MetComm.Net, LLC :: Information technology is there for you!

By: Eric Durrand

The three most important things for a successful modern business are: location, location, location. And no, we don’t mean you have to have your store set up on Fifth Avenue. We mean that you need to show up among the top 10 results in Google, when a customer is looking for your kind of service.

Google, for long the most popular search engine and means to information, often makes the difference between a flailing, and a successful online presence. Whether through paid advertising, or through interesting and updated content, if your web site does not feature on the first page of Google results, it is much less likely to be seen, and therefore much less likely to bring in new clients.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Growing Your Business with Google, by Dave Taylor, will help you design a Google-friendly website, get better ranking on the search engine, and spend your money wisely and effectively on AdWords (the smart textual ads that are Google’s main source of income).

 “In the twenty-first century,” writes the author, “business success is based on findability – it’s about creating an online and offline presence that helps your customers find you.” Design, branding, and other aspects of a web site are important, he argues, but not as important as having the right kind of content – the kind that others want to read and link to, and therefore the kind that Google ranks higher.

 The Google advertising model, where your ad is shown only when someone is searching your chosen keywords, is also important for online success. It is generally more effective than other media, since advertisers reach potential clients at the exact moment when they are looking for their kind of products or services. In addition, when using the paid AdWords model, an advertiser pays only when an interested client actually clicks on his ad, and is therefore most likely interested in the offer. In short, will Google AdWords you don’t pay for mere exposure – you pay for actual leads!

 The art of selecting the right keywords to trigger your ads, though, is not as simple as it seems. The competition between advertisers makes words like Law or Real Estate very expensive to link to. “You don’t always want to pick the most popular keywords in your industry,” explains Taylor, “You want to pick keywords that are highly specific to ensure that you engage buyers while simultaneously being as general as possible to capture more potential customers.”

 The book outlines the business case for investing in Google promotion and advertising, the steps for preparing a Google plan, improving the website to promote it on Google, and choosing the right marketing tool and keywords for Google ads. The last chapter outlines the future of findability, and how to prepare for whatever comes after Google.

 Whether you have an active online store, or nothing more than a static web site with your contacts – coming on top of certain Google searches should be a primary ambition. When potential clients are looking for you – you want to be there for them, with your best offer one click away. This book will assist you in making that happen.