It is surprising the number of people, that don’t believe customers/prospects are looking for their product/service on the internet.

Google.com keeps track of every word and/or phrase that is typed in their search results.

The above chart shows some great examples. Most people when searching for a service or product will type the product/service first, followed by the name of the nearest city to them.

If you have a Google Adwords account you have access to the same information, just look under the heading title “Keyword Planner”. Type in as many different phrases/keywords your prospect customer/client will be typing in, followed by your city.

“Dentist New York”, “Carpet cleaning Philadelphia”, or “Pest control Dallas” – which averages 880 times per month. (Question: Of the 880 people who typed in “Pest Control Dallas” How many of those, did business with you?)

The next thing that appears, on the first page of Google.com is the below, notice it includes number of reviews and a rating of between 1 and 5 Stars.

Most people, after seeing the results on Google.com will look for the highest rating and highest number of reviews. According to a national study (Bazarvice/Brightlocal.com) it takes at least 6 to 10 Reviews online for a business to be trusted.

These are not pay per click listings either, but rather organic listings in google. Organic listings are really out of most businesses control. What a business can control is  to manage, build and market their companies reputation. It takes time, but building your companies reputation to a 5 Star level looks of good to future customer and is well worth the effort.

Don’t think of it as an expense, but an important asset to the company. As important as the goodwill listing on your balance sheet.

NEXT ARTICLE: Tips on building that 5 Star Reputation