Why Googling yourself does not work
Ursula Somers - 24 February 2020
It is easy to pop your business name into Google and judge how visible you are based on what you see in front of you. However, there is a danger that comes with doing this. You may also automatically jump to the conclusion that your ads are working really well or your company is at position one for a particular keyword. In turn, this may lead you to judge your external digital marketing team on their efforts based on what you see on your screen. But it is important to realise that what is coming up on your own Google search isn’t necessarily what everyone else is seeing and that it is much more effective to rely on real figures and data.
So, here are a few reasons why Googling yourself does not work…
Google gives highly personalised results
Google is very clever. It knows a lot about you, from your search habits to your location. It bases your search results on this information, targeting you with the best results in order to meet your needs and your previous search history.
For this reason, searching for your own business – which is most likely in the same location you are in and will be of high interest within your past search history – isn’t the best way to judge your online visibility as a whole.
It is important that you don’t make big business decisions based on this small insight that isn’t even entirely accurate. It is much more beneficial to look into the bigger picture to know exactly how well your business is performing and to measure your return on investment (ROI).
Potentially harming your search visibility
You may feel that Googling yourself on a weekly basis is a great way of tracking your success, but did you know you could actually be hindering it?
Doing this results in false data that could negatively affect your overall search visibility. For example, if you click on your own ad, you are essentially increasing the cost per click (CPC) for something that wasn’t genuine interest from a potential customer.
On the other hand, if you conduct a search and don’t click on your ad, it will appear as an impression but not a click through, negatively affecting the click through rate (CTR) for that particular ad which in turn affects your ranking.
Unreliable data
Google search results should never be a reason that you make a judgement on the performance of your digital marketing team, especially if you have no SEO knowledge yourself.
Yes, for a genuine customer within your targeted location, it can be a good indication of your visibility. But for someone with a strong link to the company and relevant prior search history, search results are not an accurate analysis of success.
It is much more effective to rely on the actual data from specialist tracking software such as Google Ads, Google Analytics or Google Search Console. Unless you have prior knowledge of navigating these, your external agency will provide these metrics to display the performance of your ads and online visibility.
How to stop searching yourself…
Hire an external digital marketing agency or SEO team to manage and monitor all your SEO needs. With the right knowledge and expertise, any damage caused by Googling yourself can be reversed over time. Having someone else oversee your progress and implement strategies to improve your paid and organic rankings will allow you to take a step back. At Wagada, our range of services aim to improve your online visibility and increase traffic to your website, therefore bringing in more business.
We understand it can be scary handing over the potential success or decline of your business to someone else, which is why it is so important to employ an agency that you completely trust. It is crucial that you are involved in the process and know exactly what is going on at all times…
- Ask your agency for a detailed report each month, breaking down your performance online.
- Ask for a more simplified version of your progress in terms you will understand if you are not an SEO expert.
- Take the time to fully read any feedback or reports so you can approach any queries or concerns with prior understanding.
- Draft up any questions you have each month to address over email or during your next meeting.
- Keep an open mind. Be aware that industry changes and updates to Google’s algorithm can be frequent so therefore there may often be sudden changes in performance. However, your agency will be working effectively to combat any issues that arise from this and find a new strategy that works for you.
Googling yourself can really affect your online performance and visibility. If it appears that Google has not brought you what you were searching for, they will shuffle everything around to try and achieve this. Therefore, if the search is not genuine and is for your own reassurance or monitoring, Google’s reshuffling may be inaccurate and harm your visibility for actual customers.
Spend less time Googling yourself and more time being proactive about your digital marketing; get in touch to begin your SEO journey with Wagada.
