How much does Google really care about my business? A lot, a little, not at all? Does Google really care?
Put quite simply, the answer is no, not particularly. What Google does care about is what people are saying about you and your company. Google puts a lot of weight on the online reviews your company is generating, as this is one of the pillars their search engine ranking criteria is built upon. Google really, really cares about the feedback and testimonials site visitors, buyers and non-buyers are submitting to review sites such as Trustpilot, Reevoo, your website and Google’s own review system.
Google result signals
Google’s goal is to serve up true and accurate results for Googlers. So, they’re on the lookout for signals that can help them divide the “brand names” (that have evidence of a completely satisfied client base) from the “generics” (the sites that Google classifies as having a poor customer experience). In basic terms, Google appreciates when some of the guesswork around a website’s level of quality is verified for them by an independent third party, so it’s a good idea to encourage happy customers to leave reviews and testimonials on your own website, on Google and on any trusted review sites.
Many services have on-page SEO techniques to help with natural search, yet fewer are spending time on off-page search engine optimisation. Putting in the effort to improve off-page SEO could be the competitive advantage your company requires to rise to the top of Google’s organic search results. But by incorporating some off-page search engine optimisation into your digital marketing strategy, such as developing an effective presence on social media platforms as well as third-party platforms, you indicate to Google that you’re a brand that they should care about.
Get your business reviewed
Your existence on third-party review systems is a great first step to assist you to climb to that coveted top ten in an online search, but just creating an account is not enough. It needs to be nurtured, you need to encourage individuals to participate and you need to constantly review to monitor for input that doesn’t portray the service you are providing.
Many businesses invest a lot of time and effort attempting to optimise their websites to achieve what they think Google wishes to see. However, what your existing and potential clients wish to see is just as important. When individuals carry out searches relating to your business, they’re looking for a neutral third party to reassure them. Accounts on third-party websites like Trustpilot are a terrific means to highlight your credibility to possible clients. The more reviews you obtain, combined with the effort you make to enrich the relevant content on your Trustpilot account page (think: contact information, mission statement, social network profiles), the more a search engine will try to connect to you and your brand.
At the end of the day, you are striving for both your customers and Google to think of you as a respectable brand. You can make all the on-page search engine optimisation you desire, but Google will certainly still be looking out for your businesses website online reputation on third-party platforms.
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