How Google Works

Intent Matters

Let’s talk about Google today.

Google is the perfect platform for advertising because, unlike social media, you are highly intent on buying something. With Google, marketers consider you problem aware and actively seeking a solution.

Alternatively, when you’re scrolling on Instagram or TikTok – your mindset isn’t ‘let me buy a product.’ Success in marketing on these platforms tends to be triggered by a few things:

• Immediacy: Buy Now! Everything Must Go! Discount Ends in 4 Hours!

• Mimicry: Kim Kardashian wore this, therefore I want to look like her

• Resonance: This brand represents my values. I could surely buy a widget BUT this brand, they really get me!

Certain industries are better set up for these triggers. Anything with animals or babies cleans up. Others, like something in a highly saturated market (pest control, mattresses, water).

Geniuses figured out ways that products, otherwise insignificant in a crowded market, thrive (Liquid Death comes to mind).

On Google it’s different.

I may type in ‘best shoes under $100’ and be served up hundreds of reviews and explanations. I am ready to buy something but I need information on exactly the best pair. Unlike shoes, where infinite amounts of products exist, local searches are less competitive ( ‘restaurants near me’).

Google works by crawling through every webpage on the internet and then serving up responses to a user, based on their search. If I search ‘restaurants near me,’ Google needs to know where I live. But equally as important, Google needs to ‘see’ the crawled webpages that are based in that area. So, this first step to Google recognition is setting up your GMB (Google My Business) profile.

When advising small businesses, the first task is to simply audit their digital presence.

Most business growth is not complex algorithms and spending millions on ‘new’ strategies. No you do not to download a new social media app.

It’s the basics – done properly. It’s free ways to get in front of your clients. And it’s collection of testimonials and reviews to reduce any objections. These basics are 90% more than your competitors.

The basics for Google:

• Set up your GMB profile. This shows others that you exist and where you are located.

• Set up your Search Console and Google Tag Manager. People are coming to your website - where are they coming from and what is their intent? Google Tag Manager collects that information. Search console tracks your count of visitors and gives you some back end information. I spend at least an hour of my day in Search Console, tinkering and tweaking.

• Reviews - remember, each position lower that you show up - you drop in clicks by ~30-50%. If you are the #1 ranked restaurant in your town, you are going to be clicked ~30% of the time. The #5 ranked restaurant gets clicked a 3-4%! Local companies rank highest by their reviews. Collect the reviews, ASAP.

There it is!

One last thing about reviews, I once worked with a car wash that told their customers if you include an employee’s name in a review, that employee would be tipped $5. This was in Tampa Bay. They had the 3rd most reviews of any business in the Tampa area (1 and 2 were Tampa Bay Stadium and Busch Gardens).

Get seen, ensure traffic is high quality, convince them to stay with your reviews.