Google, being the enigma that it is, seems to subtly remind us how intertwined it is in our everyday lives. Whether it's by showing you an ad for something that crossed your mind 2 hours ago or giving you a suggested search for something you discussed with your coworker yesterday, Google never fails to impress with its…. observant…. abilities. 

However, when it comes down to it, being in Google's good graces is one of the best things you can do for your business. If you think about it from a consumer standpoint, the first thing you do when you are searching for a service is "Google it". From there you look in the sought-after "box". This lists the service providers closest to you in order from closest to the city center outward. You might glance through the reviews, maybe click the company with the most or highest reviews. Then you work your way down the search results, usually stopping when company websites that haven't been updated since 2010 start popping up (maybe around page 3?). So how do you keep out of the Flash Mob era crowds on the web? 

Google looks at 3 main things when it's getting together the search results for its client:

1. Relevance
Google takes a look at your Google My Business page to see how relevant you are to the user's search. How descriptive were you about your business? Did you choose a broad business category or were you more specific? Is the contact information you provided consistent across the internet? When was the last time your website was updated? The more specific and accurate you can be, the better your chances are.

2. Distance
While you can't do much to change your physical location, you can do things to make yourself more accessible to users. Create pages on your site that are relevant to particular service areas- choose one key phrase to focus on then include the city name as well. Also ensure your metadata is properly configured to include a wide range of areas, not just one.

3. Prominence
How established is your business offline as well as online? This goes back to Google's expertise in being observant. Add relevant images to your business page and keep them updated. Also try and get those google reviews every chance you get- not just for the brownie points with Google, but also for your everyday consumer trying to see what people think about you. On top of that, Backlinks are a great way to establish overall web presence. If Google sees you're connected to multiple external companies and sites, it puts you in the "They are connected to a lot of businesses so they must be established" category.

Truth of the matter is Google wants its users to have the best experience possible. They want to provide their searchers with the most accurate and most relevant sources available. This means they are looking at not only how updated your website and metadata is, but also what kind of web presence you have. These three things won't guarantee you be number one on every search, but every little bit helps when it comes to SEO. Contact us today for a consultation to discuss moving forward with your SEO project.