Are you struggling to generate new leads or garner first-time customers? If so, you might have a discoverability problem. What does that mean? Quite simply, people can’t find you online and may not even know you exist.
Boosting your visibility is a critical component of increasing sales and growing your business, and there are a number of ways to go about it. Read on to learn how to improve your discoverability!
1. Maintain Your Google My Business Listing
Because Google is king, this is an essential part of your online presence – so if you haven’t verified your Google My Business listing yet, do it immediately. This listing is a free way to make your company is easily found by potential customers. Managing your listing means you can update your information, post photos, and respond to reviews.
2. Practice Excellent SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the science of making sure that your website shows up when people are searching for terms related to who you do and what you are. If you’re not showing up in search results, you might as well be invisible online. Here are some helpful SEO tips you can start implementing right away.
3. Think Mobile First
Being mobile-friendly isn’t an option anymore. Given that up to 70% of web traffic happens on a mobile device, if your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’ll likely lose a good chunk of visitors and potential customers. And to really drive the point home, consider that 69% of smartphone users say they are more likely to buy from companies with mobile sites that easily address their questions or concerns. If you’re not mobile-friendly, you’re leaving money on the table. In addition, if your site speed is subpar, you will likely lose visitors who don’t have time to wait around for your pages to load. Check out these tips to make sure your website is in tip-top shape.
4. Do Social Right
Just like mobile-friendly websites, being on social media isn’t optional. In fact, you can’t just have a dormant account – you need to be active and engaging. But this doesn’t mean you have to be everywhere. Choose a few sites that your target audience uses, and pour your energy into them. Check out these 10 ways to engage your audience on social media.
5. Manage Your Reputation
From Google to Yelp, online reviews of businesses are huge. In fact, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Reading your reviews is a great (and free) way to gain insights into how your company is viewed. You’ll want a solid plan in place to engage with your reviews – both positive and negative. Commenting on a negative review in a thoughtful way can really make a difference.
6. Buy Ads and Sponsored Posts
Running targeted ad campaigns can help you gain visibility on Google as well as sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you’re careful about keyword selection and copy creation, you can keep your budget reined in. You can easily boost your visibility on social media by creating sponsored/boosted/promoted posts.
7. Create Quality Content
Just like Google, content is king these days. So make sure you’re posting helpful, informative, and shareable content across the internet. If you’re creating blog posts or web content, ensure it’s properly keyword optimized so it appears in search results.
8. Be Consistent
You want people to recognize your brand no matter where they encounter it. A big part of this is brand consistency: making sure your visual identity and messaging are the same across all channels. If the look, feel, and the copy is different between your website and social media, for example, you’re likely to confuse people about who you really are. Make sure you’re creating – and sticking to – a brand style guide to increase your chances of being recognized and remembered.
The sooner you start working on your discoverability, the sooner you will start to attract new customers. So get out there and make yourself known to the world!
See Also:
Business AI: What is Google BERT?
7 Things Google Wants You to Avoid on Your Website
Do You Have Control Over Your Digital Footprint? Take Back Control