Just over ten years ago, the marketing landscape for British businesses looked very different. To get noticed and claim their share of the market, large companies ploughed money into costly print campaigns and eye-wateringly expensive TV advertisements, whilst smaller businesses listed themselves in numerous directories like Thomson Local and Yellow Pages, perhaps with the odd classified ad placed in a local newspaper. Yet now, these archaic methods have been replaced by a concept unrecognisable (and even incomprehensible) to businesses flourishing back in the eighties and nineties. It’s a concept we are all familiar with which has revolutionised many daily processes of our lives – so just how has Google changed your life – both in a personal and professional capacity?
Google is fast, effective and efficient
Gone are the days when finding information was a time-consuming, even costly, process. Information is now free and fast – easily available at the touch of a finger or click of a mouse. This is great news for businesses as it enables them to be located quickly and easily by clients looking for the exact service or product they offer. For consumers it is equally positive – allowing them to quickly find a company and make a decision on whether to engage with them or not without having to set foot out of their front door.
Google gives users what they need
It’s very rare that Google fails to produce the desired result for its users – more often than not it offers several. It’s this high satisfaction rate is what makes Google so popular – yet it also dictates that Google has to be ruthless by nature – ensuring that only the best quality results make it to the top spot. Great news for users – and good news for businesses who understand SEO and invest in the management of their online presence. Not so great for companies left floundering on the second page without an understanding of what Google looks for when it places websites high in its coveted top spots. Google doesn’t know that you are a quality business offering quality services unless you explain that in a way that it understands – and that’s where companies like us come in.
Google promises quality results (most of the time)
Once again, not only does Google satisfy a need in users, it also satisfies the need with good quality results (more often than not). It’s undeniably true that we subliminally rank businesses based on their position on Google – but sometimes we find that when we land on the website it leaves a lot to be desired. That’s why managing an online presence doesn’t begin and end with SEO – it also heavily involves user experience and how they view and engage with your site once they have found you.
Over 90% of consumers now consult Google before making a buying decision
Even with a strong word of mouth recommendation, most consumers consult Google before making their buying decision – and less than 10% of users venture past the first page to find what they are looking for. However just because a company doesn’t feature highly on Google doesn’t mean to say it is offering poor quality goods – as before, if a company’s online presence isn’t up to scratch it’s important to assess their current offering and consider how both Google and website users can be better catered for in order to obtain better results, more visits and ultimately increased sales.
