Why You Don't Want To Be On
The First Page Of Google
When you build a business online the most important thing you should be doing every single day is building your list. Your house list influences the value of your company and it gives you the power to grow on command. Without a list you’re pretty much guessing as you go. This is what MaryEllen Tribby refers to as a “garage sale” type business- where you put your products or services ‘out there’ and hope someone buys them.
Serious business owners build their list, have a marketing strategy they follow and create products to increase their profits in a passive way. So it would seem obvious that you should also have a goal to end up on the first page of Google, right? Not necessarily.
Years ago when people paid for PPC ads as the foremost way of marketing online this might have been a great target- get a first page organic listing and you’re all set. No more paid ads. But hold on a second….
We’re in the blogging, social media and new economy now. Searches for products and services are not the only way that people find business owners anymore. As a matter of fact in his best seller, “Socialnomics” Erik Qualman says, “We no longer search for news- it finds us. “ This holds true as well for products and services.
Because so much of what goes on online is interconnected it’s not an accident that when you start posting about parenting on your Facebook page, you'll begin seeing ads start to pop up out of thin air on your page, in your email and elsewhere that bring you products and services about parenting. Search engines and technology is getting better and better at understanding our individual search needs. So organic traffic is key but being on the first page of Google does not necessarily mean you’ll score a million dollar home run.
When I do a search for something I’m really wanting to learn about or shop for if the top listing I come to has a horrible website I move on. A sale is not made.
I buy something from a site that feels comfortable, inviting and professional. Looking for great prices, service and quick shipping is also important. But mark my words- I don’t buy because it’s the first listing on Google. Neither do your customers.
I’ve had people rave to me about being on the first page of Google when they type their name into the search feature. My answer is, “When is the last time someone you didn’t know found your site and purchased from you because they put your name into Google?” Millions are not typically made on warm market advertising alone. Your goal is to come up everywhere on the internet with your respective keywords and tags.
Being on the first page of Google is not the goal of my WordPress classes. But it definitely is the end result for many of my clients. My goal is bigger and I’ll tell you why.
If I do media buying (buying advertisements, renting lists, purchasing air time on radio) being the first spot on Google doesn’t matter one bit. What matters is can I close a sale through my website without ever talking to anyone.
The biggest thing you should be focusing on is closing a sale. Then you focus on closing more sales. Then you triple and quadruple your sales and you get some staff. But being on the first page of Google is not your primary aim when you first start out.
If you are just starting out online and your company has not profited at least $ 50,000 in the last year- here is what you need to do now.
- Create a WordPress site for your business. Not a free one, a hosted domain. If you don’t know how, register for my next class- I’d be happy to help you as I have thousands of my clients.
- Then do some keyword research on SpyFu or Compete. Pay attention to what your top competitors are doing. Find their loopholes and their weaknesses. Serve people and create satisfied customers. And keep building.
- Have your keywords and tags appropriately set up to find your ideal client is key. Writing content rich articles that have your keywords used effectively also works. But it doesn’t stop there.
- Connect your blog to Social Media and when you create your “info” page on Facebook and your profile descript on Twitter, be sure it’s also keyword rich.
- Create an EZine articles account, upgrade to Platinum so you can have your articles live instantly. Use the same keywords and tags you’re using on your WordPress blog.
- Be sure your site’s focus is on ONE big idea, don’t confuse your audience and make some sales!
These tips alone will give you better conversions than being on the first page of Google.
When someone shows up on the first page of Google it means nothing if they are not doing what I just listed. If a sale is not made you are not in business- you’re running a non-profit organization. So remember where your real focus should be.
This is the “Ready, Fire, Aim” business model Michael Masterson refers to in his bestseller by the same name. Get ready, fire, create some sales, get more sales, built your list and THEN aim for Google’s top spot.
So let’s recap your to-do list this week and in the upcoming weeks.
Create your WordPress blog. Do keyword research at SpyFu or Compete. Write articles regularly (2-4 times per week). Be consistent. Connect with your customers through social media. Be honest, be trustworthy and help people to succeed. This my friends is where the million dollar income streams enter in.
And….. typically, organically, without much focus or emphasis, a first page placement on Google that is worth it’s weight in gold will appear without much effort because you are showing up everywhere else as well at the same time.
Then aim, aim, aim and grow big!
It’s a beautiful way to run a company and one I love doing every single day.
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Sandi Krakowski spent 6 years in the Direct Sales industry building a $ 4 million dollar company that was run 100% online through eCommerce, building large sales forces in network marketing and home business industries. Expanding her skill set and offerings to her clients she invested over $ 200,000 to gain the powerful knowledge and wealth of skill her clients paid dearly for to earn millions for their companies. She went onto build a 7-figure marketing and copywriting firm in just 20 months.
Currently she runs one of the fastest growing training venues teaching beginners to experts how to really use the internet to it's fullest capacity. Clients such as EarlyToRise.com, Gina Alexander and Bob Bly have referred their own customers to Sandi for her WordPress Training.
She teaches with a style that is passionate, intense and fun! Her students say that they get more value from Sandi in one hour than they've paid months for from other online 'experts' who can craft great headlines but don't deliver results.
Sandi has a free report entitled, “The Biggest Mistake People Make With A WordPress Site” 95% of people make a single mistake with WordPress that costs them huge losses in their business! Don't let this be YOU! Grab this report now!!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Touché! I could feel your energy writing this post – and you're right – it's what happens when the ideal customer opens your website and does what you want them to do that counts. Thank you for a brilliant reminder and great job! Patricia Ogilvie, http://www.patriciaogilvie.com
Hi Sandi,
I’ve just begun re-branding and re-structuring my business to the world of wordpress, blogging and social media. One thing I’m finding daunting to think about is the thought of blogging so many times a week. I know that’s the most effective way to do it because I see you and all the pros do it that way.
But how do you do that without:
a)writing fluff just to meet quota
b) writing good content without it taking over your life?
Also, I’m not a bad writer but even on a subject I know well it’s hard to imagine finding that much to talk about.
Any tips would be appreciated!
Blessings,
Ron