Is your business making the most of the opportunities presented by Google, and if not, why not?
Children in much of the Western world spend years wondering how Santa Claus knows what gifts they want, and how he knows where they live.
In 2013, Google is the new Santa Claus.
Think about it …
Google knows where you live.
Google knows where everyone lives.
Google knows what you want.
And Google can make it into your home and everyone else’s home on Christmas Eve.
The question is, will Google bring you everything on your wish list?
And maybe a bigger question is: how are you taking advantage of the Santa Claus elements Google presents to help you build your personal brand and reputation?
Actually, I wonder if your Christmas wish list contains a wish for you to have a better personal brand next year? Or a better reputation next year? Or a higher Google ranking next year? Or maybe to occupy the entire first page of Google next year?
Probably not.
Like Santa Claus, Google keeps track of you all year long. You can’t just all of a sudden become nicer at Christmas; you have to be nice all the time. You have to be good all the time. You have to be ethical all the time. And you have to take reputation-building actions all the time in order for Google to look upon you favourably.
And just so we understand each other, Google doesn’t make a list and check it twice. Google already has the list, you are already on the list, and that list gets checked every day.
If you’re trying to harvest the bounty that Google offers, the free bounty that Google offers, you have to take the appropriate actions that will move you up the list, and keep adding to the list on a consistent basis.
• Write something and post it online.
• Have an article published someplace.
• Tweet something meaningful.
• Speak someplace.
• Join a business group.
• Lead a civic group.
• Participate in a charity.
• Start a personal website.
• Tweet something profound.
• Create a blog and post an entry every day.
• Post on your Facebook business page.
• Put a video up on your YouTube channel.
• Do something noteworthy in your community.
• Tweet something that helps others.
• Invite people to your LinkedIn page.
Do all of these things consistently – some daily, some weekly, but each of them at least monthly. The key to building your Google reputation is consistent action, consistent writing, and consistent posting.
The week between Christmas and the New Year presents an amazing opportunity to any person who is B2B, and many B2C. It’s the time to make your plan for next year. The time to make your Christmas list is not December 1, its January 1. That’s the day you begin to earn your gifts from Google for the next year. Or not.
Okay, so Google may not really be Santa Claus. But the similarities are remarkable, and the results are the same. If you’re good, you get toys. If you’re bad, you get coal.
How important is your Google ranking? If you want material things, a great Google ranking, a great Google personal brand, and a great Google ranking, and a great Google reputation will ensure that you get all the things on your list, and a new house, and a new car.
