What If You Don’t Like the Search Queries Results You Are Getting?

search queries webmaster tools

search queries webmaster tools

In a previous post, I discussed how to register with Google’s Webmaster Tools and how to identify the results for search queries that bring people to your website.   The search queries results may not be what you were expecting and may, in fact, be quite disappointing.  So why would this be, given all the hard work you have put into writing content for your site?

The search queries results provide invaluable data about your site and how it is viewed by Internet searchers.   Before you do anything else, just check the filters (e.g. geography) that you have used to report the data.  It may be that you have excluded a search query from your results because of the filters you have used in reporting the search queries results.

One of the core reasons that your search queries results will differ from your expectations is the relevance of both your content and your site description.

How to improve your search queries results in Webmaster Tools

Let’s focus on relevance because that is the key issue determining whether your site gets included in Google’s search queries results for a particular query.

It may be that Google has not been able to find enough content on your site that is both useful and relevant to Internet searchers who have used a particular search query.   If you are unfocused on your site, trying to cover multiple topics or unrelated topics, both Internet searchers and Google will be confused.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, focus is so critical to your online results and your small business marketing success.

So here are some hints to improve the relevance of your content:

  • Focus on your reader – what is their level of understanding of what you are discussing on your site?
  • What language do your readers use to describe their problems/issues? – you can outpace your reader with your own understanding of a particular issue
  • Find out where your customers are conversing – join in the conversation
  • Be conscious of your marketing style, particularly if you are in the coaching or consulting business
  • Check out Google AdWords Keyword Tool to see what terms people are using to search for information in your niche area – you will often be surprised! (make sure you sign in with your Google account details to get more complete results)
  • Visit blogs that are related to your niche to see what topics people are discussing, the language they are using and the problems/issues they are experiencing (take particular note of the blogs that have lots of comments)
  • Put yourself in your reader’s shoes – what would you be experiencing?, what kind of help would you need?, what would you be talking about?
  • Check out your site’s description as it appears on the Google search queries results – is your site description relevant to what you write about? (if not, change your site’s ‘description meta tag’ or get someone to change it for you).

Just focusing in on the relevance of what you write, and how you write, can go a long way to improving your search queries results.

What is Your Marketing Style?

Small Business Marketing StyleAre you aware of the marketing style that you use in promoting your small business?   Developing a consistent and congruent marketing style is one aspect of effective business branding.

This point was brought home to me by Nancy Marmolejo, a visibility expert, who teaches small business owners to “step into the spotlignht”  by understanding and developing their preferred marketing style.  She suggests that if you use trial and error to develop your style it will cost you time, money and effectiveness.   Your marketing style is what you use to persuade people to take action (basically, your influencing style)

In a recent webinar, Nancy identified three basic marketing styles:

1.  Practical Engineer

The core theme of this style is “follow my instructions”.  The Practical Engineer is methodical and uses facts, figures and logic to influence people to buy their products and services.  They are the ones who will give you the “numbers” as proof, focus on the outcomes and spell out the steps to get there.   In a managerial context, these people are described as the “assertive persuaders”.  Nancy highlighted Tanya Smith as a person who was able to dramatically grow her busines by getting in touch with her own  preferred influencing style, the Practical Engineer:

http://www.spicyhatsystems.com

2.  Trusted Advisor

People who use the “Trusted Advisor” marketing style typically do not like to sell – their focus is on being connected, developing relationships and demonstrating authenticity.  They are able to persuade through their reputation, knowledge, credibility and the relationships they develop.   The trusted advisor will be the person who is non-competitive and who gives endless free information.  They build trust easily and are typically warm-hearted and nurturing in their approach.  However, the downside in terms of developing their small business is that they find it hard to ask for the sale and are very indirect in their approach to marketing.  The danger for the trusted advisor is that they can be generous “to a fault”.   In a managerial context, they are equated to people who use the “participation and trust” style of influencing.   Nancy identied Cathy Jennings as an exemplar of the Trusted Advisor marketing style:

http://www.nopressurenetworking.com

3.  Brand Evangelist

The message of the “Brand Evangelist” marketing style is “follow me”.  They are the visionaries who help people see the future, to envisage possibilities.   They tend to be charismatic and propose that their way will work for everybody.   The downside is that other people may be wired very differently – we are not all the same.  For example, there are many different learning styles and people differ in relation to these learning styles.   In a mangerial context, the Brand Evangelist  is described as a person who uses the “Common Vision” approach.  Nancy identified Allison Rapp as an exemplar of the Brand Evangelist marketing style:

http://www.getthepracticeyouwant.com

While Nancy Marmolejo’s “Spotlight U” approach is particularly useful for those who own consulting or coaching businesses, it has relevance across the whole spectrum of small business.  In her own coaching, she helps small business owners to get in touch with their preferred marketing style, to understand the “shadow” or inherent weaknesses of their style and to develop marketing activities consistent with their preferred style. 

 Nancy has many testimonials where people report that her coaching program enabled them to really get in touch with who they are and how they like to operate.  Participants felt relieved that they did not have to be “everything to everybody” – they could really be themselves, play to their strengths and attract the kind of people they want to work with.   Where your marketing style lines up with who you are, everything becomes a lot easier – you are not pushing against natural forces. 

Having heard the testimonials and seen Nancy’s passion for what she does (in her typical Brand Evangelist style), I feel comfortable in recommending her coaching program.

Postscript:

I’ve found that I have used different marketing styles in different arenas.  Typically, I have only drawn on two marketing styles – Trusted Advisor and Brand Evangelist.  These two styles are related and are quite different in orientation to the Practical Engineer style. 

When I was President of ALARA (Action Learning and Action Research Association), my goal was to develop a global, not-for-profit organisation that would establish a strategic network of people who shared a common vision about improving equity and justice in the world.   So I adopted a “Brand Evangelist” approach and spent a lot of time influencing people to use these intervention modalities to improve their local situation (whether in schools, organisations or communities).

When I started to focus on building expertise in social media and small business marketing, I adopted very much the Trusted Advisor marketing style.  I built up my reputation and credibility online by developing and sharing expertise and building lots of relationships.  This approach was reflected this year in the joint development, with friends in the US and Germany, of a social network for online writers, Wizzley.com.

In marketing my own Human Resource Consultancy business, I have adopted a Trusted Advisor marketing style.