This month, we will take a quick look at some basic steps you can take to check that your business’ online presence, to see what is working and how people find you in the Google search.
- Search for yourself on Google.
It sounds a bit silly, but one of the best ways to see how you’re doing online is just to try searching for your business. First open up a new private/incognito window – this stops cookies on your computer affecting the search results it shows you.- Try searching for both your business name and the type of services you offer.
- For example, we would try searching for “Modern Print & Design” first
- After this we might try “graphic designers in Pembrokeshire” or “website designers near me”.
- If you see any pages from your website in the list then it’s likely your SEO is working somewhat well
- If you can’t see your website, we can help you figure out why in a free web review.
- Check business profile/directory sites
Many business directories or profile sites might already be listing your company, even if you never set up a profile! You’ll want to check sites like XX and XX to see if you have a profile.- If you do make sure to claim it so you are the one in charge of it and the information it shows. Methods to do this differ by website, but if you have trouble get in touch with the support team of that particular website.
- Check mapping sites
As with the directory sites above, these websites often automatically create profiles where they “think” your business is located, alongside assumed opening hours and contact details. In the past, we’ve found that this automatic system is regularly incorrect.- As with the business directory profiles, make sure to claim these so you are the one that is in control of them.
- Check your website’s health
There are many things which can affect a site’s health – updates, security certificates and the age of the website are just a few.- Make sure to keep your website software up-to-date, missing updates can leave vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to break in.
- If your website is quite old, you may no longer be able to get updates for it and over time it will become vulnerable to attack as technology moves on.
- We recommend using an SSL security certificate on all of our sites – if you can see padlock in the address bar, you know your data is secure.
- Check website on mobile devices
Test your website on as many mobile devices as you can. Different devices, operating systems and screen sizes can all display your website different. It’s best to be prepared for what your visitors are going to experience if they visit your website- If your website is difficult to use on mobile devices, it will be penalised by Google in the search rankings.
- To fix this you will need to know how to edit the design of your website to make it responsive. We can help you with this.
If you need assistance with any of these things, or would like us to take a look at your website, you can get a free no-commitment website review today by calling 01646 682676 or filling out the form on our Contact page.
