Four Ways to Own the First SERP
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"When consumers hear of a local business that is not well known, it's only natural that they conduct some research before making a purchase," writes Nathan Hanks in an article at MarketingProfs. And when they do, they're most likely to choose results that appear first.
"Thus," Hanks continues, "'owning' the first page of the search engine results page (SERP) is an important part of Web-presence optimization for any local business."
Hanks offers ten ways to help ensure your business is a front-page star. Here are four:
Use a paid search strategy. A Google search on just about any product or service will produce sponsored links that appear ahead of organic results. That's why it's important to bid on your business name: Think of it as the fast-track to the very top of the page.
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Comments
Re: The "big four" networks... given Google's latest announcement, is Twitter still included in search results?
Seriously? This is supposed to be relevant information?
Really? Does this person do SEO for clients? Re his points:
1. Use a paid search strategy. Ahem...check stats re how viewers ignore those paid ads at the top, just as they ignore banner ads.
2. Maintain a website. Basic by now. Re including contact info on home page, how about discussing claiming your place in Google Places so your local biz shows up in the map/red dots for the top 7 businesses?
3. Write a blog. Tired rehash of "search engines love fresh content." True if your content is time-critical (e.g., a news site, review site of new products, etc.). Meaningless if your site content is mainly static and you occasionally add something new.
4. Optimize your social media profiles. Maybe, depending on your biz. Are you appealing to job hunters? (Linkedin) Are you offering through social media the few benefits viewers seek from a biz on social media: discounts, insider info (e.g., upcoming sales), special offers? Otherwise it's just advertising, and viewers think of it as spam.
3.