Pillar: Attract · Google Profile Optimization · SEO Packages · Week 2 of July · Related Posts
Nine times out of ten, it’s because Google has no idea who you are, where you are, and what you do.
Think of Google as a library. The best way for the librarian to find your book is to make sure it has all the information clearly listed on the cover and in the catalogue. The easier you make it for Google to promote you, the better you make Google, and your business, look. If that information is missing, you simply won’t show up, no matter how good you are at what you do.
How do you know if you have this problem?
Don’t take my word for it, and don’t ask a digital marketer whether you need help — nobody wants to be sold to.
Asking a marketer if you need marketing is like taking your car to a mechanic and saying, “Look, I am not sure, but there may be something wrong with my car.“ You already know what answer you will get.
Instead, test it yourself. Stand in your office and search for the solution you offer the way a customer would. If your business doesn’t appear when searching for “service near me” while standing in the middle of your own premises, that’s your answer.
You have seen it with your own eyes, and now nobody needs to convince you of anything.
What is Google actually missing?
Usually, it’s the basics. Your Google Business Profile is either unclaimed, sitting half empty, or out of date. And the words on your website don’t tell Google what services you actually provide.
You might call yourself a “solutions provider,” but your customer is typing blocked drain or hot water repairs. If those words aren’t on your site, Google has no way to connect you to that search.
Can you show up on Google faster?
Often, yes, and faster than you might think!
I worked with a business owner who had spent thousands on a website and lost all faith in the whole process. I told him, “Let’s work together,” because I knew I could make a difference. Just over a week later he told me it had already paid for itself.
And here’s the thing: the new website hadn’t even launched yet. We were still on the design and sitemap. All we had done was make Google aware of where he was. We updated his Google Business Profile and made sure the keywords for the services he offered were clear on his existing site.
That was it. Google finally knew who he was, where he was, and what he did.
What does this mean for you?
Do the search test today. Type in what you sell plus your suburb, and see if you show up. Then check two things.
- Is your Google Business Profile claimed, complete, and current?
- Do the actual words your customers use appear on your website?
If the answer to either one is no, you’ve found why the phone isn’t ringing.
Pro Tip: Ask your best clients to leave a Google review mentioning your specific services. This gives Google extra confidence that your business is active and relevant to local searches!
What is the next step?
If you ran the search and could not find your business, that is fixable, and the story above shows it does not have to wait for a brand-new website to fix it.
Book a free discovery call, and let’s take a look at what Google can and cannot see about your business together.