10 Ways To Make Your Business More ‘Google-able’
Having a website is an absolute must for any business but let’s be honest: getting your website mentioned on the first page and noticed on Google is another matter.
In this post, we’re sharing industry experts’ top 15 ways to get your website noticed on Google (and elsewhere online), so you can attract more visitors and grow your business.
Lehwi dive in!
Getting your business website noticed by Google
Google is the biggest game in town when it comes to getting your website noticed. Here’s how to increase your business website’s visibility in Google’s crucial search rankings.
1. Use target keywords on your website
Google notices relevant website pages that are best suited given specific searches. Writing keyword-relevant content is king especially for your individual page SEO.
If you are not sure what these keyword terms are, you can perform in-depth keyword research to find high-volume, relevant keywords. Use a resource (Read this article for examples) and then incorporate those keywords. Insert these keywords related to your targeted topic in the meta title, URL, meta description, and image tags of your pages (a core component of image SEO).The more specific and targeted the topic, the greater the opportunity each page has to show up on the first page of Google and get noticed.
2. Add More Content-Rich Website Pages
Having a blog is hands-down the best way to increase your website’s organic reach. Each blog post is an opportunity to get noticed on Google and improve your rank. Google absolutely ranks blog posts because they provide helpful information on a topic. If your blog is a trusted resource that increases the value your business brings to the table, it will help your website to get noticed by people seeking information on Google.
3. Add your Website to Online Directories
There are so many online channels where you can create profiles and add your website. The more places you list your business and add your website, the more frequently you can get noticed over your competitors. Here’s where to get listed:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Yelp
Google My Business
Yellowpages.com
Local.com
Manta
CitySearch
Metromix
Kudzu
City-Data
Angieslist
BBB.org
For example, if an ice cream company has a Google My Business listing, this business will show up when you perform a Google Maps search for ice cream near me. The more places you list your website, the more opportunities you have to get your website noticed.
4. Get verified by Google Maps (for physical locations)
It’s super easy to submit your business to Google Maps using Google My Business. Here’s how to do it:
Create a Google My Business account
Find your business on Google Maps
Claim your business on Google Maps
The last step is simply awaiting a physical verification code in the mail and entering it in your Google My Business profile. Once you’ve claimed your business, you will be verified by Google and have the ability to optimize your Google My Business listing. The more complete your business listing is, the more your business (and website) will start picking up impressions and clicks (i.e. getting noticed) on Google.
5. Use Compelling Titles on you Webpages
Adding keywords to the titles of your website pages will help both Google and searchers to identify them. However, to get noticed, you have to create compelling titles. A compelling title can go a long way in helping you increase click-through rate. The goal is to stand out (without embellishing!)
Consider this example. You’re a herbalist and you want to post about the benefits of certain teas. Consider this:
Not Compelling: “Benefits of Herbal Teas”
Too extreme: “Why Herbal Teas Will Change Your Life”
Compelling: “6 Herbal Teas to Try” or “6 Ways Herbal Teas Can Improve Your Health”
Aim for clear and captivating, not desperate.
6. Connect with websites and bloggers already being noticed by Google
Do you know the bloggers and influencers in your industry? Especially the ones who have already captured the attention of a large audience. Then try the following strategies:
Guest Blog: Invite A blogger to do a guest blog post on your blog. They will likely promote the post to their audience, which will help get your website noticed by new eyes.
Brand Feature: Ask to get featured in one of their round-up, review, or social media posts with a link to your website.
Guest Writing: Offer to write a guest post for their blog, with a link to your website in the post or the author bio.
Whatever approach you take, be sure to reciprocate or offer something of equal value in exchange. As a business you should always be seeking partnerships and collaborations that are symbiotic, where both parties help one another attain a goal.
7. Create Quality Website Content
The secret to ranking higher on Google is quality content. Google notices how long visitors are staying on your site and whether they are navigating to other pages before exiting. To write an awesome blog post that gets noticed, try the following:
Dive deep into topics and answer the most common questions associated with your keywords
Include images, videos, and other media to hold attention and increase dwell time on each page
Monitor webpage load times and optimize loading for mobile devices (the faster the better!)
Obtain backlinks from other trusted sources on Google
When you focus on quality content rather than just ranking, it will actually help your business to get noticed by more people.
8. Use compelling images
People search Google images a lot. If you have high-quality photos of your products or services, be sure they’re optimized to rank in an image search by doing the following:
Choose an appropriate file name (Not Image0001.jpg!)
Keep the file size small to reduce load time
Add captions
Use alt text and title text
Include images in your XML sitemaps
9. Post on Social Media
Your social media profiles and posts can often show on the first page of Google. You don’t (and shouldn’t actually) have to promote your business every time you post something. A good rule of thumb is this: about 20% of posts should directly promote your business. The rest should be in the realm of educational, entertaining, inspirational and other content you find interesting and on-brand.
Make sure you:
Ask conversation-starting questions
Answer comments (being funny is clutch!)
Join LinkedIn and Facebook groups
Use popular or custom hashtags
Direct people who have asked questions on social media to your site for answers
10. Seize All Opportunities to Get Noticed
You’ve got to promote your website anywhere you can. Include it in your email signature, on promotional flyers, on invoices, and on receipts, on your car, on a teeshirt etc. The more eyes you get on your URL, the more people you’ll see visiting your website.
Are you ‘Google-able’? What would come up if someone searched for you? Try it if you haven’t yet!