You’ve invested a lot of time and money in creating an elegant and engaging website. You’ve hired a professional photographer to capture the spirit in your office – and you’re pleased to say that these are the most flattering pictures of yourself and your team you’ve ever had. The website is completely mobile-friendly and resizes itself to the relevant screen format on each device. You’ve also built a business profile on each of the most popular social media platforms. Finally, you’ve set up an Adwords campaign to target your specialist keywords.
But, despite your efforts, potential customers still can’t find your website. Your Google Analytics dashboard doesn’t seem to indicate that you’re getting more visitors to the site. What went wrong?
Can you find your site?
As silly as it might sound, it’s worth launching a search, using your keywords. You’re probably familiar with the typical search query, but do you know any of the more advanced Google search tips that might help you to spot your site in the SERPs? You could use the – [keyword] syntax to exclude specific terms from the search and maximize your chances of appearing, for instance. Defining if your site comes up in the SERPs and under which criteria is crucial to determine your content strategy. Ultimately, you may not be making the most of your content creation.
Are you on Google Maps?
For businesses that are trying to appeal to their local customers, nothing can beat the benefits of local visibility for searches in your community. But, if you’ve failed to share your physical business address with Google Maps. You need to start your journey on the map by creating a My Business account which lets you manage your listing. Google will need to check your information – via a postcard or a phone call. Once your business is verified, you can use your presence to boost local searches and even your AdWords campaign.
Oops, did you block them?
Since the GDPR in May 2018, many US websites have taken additional measures to block visitors from Europe. Indeed, as the data protection laws don’t affect non-EU netizens, businesses and other publications based outside of Europe have chosen to block visitors on a location-based rule. Consequently, if you’ve been experiencing a drop in visits and even customership, you might need to check your IP exclusion settings. Ultimately, making your website EU-friendly forces you to set data gathering and storing facilities that meet the GDPR requirements.
You’re too vanilla
Your online presence is like vanilla ice cream. In your efforts to please everyone, you fail to provide differentiation from your competitors. Vanilla is, by definition, the most basic flavor you can get. While it suits everyone, it’s also the dullest ice cream on the menu. Therefore it’s also the last flavor to be ordered; people prefer exciting tastes such as Unicorn, Cereal and Milk, Coffee and Donut, or even Afternoon Tea ice cream. The lesson: Pick your niche and focus on your demographics. One size never fits all.
Online visibility depends on a variety of factor, from technical elements such as your server to making sure you’ve set your website to a public instead of a private presence. However, more often than not, a low visit volume tends to be attributed to the failure to create keyword-worthy content, maximize your local visibility, keep IP addresses included, and to differentiate your business.
