Danny Star, CEO and Founder of Website Depot Digital Marketing Agency, has helped hundreds of small businesses grow and expand.
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I never liked those “one weird trick” articles. If you’ve (mercifully) never read one, the idea is that there is one weird trick you can do to be successful. Whether it's in business, love, exercise or anything else, these articles often imply that there is some secret key that will provide you with instant success.
Of course, nothing works that way.
Success, as with just about anything in life, is a series of habits, the result of consistent hard work. Even then, the “one weird trick” would often either be something that was obvious or completely ridiculous.
Instead of focusing on “one trick,” consider a different mindset. I’ve found that many business owners (and even some marketers) don’t seem to realize one universal truth about search engines and search engine rankings:
They want you to be successful. They want you to be great at your job.
What It Means to Be the 'Top Ranking' on a Search
That’s what just about every owner wants for their business — to be the very first company anyone sees on Google, Yelp or anywhere else.
Just by virtue of being in that position, it means increased profits, or, perhaps more specifically, it means that you’re in a great position for increased profits.
When business owners think about how to get their company into such a position, they sometimes tend to approach it from an oppositional mindset. As if, in this context, Google, Yelp, or something similar is to be conquered, as if these platforms have to be overcome for a business to be the top ranking.
That’s not how Google or Yelp looks at it. Their interest is in having a great business that is very good at what they do in the top ranking. That’s what helps Google and Yelp.
It’s easy to lose track of everything that Google does and is involved in, but the main reason people use a search engine is so they can find what they’re looking for. Whether that be personal injury attorneys, rehab facilities, pizza or anything else, they want the best option(s).
If Google doesn’t have the best options at the top, in the most visible spot, then that’s not in the best interests of Google or its customers. So, Google wants you to get a high ranking, provided you’re very good at what you do.
That’s where “Google Screened” comes in. We’ve used this feature to help clients climb up in the rankings.
What It Means to Be 'Google Screened'
Again, Google wants the businesses that appear first on their search engine to be the objectively best results. So, they’ve decided to do something about that.
Google states: “Google Screened helps professional service firms build a trusted reputation online. Businesses with this badge go through extensive background and license checks.”
Right now, Google says that “Only firms that provide professional services including Law, Financial Planning, and Real Estate are eligible for the Google Screened badge.”
If you search for one of these types of businesses on Google (example: “best personal injury lawyer near me”), you might find that the top ranking has a little checkmark next to it for being “Google Screened.”
To take it a step further, this is Google’s way of doing quality control.
Through this process, Google can take a firmer hand in determining who does (and does not) belong in the top of the rankings.
If you do a search right now, you’ll probably see Google Screened companies at the top. As you scroll down, you might see that there are plenty of Google Screened companies. It could take some time until you get down to the companies that are not Google Screened. Those companies, of course, are on the first page of Google.
In a real way, the first company below the Google Screened ones is the top-ranking company on Google. Yet, you can’t see it until you get past all of the Google Screened ones. What do you think the odds are that a potential customer/client is going to do that?
Google Screened Tips How can I get my business Google Screened?”
That’s something I’ve been hearing more and more often from prospective clients.
This isn’t the kind of thing you can buy your way into, either: Google offers this for free.
As a Google Partner, my team and I walk our clients through the application. Almost invariably, it’s more complicated than they might think. For one, the background check could include “every employee, independent contractor, temporary worker, contingent worker, vendor, or other worker.”
Additionally, make sure that your insurance and licensing are up to date.
The best advice I can give to any business owner before attempting to get Google Screened is to have everything in order. An important requirement for being Google Screened is to get and maintain a three-star rating on Google (at minimum).
Of course, by taking care of everything, you won’t just be better qualified for Google Screened; you’ll be better qualified as a company for your customers.
Working With, Not Against, the Search Engines
Instead of trying to think of how to beat the system, work with the system to help your company grow. Weird tricks, black-hat techniques, and other attempted shortcuts to climb search rankings are dead ends.
One thing that’s great about Google Screened is that it rewards business owners for being good at their business.
Search engines aren’t your friends exactly, but they certainly aren’t your enemies. If you utilize smart strategies, go about your business the right way and make the most of your opportunities, Google and other search engines can be your allies.
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