3 Ways to Increase Your Google Visibility Now

There are a number of ways you can increase your web visibility (and that doesn’t include posting Facebook pictures of your pets dressed up for St. Patty’s Day drinking green beer. But we digress…).

Small to medium-sized businesses everywhere are seeking more eyeballs online and to put it simply – there is no easy way to increase your website’s page views. It takes work; but, with a solid content marketing strategy in place, you can develop your niche online and generate more traffic to your website with a few guidelines:

1.       Post really, really good content. 

It is no surprise that when you look for an answer to a question on Google, like: “What are some strategies for winning words with friends?” we get a variety of returns:

What is interesting about the results is the range of items – from a trusted news source (NPR) to a pair of articles from high-traffic personal blogs, a word expert site (wordgrabber.com) to a video from an expert who has written a book and posted a video on YouTube. There is something for everyone here – but the main idea is this: if you are an expert on a subject or area of your business or industry, tout it by creating a blog, writing an article about it, posting a video or pitching some ideas to reporters on your topic (HARO is a great resource for people looking to share their expertise with reporters who need it). The more quality content you share the better your chances are of being seen as a valued information resource. Also, ensuring that your brand message is consistent across all channels –both print and online– will help people assign trust to your brand, content and website. Read a fantastic article on some interesting content ideas.

 2.       Make sure your website is mobile.

Did you know that 91 percent of adults keep their smartphones within arm’s reach (where is yours, right now)? And more important to your business – 9 out of 10 mobile searches lead to an action. More than half lead to sales.[1] Simply put, you need a responsive design. This means no matter what device people are using to view your site – tablet, e-reader, smartphone, desktop – your site will automatically adapt to screen size, orientation and platform. When a potential customer accesses your site – they are rewarded with not only good content, but an easy to navigate site. Google recommends testing your site regularly on multiple devices to make sure your site is working correctly.  Here is a great video from Google on improving mobile pages.

 3.       Improve the user experience.

It may seem obvious and overstated, but it absolutely makes a difference. Google likes sites that have rich, quality content that people find value in and want to take time to read it. If your site is helpful to me, I will stick around –to learn, research, solve or buy.  Some traits of quality sites:

• Easy to navigate: clear menus show where to go
• Call to action: how can I get in touch with someone or learn more now?
• Relevant content: does your site answer my query?

By ensuring that your site is honestly helpful, you improve your chances that a potential customer will stay on your site longer – improving your status with search engines.  Here are some Google tips on improving usability.

“Landing pages are kind of like cars – make sure they’re tuned-up properly, and you’ll likely get better performance and savings out of them down the road.” -Google

As our technology changes and more and more people turn to the web for information and commerce, it is critical that your business implements a solid digital strategy for internet marketing, today. You don’t want to be left behind, do you? What are your competitors doing online that could be eating away at your sales?