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The Internet Popularity Contest

aka Other Websites Talking About You

SEO is in large part a popularity contest. If a lot of different sources are mentioning your website, or have recommended you in some way, this can give a huge boost to how well you show up in Google Search results.

Google Business Listing and Other Directories

How does this affect SEO?
Direct
Indirect

On-Page
Off-Page
UX
Difficulty level?
Easy
What do I need?
Access to the internet

If you have a brick and mortar place of business, or an office, create a listing on Google Business.

This will put your business on Google Maps and allow it to show up in certain kinds of search results.

Other kinds of directories can be helpful as well, especially industry-specific ones. But make sure to use the same business contact information (i.e. company name, address and phone number) every time.

Reputation Management & Reviews

How does this affect SEO?
Direct
Indirect

On-Page
Off-Page
UX
Difficulty level?
Easy
What do I need?
Access to the internet

It’s important to keep an eye on how people on the internet are talking about you.

Garnering reviews on public platforms can be very helpful, especially if they are good.

If you have a bad review on a public platform, a well-crafted response from you can go a long way towards managing your reputation. If you have ever left a bad review for a business, you know the difference that a genuine and kind response from the business can make.

Additionally, many people use social media to ask questions or complain about a business.
If your business replies and shows them that they are heard, you can build a lot of trust.

Tip

You can get alerts automatically sent to you when someone mentions your business on the web.

We’ve now got through the basic SEO Action items that have to do with other websites mentioning your business.
Continue on to learn more strategies.