Getting #1 on Google should be every company's objective. It isn't a luxurious option anymore where businesses can opt-out of having a presence on Google.
3.5 billion searches are made on Google everyday. That statistic says it all, you should be on Google now.
Here's a list of tools which will help you to get to Number #1 on Google:
Helpful Google Marketing Tools for Business
1) Google My Business
Advertising on Google can be expensive, but as with most things in life there is way around spending expensive advertising dollars.
All you have to do is claim your Google My Business listing and your business will be featured in local business featured listings. This also includes a feature in Google Maps.
Best of all, unlike Google Adwords, none of those businesses paid any advertising dollars for their positions in these local results.If you haven't already claimed your Google My Business listing, hurry on and claim yours now. All you need to do is follow the onscreen instructions and have Google send a postcard with a code to your business for you to verify your listing. Doing this automatically creates a Google+ Page for your business too.
2) Google+ Business Pages
Another free option is to create a free Google+ Business Page. Although, Google+ didn't pan out to have as much authority as it was once billed to be, and now with the +1s out of the search results, some may argue the importance of maintaining an active Google+ Business Page.
Even with little fanfare around Google+ Business Pages, it is a free listing place for local businesses that can improve search-ability on Google. It is after all built by Google and tied directly to your Google My Business Listing by default.
As part of the ever changing ever improving Google Search, an important factor is social and that leads the assumption that having a Google+ Business Page can only help to improve your content rank in Google Search.
3) Google Webmaster Tools
The previous 2 were great free tools to list your local business on Google Search and help to improve your search-ability on the Internet. However, how would you know if some of the activities you've undertaken is improving your content's rating to Google?
Although the algorithm is set to discover a set of words typed in a language humans understand, Google does require a set of architectural requirements to allow for its users to safely access your website and for Google to effectively and efficiently index your website.
Check the health of your website using Google Webmaster Tools. It's an account you can set up here which will alert you to any problems which may prevent your website from getting indexed (searched) by Google for it to display your content in search results. Also, this helps you to anlyze your existing search traffic so you can better understand how visitors are currently finding you.
4) Google Suite: Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms
Currently we are in the content age where users are looking for valuable content to help them with their day-to-day tasks or guides to problems so that they have an idea on how to solve them.
Some of the valuable content that users are looking for include:
- White Papers
- Ebooks
- Templates & Checklist Downloads
Great thing of building a library of these assets are that you can host and share them for free on Google Suites. Find out more about Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms.
As with most recommendations online it is found that these contents are driving great results for link-building (an activity which increases your authority in the eyes of Google - in plain english: Google likes that your website is well cited by others and this means better rankings on Google).
5) Google AdWords Keyword Planner
When you're looking to give your organic SEO a boost, it's important that you do some research on your keywords first. Key research helps you to identify keywords to target as you're creating any content. Having this focus makes it easier for you to get found by the right searches.
Google provides a tool for you to help you plan for your AdWords campaigns, and can also help you to search for new keyword ideas and suggestions to help you with your organic keyword research planning. Do keep in mind that you will need to set up an AdWords account to use the Keyword Planner, but it does not mean you actually have to create an ad.
6) Google Trends
On top of the Google AdWords Keyword Planner, Google Trends is a great tool for helping you with smarter keyword choices. Its an additional tool that will help you to evaluate the popularity of certain topics and compare them with other topics to analyze and compare which over time are popular and can be helpful in getting new keyword suggestions.
7) Google Analytics
You're making a valid effort in trying to drive users to your business online by employing various digital marketing strategies paired with some of the tools introduced in this blog. However there are some questions that you are asking yourself to know which of your activities is actually driving the best results?
Key questions such as how many of your website visitors are new compared to returning? How long are users actually spending on your website?
All these are important analytical questions that can be answered through Google Analytics. This is a free service, and it can give you great insight into your website traffic and help you understand how users are finding and navigating your website.
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Not everyone needs every Google tool in this list, but it's important to have some of the basic products in your list, because when used the right way it can really help your business to become more efficient when communicating to your customers online.
Pair your marketing efforts with your website to drive valid user searches for the services you offer. Learn more about how EVERWORKS can help you here.
