Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a company’s best friend. Great search results are created just like diamonds — as a result of time and pressure. In terms of SEO the longer your content is out there – the better. In terms of pressure, well – that just means adding good content and doing it consistently.
In the flurry of start-up activity business owners typically fail to claim their digital footprint losing months, if not years of momentum. Failure to do these simple things when you have a new business will not only hinder your search results, it will slow the progress of your branding efforts.
How do you go about getting found online?
Here’s a few tips to get you on the path of creating some branding gems of your own.
First, and foremost as soon as you have your legal name created (and your logo designed hopefully!) you should set up your Google My Business page. Google has been experiencing many changes this year (2018) so just because you had a Google Plus (G+) page or had a Google Brand page – you’re going to see a lot of changes. Google is transitioning to Google My Business – which, in one sense is good because it allows you to manage your listing in one section.
The reason why it is imperative to secure and complete your Google My Business page is that Google owns 91% of all search engine markets.
If you want to be found, you really must pay attention to Google! By claiming your Google My Business listing you also can drive customers and clients to leave reviews on your listing – a critical factor in how you rank on Google.
After you’ve completed your Google My Business page, you need to create your business pages on the other social media platforms. The platforms you need to engage in are those where your customers spend time. This will vary on your industry and your target demographics, obviously.
The big players you need to focus on:
If you’re taking over an existing business or trying to finally claim your digital footprint after years of neglect – go to Google, search your company, and “claim” your Google page. You will have to verify information, but it’s important to do this because this ensures you are controlling the information people see.
Once you’ve claimed your listing, youl will be able to upload team pictures, product photos, photos of your building, images from your portfolio, your logo – anything that people can and should associate with your new company. You will want to add a link to your website, add your hours, etc.
Why does this make a difference? When people are searching this is what shows up ofte, before they even see your website!
If more than one listing comes up it means you have multiple pages or accounts. Be sure you delete duplicate pages you may have inadvertently set up.
Remember, Google owns the search engines so make sure your information is correct.