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Every so often, it is important to see where your name ranks and how GOOGLE views your name brand.
Perform this simple test – ( I would sign out of Google – To check this out)
1) Type your first name and last name into Google (Google Yourself) If your name is very popular, also type in your city and state
2) Look at your results closely. Where does Google see your name?
Item (2) really speaks volumes and is a very accurate picture of your brand. For me, the first social media site that appears is Linkedin, followed by Twitter, then some blog sites then YouTube, GooglePlus and Facebook. This about sums up what I would expect. I really like to follow people on Linkedin and Twitter and I think it is important that my blog sites and content sites are ranking high with respect to my name.
Try this simple test with the two quarterbacks from last night’s superbow. (Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson) Besides the high number of news articles, look at which sites rank the highest for these individuals. Obviously Peyton Manning’s website ranks very high and there are no social media sites that I could find on page one of Google. Russell Wilson’s name comes up for both a Twitter ID and a Facebook Page. It is a sign of the times.
It should also be a wakeup call to all of us. People are finding our name online and with that comes responsibility for our brand as well as proper communication of our brand.
In addition, Google is looking at your informaiton too and is watching to see what type of activity and content you are writing about and communicating.
The takeaway for you as a marketer
Check out your competitors by typing in a representative’s name. Notice where Google thinks their brand name is worth more.
Check out other companies by performing this same exercise. You might gain some insight as to some areas you might be missing out on potential business.
In addition to social media sites, see how other companies are using content to spread their brand message.
You can gain some good information with this simple exercise and I think it is good to test this theory to know when Google makes updates to its alogrithm. Believe me, after Google Hummingbird, marketers need to understand where search is headed in the future and where they need to focus their time to achieve results.
Image courtesy of sixninepixels / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
