Understanding Google (And Search Engines) as a business owner

You may or may not know what a search engine is, but you likely use one every day. A search engine is a program that searches the internet for specific keywords and then returns documents where those keywords are found. So, if you search for the keywords “pet food” on a search engine like Google, the search engine will spit back a bunch of sources for you to look through that it thinks are most helpful to you.

The most popular search engines

The most popular search engines include Google, Bing & Yahoo, in that order. You can use any of these search engines to look up specific keywords and get relevant search results. Google is the vast leader in the search engine space, taking a whopping 80% of the market share. What does this mean? That 80% of all searches made on the internet are done on Google’s search engine. This piece of information is incredibly significant to you as a business owners because it first helps you understand where most people are searching for your business – on Google.

How consumers search for businesses

Now let’s talk about how your business can stand out on Google. When someone goes to Google and they type in “Mechanic in San Francisco, CA”, what comes up? Google’s own product, of course, Google My Business listings.

The first results that are shown are typically the three most actively reviewed businesses on Google’s map listings. After Google’s listings, you’ll see everything else – all additional search results based on those logical findings of the keywords you originally searched for.

Google my business

So, why is this important? It’s because this is how new customers are searching for your business. Understanding that the majority of people search for businesses on Google and that Google’s business listings appear first is crucial. To be easily found online, your business must show up in those first search results on Google. What many people don’t realize is that the number one factor in showing up in these first results is being present and active on Google My Business. So, if you don’t already have a Google presence for your business, sign up today, start generating reviews, and start getting easily found all for free!