how to dominate page 1 of Google if you're an online business

You may have heard that you must be on page 1 of Google’s search results, or it doesn’t count. Maybe you’ve heard me say that. It’s the truth; 97% of people never click through to page 2, so you must be on page 1 to be found. Have you ever heard that and thought, great, but how do I dominate page 1 of Google for an online business? 

Your Search Engine Real Estate

We talked a lot about the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) Real Estate within the industry. The total real estate can vary but typically includes 7-10 website listings, maps, and photos or videos. Sometimes, it contains a direct answer as well. A direct answer is an answer to a common question posted at the top of the page because Google doesn’t think it’s necessary to go to a website for that information. For example, how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon can be answered quickly (3 tsp for 1 Tbsp) rather than sending someone to a blog post or website page. 

As a business owner, you want to have as many mentions of your business on the search engine results page, especially when searching your brand name. The bigger your share of the real estate you own, the better your chances are of getting the click to come to your business in one way or another.

Where do we start? We start with SEO, of course.

SEO for online businesses

Here’s the thing. SEO is the same whether you have an online business or a brick-and-mortar one. Whether your business is online or offline, you’re going to need a website, and that website will need to have optimized copy, links from other sites, optimized images, and more. An easy SEO plan for beginners is outlined in this post. The website content you need for your first website is included here.

You’ll want to ensure your business shows up when your name is searched. You want to be at the top of the page and, hopefully, in multiple spaces.

Other Google Products that help you on Page 1

You should also have a verified and optimized Google Business Profile listing so you can drive additional traffic from there. Adding optimized copy that describes your business is a good idea because Google Maps listings often appear above other websites in the search results. 

Google My Business reviews can show up in the search results or within your Google My Business listing. Reviews can help make people more open to working with a new business. Make sure your reviews are legitimate; don’t try to cheat the system and write them yourself; people can tell.

If you have a YouTube channel, sometimes your YouTube videos will show up in the search results.

There are also Google Image and Google Video search tabs. If you optimize your content for search engines, your content can show up in both of these.

What about Social Media?

Yes! Your social media links can show up in the search results when someone searches for your business name. It’s a good thing because it’s one more potential touchpoint for someone to find you and learn about your business. 

What’s the goal for your business?

Your goal as a business owner is to have as much of the search engine results page as possible. When someone is searching for a business, they may see your website, a map listing, your social media channels, images, or videos. Any of these items can direct traffic to your business and, ultimately, to your website.

The more opportunities someone has to find your business on Google’s 1st page, the better. Whether they initially see your website, your Google Maps listing, an image, a video, or your social media channels, they’ve still found your business, and you have the opportunity to turn them into a customer. 

Own as much of the Google Search Engine Real Estate as possible, my friends.