The first place most people go to find the products or services they need is Google. At a minimum, Google is the new phone book. For example, if I wanted to find out where I could purchase dry ice for a party I was having, I would type in, “Dry ice, Saginaw.” I’ll scan the first page and pick the most convenient and trust-worthy looking company.
Google also helps buyers self-educate early in the sales cycle — before they’re ready to talk to a vendor or sales rep. For example, if I was searching for information about types of office layout design, that could signal I’m considering an office renovation.
Unfortunately, if you don’t show up on Google, the people searching for your type of offering are likely going to your competitors! Here are three timeless tips to help you increase your Google ranking.
Create Lots of Content
The more web pages you have, the more likely you’ll get found. For example, a website with 100 pages has many more chances to get found than a site with only 10 pages.
It’s not as hard to consistently increase the number of pages on your site as you might think. You know a lot about your industry and your offering. Start teaching each people things! Establish yourself as an expert in the field, build credibility and trust, help move prospects through the sales cycle, and develop ongoing relationships with customers. Here are some types of content you can create: blog articles, videos, webinars, presentations, online events, podcasts, whitepapers & ebooks, online tools, and more.
Here is an interesting tidbit of information: 47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. (Demand Gen Report, 2016) If your competitor is writing content and you aren’t, those buyers are likely on their website and not yours. Yikes!
Optimize Content for Search Engines
Keywords are the bridge between the Internet and your website, so you need to figure out what your prospects will type into Google to find out information about the types of things you offer.
Keywords need to be strategically placed in your online content so that the search engines can “read” it and know what the topic is. Keyword management includes monitoring what words and phrases are bringing people to your site and adjusting your content accordingly. It’s not something you can just do once - it is an ongoing process.
Build Links
What the heck is link building, you ask? Simply put, it’s a link from one website to another. For example, let’s say I own a corporate wellness company and write a blog article about the health benefits of ergonomic chairs. You sell office chairs, and in the blog article, I link to your page on ergonomic chairs. That’s an inbound link from my site to your site.
Every link is another door into your company. It’s another entry point. Increasing your inbound links increases the chances your target buyer will find you when they’re in the market. But beware of link building scams. Google is on the alert to companies that try to game the system. Not doing it authentically can cost you.
For a comprehensive overview of Search Engine Optimization, here’s a resource for you:
Good stuff. (FYI - I just gave HubSpot inbound links from my site to theirs. That’s how it works! 
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