Are you genuinely being found in search engines?

9th October 2017

If you own a business, one thing is for sure, you will have Googled your company at some point.  
However, be aware that the search results presented to you in Google are influenced by many factors, including how many times you have already visited the website in question and your current location at the time of searching. The way others see the results, including the position of your website, may not in fact be what you see yourself.

How do you check where your business is ranking in Google?

Switch your browser to private or incognito mode.
Before searching for your company be sure to use the private mode on your browser to get a fair representation of the way in which others see your business in Googles listings.

Try searching directly for your business name eg. The Little Flower Hut
Your business name will be searched by existing customers or those that have spotted your business vehicle or signage. Providing your website is set up professionally, clients should have no problem finding it in the first few positions of Google. In this case they already know who they are trying to find, and are likely to be looking for additional information such as a phone number in order to contact you. Although it is favourable to find yourself in the listings, it is rare that this sort of search attracts new business.

Search for a product or service you provide, along with your businesses location eg. Wedding Flowers, Norwich.
What position is your company appearing in?
If your website is optimised correctly you should expect to appear in the first page of Google for the large majority of the searches concerning any services or products you provide, within your local area. If your website content has not been professionally managed, where you appear in the listings organically depends on the strength of your competitors and the number of others providing the same service locally. If your business is not visible in the first page of Google you could be losing several potential leads. When a potential client is searching for a service or product that they are currently in the market for, being visible in the first page of Google is vital. Your chances of gaining a click through to your website are very high, increasing further if you appear in positions 1 to 3. According to Google search data, up to 61% of traffic goes to the top three results. If you are not already investing in SEO for your website, then now is the time to consider doing so.

Check how your website displays on various devices.
Test your website on both Android and Apple phones, different tablets and PC screen sizes. Many businesses only view their own website occasionally on their company PC, but with mobile viewing now overtaking desktop users – make sure you are aware of any glitches or viewing issues your customers may be encountering as these will affect your Google rankings and conversion rates.

We recommend keeping a close eye on your rankings, by undertaking these simple checks on a regular basis. If your business is not making the position in Google that it deserves and you are interested in either improving your rankings or are in need of a mobile friendly website contact us today 01603 859007. 

Alternatively if you would like a more in depth insight into your website, we can offer your business a free SEO report. Go ahead and fill in our contact form below and we will give you a call back.