Just the blog title alone makes me cringe – obviously, your brand or business name is paramount to your core online presence. Your website is the most important part of your online representation. Listen! Being ranked 2, 3, or 4 and beyond is not acceptable! Facebook or some random article or landing page on another website should not outrank your entire site. Why do other websites outrank you for your own brand name and what should you do?
Website Authority
When your website has zero authority, meaning you haven’t proved to Google and other search engines your website has any clout from inbound links, on-site optimization, formal submissions to search engines, or meta information, good things don’t happen. It is important to go through these items one after another to show that you exist, you set up your website as “the authority” of your brand or business name, and you’re staking your claim online.
Let Google Know You Exist
Go to Google Search Console and go through the process of setting up your website. If you have a sitemap, make sure you submit it here. This is your first step to showing the world you’re around, and you’re the main authority on your brand.
Content and Keywords
Especially on your homepage, don’t forget to mention your name several times in the copy, sometimes perhaps in the form of an <h> tag. Crawlers thoroughly scan keywords on websites and take measure of different identifiable keywords to get an idea of what your site is about.
Meta Information
Your homepage meta title should certainly be comprised of either [main keyword] | [brand name] or [brand name] | [main keyword]. It is also a good habit to feature your brand name on other pages of the website at least in the form of [page main keyword] | [brand name] to keep your branding cohesive. Also, make it visible in all parts of your meta descriptions (and add descriptions to pages that don’t have them already!).
Inbound Links
Citations tend to work very well for promoting your website as the “go to” for your brand beyond social media and auxiliary pages on other websites. Citations create a cohesion of your NAP (name, address, and phone). However, their benefits also go beyond branding; they support your location information and support in ranking your business on maps for its respective category (another blog there). There are citation building services out there. The ones we’ve had with success are WhiteSpark, Moz, and Yext. They all have a range of benefits and fit different budgets. If these are beyond your budget (especially since some have annual charges instead of one-time), you can find freelancers and other agencies to build citations for you. Some companies will tell you their ability to make certain citations is “proprietary, ” but there isn’t a lot of truth in that. If there is, not being featured on a handful of websites for citations, it isn’t going to hold back your business.
Followed our advice to a T with no success? Contact us with your dilemma, and we’d love to discuss it over a free consultation.
The ongoing digital revolution is transforming the way that all businesses interact with clients and customers. Consumers rely heavily on digital channels for researching products and services and expect to make buying choices with the swipe of a finger. For organizations that want to remain competitive, having a defined digital marketing strategy and execution plan is essential for successful outcomes. With a demonstrated history of creating and implementing strategic digital marketing initiatives that drive growth, I am committed to delivering real, measurable results for my clients.