The worst position you can be in when considering online marketing is not being able to find your brand name with a Google search. So much of marketing is done via word of mouth, recommendations newspaper ads even TV advertising.
So, when a potential client decides to check you out and you do not appear within the search results, your business credibility falls down the drain.
Even when your business name is found on Google, but not on the first page, it raises questions about the credibility of your business. Quite frankly for online marketing, it is a basic requirement.
But don’t worry, I have some suggestions for you.
There is a first step though, we have to consider if your brand name conflicts with other brands or is a difficult search term in its own right.
For example, if your business was called “Cheapest Carpets”, your brand name is competing with a relatively difficult search term in its own right. At the other end of the scale, if your business was called “John Smith Carpets Middlesbrough”, then quite frankly, you should be ranking first for that search term, as no other business will be called the same.
Here are Some Solutions
For starters let’s assume, your business is of the “John Smith” type and the brand is relatively unique.
Ensure your brand name is in the title tag of the home page of your website. Try not to water it down with other search terms, leave them for other pages. Have your first h1 tag, and include the brand name also. Ensure your business address and phone number are included in at least one indexed page of Google.
It makes sense that the URL also contains or is only the brand name.
These 4 things together should get you to the first page of Google with a unique brand name.
Why This Often Does Not Work
Firstly, avoid over-optimisation. By all means, include your business name in further copy of your website, but do not repeat the same headers throughout the site, or title tags.
Do a site command (site:) to see how many pages have just the business name. (it is ok, if part of a longer search term, sometimes Google does this automatically). Remove those pages or add better titles and descriptions if these pages are valuable.
Having your business address at the footer of each page in normal text is perfectly ok, but avoid any more header tags here. Sometimes designers, use header tags for easy design, unaware of the SEO consequences.
Just make it easier for Google to understand your website, this is a business name so it will only be included where a business name should be.
So, My Business Name Is Also A Competitive Search Term?
This is where things get a bit more complicated. You have to help Google understand, this is a business, not a search phrase. So, you start by creating a “Google My Business” profile, using the brand name, and then linking to your website. Then start creating social media pages, that replicate this and link to your site.
Further this up with citations. This is where your business name, address and phone number are listed on other websites, such as respected directories, Yellow Pages etc. Do not worry if there is no backlink, where Google sees a pattern of address and name, it will eventually see your brand as that search term. Finding your business address and name in newspaper and other respected wesbsites, will also
How much work you have to put into this, depends on the competition for that search term. Are there some big corporate brands competing for that term? It may be, that you cannot achieve first position, but if done properly, you should attain first-page results.
I will go back to a previous comment, the biggest failure in this regard is over-optimisation. Repeating your brand name over and over again, will not improve it chances of being found.
The next reason, is not understanding fully the competition surrounding that search term, where a business name is also competitive.
A good SEO strategist should be able to find solutions for you if you are still struggling.