Millions of people use Google every day. So much so that Google is now a verb. We all know that people use Google every day to search for and find products and services, to make comparisons and ultimately make decisions on what they will purchase and from whom. But how do you make sure your company and product pop up and prospective buyers are directed to you? How Google works effects how you market your business online, but maybe not how you might think.

Google results are determined by Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is one of those things that sounds like something magical that works in the Emerald City and is hidden behind some mystical curtain. That is partially true since there are some details to it all that we don’t know. We don’t know Google’s magic formula for calculating what makes the perfect website, what will get the perfect virtual score. But really it doesn’t matter if we know those exact formulas or not, thanks to the SEO technique of semantic searching.

Thankfully, over the years technology has become so smart that ‘acting natural’ is the smartest thing you can do in your digital footprint strategies. All you have to remember to ask is this question, “what is the best way I can leave a trail of bread crumbs as I wander through my everyday work, research and recommendations?” Those bread crumbs of course is what leads the public to your website. Semantic Search SEO has evolved to include ‘common sense’ types of actions that businesses can take to make up what they do.

Here are a few simple things you can do to improve your SEO for your business and your brand:

• Have a plan. Even if it’s small, we tell people to have a social media plan of what you will do, day in and day out, week after week. Small and manageable is better than large and overwhelming. Be consistent. An editorial calendar can help immensely with this.
• Get a Google+ account. I know it feels like another social media platform that you don’t need but it is a good one that will help on many levels spread the word on what your business is about. It helps to create your ‘social signal’ that is used to rank your business.
• Comment in a Blog. Find relevant websites to your target customers and comment on a blog post on their website. Even better, reply to comments on your site and on others.
• Complete your online profiles. Everyone knows they should do it, so make sure you complete them as fully as possible and occasionally update your profiles. This develops your online trust with consumers and enriches the experience when they read them.
• Share things with people, be generous with information. It’s called the 411 rule. Try to post four generous, entertaining or helpful posts for every one soft promo (ie: event promotion) and one hard promo (ie: do this, watch this, answer this).

There is a lot more to a digital footprint strategy, but semantic search improvements are something we can all stand to work on. It should be part of your social media plan and general business practices.

All this means you will eventually show up online in places people wouldn’t expect, but in surprisingly authentic and helpful ways. Those people will buy from you the next chance they get!