This is Connie. Connie stopped in to see me a couple of weeks ago to discuss her website. Most of all, she wanted to tell me that she was a little freaked out because “Google” called and said their business listing had expired.
There are a couple of things wrong with that statement. Google listings don’t expire. And, even if they did, I doubt Google would be calling. One source has the current number of active websites at about 187 million. Even Google doesn’t have enough employees to call the owners of 187 million websites.
Of course, it wasn’t Google that called Connie’s business. It was a company that takes advantage of website owners who don’t know how Google listings work. So, let’s clear it up.
Simply put, Google goes out and finds your website, collects all the information that’s on the pages and lists it all in a huge index on their computers. Then, when someone searches for your product, Google displays your site as a possibility for researching or buying that product. Other search engines — Bing and Yahoo! — do the same.
Connie and her husband own a resort. So, when a potential vacationer goes to the Internet looking for a resort in Connie’s area, on that lake, with specific accommodations, Google says “Aha” and serves up several resorts that match the search. Based on the material on Connie’s website’s pages, her site gets listed.
Many people believe that Google only grabs the content on the Home page, but that’s not true. All the words on all the pages of your site are entered into Google’s huge list of keywords. Each page and section of your site contributes to the index and helps people find what they’re looking for.
Most of the calls you’ll get regarding your online listing are from people who imply they’re from Google. Cut through their spiel and ask one simple question: What are you selling? When asked the question straight, they typically admit that they are trying to sell you a “listing on Google”. Since Google listings are free — and they don’t expire — do yourself a favor and just say no.
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