Control Your Role

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been updated from the original version published in May, 2014 -

Over the years, digital marketing has become increasingly sophisticated and multifaceted. The virtual marketplace has become so fractured; brand touchpoints are everywhere; websites, social media profiles, blogs, directories and other citations… the list goes on and on.

Having control of these touchpoints is a vital element of successful internet marketing. The more power you have over anything mentioned about your brand online, the better. This post is designed to help you make sure your brand is being properly represented across all of these channels, and in other words, controlling your role.

Control your website
This seems like a given, but are you really aware of what is going on with your site? Is it functioning correctly, allowing all of your pages and delicious content to be properly indexed and displayed for the masses? If you are outsourcing website and/or blog content, are you in the loop when it comes to what’s being published to your site? If you answered no to either of these it’s time to pump the brakes.

There are free webmaster tools available from Bing and Google that will help you diagnose any technical site issues, while also offering a veritable slew of helpful information.

And as far as outsourced content goes — hey, I’ll be the last guy to knock it. After all, that’s a lot of what I do. Just be sure that the content creator you’re working with knows their stuff when it comes to web copy and SEO. It goes without saying that you, or a trusted colleague knowledgeable about your industry, reviews any ghostwritten or outsourced copy for accuracy and desired voice.

Get in touch with your social side
It’s becoming increasingly evident that search engines are relying more and more on social signals to rank websites. (And there is a lot of great data out there to support this.) Regardless of your industry, target demographic, or personal disposition, having a strong social media presence is important to SEO, and hence, driving traffic to your website.

https://twitter.com/Pistolapete/status/715274543061839872

I’ll bet dollars to donuts that many individuals reading this have personal or brand social media profiles out there that have no idea they exist. For example, if you have created multiple Gmail addresses, associated Google Plus pages have been propagated by default. (And, I’m sorry Google, but these defaults pages are not pretty.) There may also be user-generated Facebook pages and other social profiles you are not aware of.

Conduct a web search using your name and/or your businesses name and go deep… Many of you will be surprised to see yourselves in places you never even knew you were before. Seize control of these profiles and represent yourself.

So, if Google sees one phone number in one citation and a different number in the next, inaccurate information spreads more quickly that pinkeye in a frat house.

Put yourself on the map
If you conduct the web search I mentioned in the previous paragraph (otherwise known as “go Google yourself, buddy!”), you will likely have seen third-party directory listings and other citations referring to your brand.

If you possess multiple business locations; have at some point rebranded; changed phone numbers, addresses or perhaps even chosen a new hair-doo, it is probable that some of these listings contain misinformation.

When NAPs (Name, Address, and Phone Number) are inconsistent across citations, it doesn’t just confuse potential customers and clients, it befuddles search engines.

Contrary to what some might call common sense, many directories and search engines cull information from online sources other than your website. So, if Google sees one phone number in one citation and a different number in the next, inaccurate spreads more quickly that pinkeye in a frat house.

Perform web searches for various iterations of your brand name and claim every one of them you can. Perhaps most importantly, verify your Google My Business and Google Map listings. To increase your chances for success, add structured location data to your website as well (see Google Search Console).

Claiming and optimizing citations can be a cumbersome and perplexing process, so you may want to consider using an online management tool like Moz Local, or a Fix-It-Up Chappie such as myself.

Whatever approach you opt for, research your brand’s Web Identity, get to know your online role, and own it.

What methods do you use to ensure your brand is consistently and accurately represented across digital channels? Please share your comments and ideas!