as a global leader with a presence in 186 countries.
Here’s just a glimpse into the vast portfolios of Unilever, Nestle, and Darden Restaurants, showcasing some of their most recognized brands:
| Unilever Brands | Nestle Brands | Darden Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Dove | KitKat | Olive Garden |
| Lipton | Nescafé | LongHorn Steakhouse |
| Ben & Jerry’s | Purina | The Capital Grille |
| Axe/Lynx | Smarties | Yard House |
| Hellmann’s/Best Foods | Stouffer’s | Bahama Breeze |
| Knorr | Maggi | Seasons 52 |
| Omo/Persil | Gerber | Eddie V’s |
| Surf | Lean Cuisine | Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen |
| Sunsilk | Nestea | – |
| Lux | Nespresso | – |
| Tresemmé | Hot Pockets | – |
| Vaseline | S.Pellegrino | – |
| Magnum | Dreyer’s/Edy’s | – |
| Rexona/Degree | DiGiorno | – |
| Pond’s | Wonka | – |
| Lifebuoy | Carnation | – |
| Comfort | San Pellegrino | – |
| Cif/Jif | Toll House | – |
| Radox | Buitoni | – |
| Noxzema | Haagen-Dazs (US & Canada) | – |
This table highlights just a fraction of the vast arrays of brands these conglomerates own … and there are MANY more. Each of these entities has carved out substantial market shares across various sectors, from personal care and food to dining experiences.
The conglomerates’ might goes far beyond their brand portfolios, touching on the very struggles that keep solo entrepreneurs awake at night.
These giants stand on a foundation built not just of capital but also of vast networks, expertise, and strategic inter-company support that solo entrepreneurs seldom have access to and can only dream of.
At the heart of their dominance lies immense financial power. These conglomerates operate with budgets that eclipse those of small businesses many times over.
This financial muscle isn’t just about outspending competitors in marketing or securing the best shelf space; it’s about resilience. While solo entrepreneurs often tread a tightrope of financial sustainability, fearing one bad season could spell disaster, conglomerates can absorb losses and invest in long-term strategies without the immediate pressure of survival.
For the solo entrepreneur, time is a finite resource constantly divided between business operations, marketing, product development, and more.
In contrast, conglomerates possess dedicated teams for every facet of their operation. They harness the collective expertise of seasoned professionals in SEO, content creation, market research, and strategic planning among so many other disciplines. This allows them to execute complex, multi-channel strategies with a precision and scale that’s simply out of reach for smaller entities.
Drawing parallels to the strategies employed by business magnates like Mark Cuban and Marcus Lemonis, these conglomerates excel in creating synergies among their owned entities.
If you’ve ever watched Lemonis’ show The Profit, you’ve probably seen an example of how this is done. They might channel the production capabilities of one company to support another, significantly reducing costs and streamlining operations.
For instance, a conglomerate owning a packaging company and a food brand could leverage this relationship to innovate packaging solutions at a fraction of the market cost, benefiting multiple of their entities at once.
Where fear of failure might paralyze smaller ventures, conglomerates thrive on calculated risks. Their diversified portfolios allow them to pilot new products or enter new markets without the existential threat that smaller businesses face.
This capacity for risk is complemented by their ability to innovate, drawing upon a wealth of industry knowledge and resources. They’re not just setting market trends; they’re defining them.
Beyond the tangible assets and strategic advantages, there’s an emotional fortitude that comes with scale. Solo entrepreneurs often bear the weight of their business on their shoulders, where every decision can feel like a high-stakes gamble.
In contrast, decision-makers in conglomerates can operate with a level of detachment, making strategic moves without the emotional burden that can cloud judgment.
While traditional conglomerates’ influence is readily seen in physical markets once you’re aware of it, a similar dynamic plays out in the digital world although often less visibly. And while you may have had some awareness of how those traditional titans dominate their physical markets, you probably have little clue how these new titans – information giants – are dominating search results.
You may have seen the impact, but haven’t understood.
Information corporations, though less recognized, play a pivotal role in shaping online content and, consequently, what information reaches consumers.
Consider DotDash Meredith, a powerhouse in the digital publishing world, which controls a significant portion of online lifestyle, health, and finance content. Their extensive network of websites commands a vast audience, making them a dominant force in the online information ecosystem.
Digital conglomerates like Hearst, DotDash Meredith, and Vox Media dominate some of the most popular online niches. Hearst excels in lifestyle and news through platforms like “Elle” and “Car and Driver.” DotDash Meredith is known for its comprehensive coverage in health, finance, and home improvement with sites like “Verywell Health” and “The Balance.” Vox Media caters to technology, sports, and culture enthusiasts through “The Verge” and “SB Nation.” These entities illustrate the vast digital territories controlled by such conglomerates.
