Archive for Google Tips
7 Ways Google Can Help You Get Found – Even Without a Website
Posted by: | CommentsGoogle says that 73% of searches are for local content. If you are a solo practitioner, this is important information. It means that your clients are looking for you online – not in the Yellow Pages. And while you really do need a website and a blog, there are some ways to start your online presence even if you don’t have anything online right now.
Many practitioners are surprised to learn that they can get their practices found online even if they don’t have a website or a blog. Are you one of them? Then let me introduce you to Google Places one of the free Business Solutions offered.
Your free listing must go through a verification process before it is “live” on the web. This can take several weeks if you opt for the verify by mail option. It’s well worth going through the steps to get a live listing. Here are the additional benefits:
1) Descriptions: You can list information about your practice, like whether you offer weekend or evening appointments, your specialty areas or the geographical are you serve. Privacy: If you are a coach or other professional who works from home, you can also choose to make your address private in your listing.
2) Photos- You can upload up to 10 images per listing, in JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, BMP. In some locations, you can even ask for a professional photo shoot for your business from Google.
3) Place Page Posts- You can post real time updates. Each post can be up to 160 characters. Use it to announce special sales, events, and new products.
4) Custom QR Codes: Smart phones use the QR code (think barcode) to take users to your mobile website.
5) Advertise: There is a limited program for enhanced listings in select cities for $25.00 a month. For this fee, your business will be highlighted on Google.com and on Google Maps.
6) Coupons: You can offer Google users special coupons as an incentive to visit your site and engage your services. Look for the “coupon tab” on your listing page.
7) Post Videos: You can add up to five YouTube videos to your listing with their URL.
These are 7 ways Google Places can help get your practice found online even before you have a website or blog.
I’ll be discussing Google Places and other free services to your practice found online on July 15th at 1:30 pm (Eastern) on the Third Thursday Teleseminar. I hope you will join me. The Third Thursday Teleseminar is for anyone who wants some accountability in their marketing efforts and who wants to stay on top of marketing their practice.
Someone is Talking About Your Practice
Posted by: | CommentsGoogle Alerts are almost as good as being in the bathroom stall and overhearing talk about you. But without the emotional charge. But I digress… What I meant to talk about was why you need to set up Google Alerts right now. And that’s why – you want to know when someone talks about you. Google Alerts, like the best BFF, will tell you every time.
As you start to use your blog and articles to get found online, you will want to monitor your progress. Google Alerts help you do this by emailing you updates of the latest Google search results for whatever terms you request. You can use Alerts to monitor your name, your keywords or to monitor what others in your field are publishing online.
They are very easy to set up. You don’t even need a Google account for this free service. Just put in your search term, the frequency you want to be updated and your email address. One tip is to use focused keywords, otherwise you will be overrun with results.
So I don’t monitor “divorce” because it would give me way too much speculation about Tiger Woods and other celebrities going through divorce. But I do monitor “Florida divorce” and “DIY divorce” because those are my main keywords. And vain as I am, I monitor my name, which is how I knew that my DIY divorce blog was mentioned twice in other blogs recently. That allowed me to go to the blogs and make a comment that includes a link to my site.
You definitely want to set up Google Alerts right now. Go do it. It will take less than a minute.
Get Found Online – 4 Google Profile “Musts”
Posted by: | CommentsPart of getting your professional practice website found online is to be sure that you have completed strategic online profiles. Google profiles is one of the Must Do profiles. When people search for you by name, your Google profile will appear in the search results.
There are 4 things that you must do with to your Google Profile.
- Add your picture. A professional shot is best. A high-quality digital snapshot is next best. If you have a photo uploaded to your Gmail account, you can enable the picture to be shared with Google Profile by clicking Visible to Everyone in your Gmail settings.
- Create an About Me bio to really let people know who you are. You have to be short here so you can limit it to your Transforming Benefit statement.
- Add your website and blog to the My Links section of your Google Profile
- Make a vanity url so you can make it easy for people to find you.
Google Profile also allows you to receive messages through your profile. You must enable this feature. It is not automatic, so that is up to you. There are other features you can add too, but these four are the absolute “Musts” for your Google profile.
