As few as three years ago, most businesses could solve their traffic problems by having their website optimized so that they would appear on the first page of Google’s search results. That first page placement would solve many of their traffic issues. However, that is no longer the case.
Online authority builder Donna Gunter states that today a business has to prove their credibility. “Today’s consumer wants to check the credibility of a business, especially if the business offers a professional service, like consultants, coaches, financial planners, accountants, attorneys, and the like. Once a consumer has completed a search and perused the listings on page one of Google, that consumer will then ‘check out’ the business to see what others have to say about it,” adds Gunter.
This process may include looking at reviews and seeing if the service professional has appeared in the media. “Oftentimes,” notes Gunter, “the consumer will search for the professional’s name on Google to see what appears. If the professional has positioned himself properly, the consumer will find numerous third-party citations about that professional, like those found on major media sites, YouTube, and online magazines and blogs.”
“When the consumer finds the professional ‘everywhere’,” adds Gunter, “that consumer will more than likely choose the well-positioned professional as the one with whom he chooses to do business. Being found on multiple sites gives the professional instant credibility. The consumer thinks that this professional must obviously be the best, due to the multiple citations coming from trusted third-party sites.”
In order to get third-party citations, Gunter recommends three strategies. The first, media releases, should be submitted regularly anytime the professional has something to announce, like winning an award, being cited by the media, appearing as a guest on a podcast, or publishing a book. Secondly, the professional can use Google Hangouts to produce quick, informative, educational videos that are optimized for the professional’s name and occupation and posted to the professional’s YouTube account. Thirdly, the professional can position himself as an educator and advocate for his clients by writing educational articles that appear online as guest blog posts or in online magazines or industry publications.
Amazon best-selling author Donna Gunter has been helping her clients position themselves as authorities and advocates and educators since 1999 by leveraging their knowledge to gain authority status in their industry, then dramatically amplifying their message and showing how to convert the new audience into high paying customers. She does this by creating newsworthy events that position professionals as the top authorities in their field, then maximizes their exposure for the event on sites of ABC, NBC, CBS, & FOX affiliates plus other newspaper and authority sites.
To learn more about Gunter, visit http://www.BizSmartMedia.com