Let’s look at some of these conglomerates and a few of their brands:
| Dotdash Meredith | Hearst | Internet Brands | PMC | Ziff Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People | Cosmopolitan | WebMD | Variety | Moz |
| Investopedia | Elle | AllLaw | Hollywood Reporter | Mayo Clinic |
| VeryWell | SFGate | doityourself | Rolling Stone | Humble |
| All Recipes | Popular Mechanics | Wikitravel | sheknows | PC Magazine |
| Travel & Leisure | Seventeen | RxList | IndieWire | Mashable |
| Real Simple | Country Living | Fodors Travel | Vibe | RetailMeNot |
| Daily Paws | Car & Driver | CarsDirect | ARTnews | Speedtest |
| EatingWell | Delish | ApartmentRatings | Life is Beautiful | askmen |
| Parents | Men’s Health | BlackFriday.com | ||
| Martha Stewart | Runner’s World | DailyOM | ||
| Entertainment | Digital Spy | Baby Center | ||
| Brides | Esquire | DownDetector | ||
| Southern Living |
A lot of entrepreneurs have become aware of these huge “traditional titan” corporations that own so many other physical brands, each of which are also corporations themselves. It can make it feel overwhelming to find marketing strategies that work when you realize you’re in direct competition with them.
Local mom and pop Italian restaurant? You compete against Olive Garden and all of their name recognition and resources. You’ve likely learned how to differentiate (your food is better for one thing, there I said it lol).
Hair or facial care? Tresemme, Noxema, Ponds are all major competitors, and you’ve likely found your niche to be able to compete. Decide you want to use a different shampoo? Doesn’t matter, all the money is flowing to the same pot.
But you’ve probably never realized that for your SEO, being found online and in Google search results (and other search platforms), you’re needing to compete similarly against giants.
So while many entrepreneurs learned how to go up against the titans, you’ve probably been approaching your SEO sort of the same way that everyone else does, including how those behemoths may do it. Because you didn’t realize you need to do something else. And this is to your detriment.
Digging into the intricacies of Google search results reveals a startling lack of diversity in the results, predominantly dominated by a handful of major companies, including Dotdash Meredith and Hearst.
A staggering 85% of the first-page results across 10,000 high-traffic queries—spanning a multitude of categories such as technology, home, beauty, and travel—were claimed by sites owned by these entities.
Even more striking is their monopoly over multiple top positions, with these companies securing four or more of the top 10 spots in a big number of these searches.
We discussed how the Traditional Titans have mass of scale that works for them. These Information Giants have a few additional things going for them that make their SEO efforts much more efficient than yours can be.
The battle for visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) is fierce, with both traditional and information corporations leveraging their resources to dominate rankings.
When an Information Giant publishes an article or press release, it’s usually picked up instantly by other major websites.
Why? Because the same corporation owns all of them!
These other sites link back to the original article, providing what’s known as high Domain Authority (DA) backlinks, which are very beneficial for SEO. This process boosts the visibility of the content without any extra time, money or effort from the Information Giant.
Additionally, these giants benefit from:
And let’s not forget that they employ teams of SEO experts, content creators, and data analysts to ensure their content ranks prominently for a myriad of keywords, making it challenging for smaller entities to compete.
These advantages are often out of reach for solo entrepreneurs, who may not have the same level of recognition, resources, or networks.
So if you thought competing on search rankings was hard … you were right, and there’s a reason, especially if you’re in an industry that any one of these giants cover.
Small businesses already often feel like they’re navigating a digital David vs. Goliath scenario, where the Goliaths—massive corporations—dominate the digital landscape with their expansive resources.
This dominance makes it increasingly difficult for smaller entities to secure a visible spot in search engine rankings, critical for reaching potential customers. The battle for visibility isn’t just technical; it’s also emotional, as small business owners invest their hopes and dreams into their ventures, making the challenge of competing against these giants feel even more daunting.
Local Boutique: A small fashion retailer in a bustling city uses local SEO tactics to rank for “boutique fashion [City Name]” and “sustainable fashion near me”, resulting in increased foot traffic and online inquiries.
Organic Food Blog: By focusing on long-tail keywords like “best organic homemade peanut butter recipes”, this blog managed to outperform larger, conglomerate-owned sites, building a dedicated following that values their unique content.
Real Estate Success Story: By implementing strategic SEO efforts and focusing on local market insights and community engagement, we moved a local real estate brokerage from page 36 of Google search results to page 1 for some of their most important keywords, while competing head-to-head with industry giants like Zillow and Realtor.com
Acknowledging the uphill battle small businesses face in SEO, I have created a support network for entrepreneurs that goes beyond conventional advice.
These are recurring SEO masterclasses tailored to the nuanced challenges of entrepreneurs, fostering a community where entrepreneurs share strategies, successes, and setbacks plus get hands-on training. Usually when you find an SEO group, it’s designed for the people who perform SEO as a job, and who like to throw around all of the tech jargon that tends to be overwhelming to entrepreneurs. Instead, our classes focus on the strategies that entrepreneurs need to know and that will be most helpful in their role.
This isn’t just about climbing search rankings; it’s about building a collaborative ecosystem where small businesses empower each other to thrive in a landscape dominated by giants.
Dive into the SEO landscape with a clear understanding of where you stand. Request a complimentary SEO audit below and discover how you can improve your digital footprint, plus get exclusive access to the entrepreneur SEO masterclass.
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