Can Google Find You?
June 26th, 2009 by Jeb Foster
Insurance companies and lead generators like InsureMe have spent countless hours—years, actually—and truckloads of cash trying to secure a good position in the Google search results for terms like ‘car insurance’ and ‘insurance quotes.’
So, I’m here to burst your bubble: unless you’re willing to spend years and millions of dollars on the esoteric science/art/magic of SEO and paid search marketing, your web site isn’t going to show up on the first page of Google for terms like ‘insurance quotes.’ There’s just too much competition. The small agency doesn’t really have a chance.
But you should at least show up for your own name, and that’s where your Google Profile comes in. Your Google Profile takes minutes to set up, and it will help people find you in the search results. You can set up a public page for yourself or your agency and even add a link to your agency’s web site. I also recommend adding your agency’s physical address and contact information to Google Maps. This is especially important, as Google is increasingly incorporating local results even for generic search terms. For example, you should be able to see your agency in the map results when you Google ‘insurance agency.’
The point is, don’t give up on Google merely because you’ll never rub elbows with Geico and Progressive atop the search listings. At a minimum, you want to make it easy for people to find you. After all, if someone takes the time and trouble to Google you, that person would certainly fall into the ‘hot prospect’ category, right?
Tags: Google
