As a business owner, you’re understandably eager to see how well your company is performing on Google.
It’s only natural to want to type your business’s name into Google’s search bar to see where it ranks among the top results.
However, while this simple, everyday activity may seem innocent, Googling your business can actually have a detrimental impact on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns.
In the following article, we’ll explain why you should resist the temptation to Google your business and demonstrate how this action can adversely affect your SEO and PPC performance.
1. Personalized Search Results
Google is so intelligent that it tailors search results to individuals based on their search history, location and personal preferences.
So when you Google your business, you might inadvertently influence the search results you see. This may lead to a distorted perception of where your business stands.
In other words, the Google search rankings you see may not accurately reflect the actual rankings for your target audience, potential customers or current clients.
2. False Sense of Success
It’s pretty exciting to find your business ranking high on the search results page when you Google yourself. Seeing these results might make you feel like your SEO and PPC efforts are performing well and paying off.
However, this action can create a false sense of success.
Remember, your SEO goal is not to rank high for your business name but to rank well for relevant keywords and phrases that your potential customers are using to find businesses that offer products or services like yours.
High rankings for branded searches are expected and don’t necessarily indicate the effectiveness of your broader digital marketing strategy.
3. Click Through Rate (CTR) Impact
When you Google your business, you may be tempted to click on your website to see how it looks in the search results.
This is a very bad idea.
Why?
Clicking on your business name after you search for it can actually hurt your Click-Through Rate (CTR).
CTR is a crucial metric that indicates how many people click on your website link after seeing it in the search results.
Any time you click on your own link, it artificially inflates the CTR and may negatively impact your SEO efforts. Google might interpret the high CTR as a sign of relevance, leading to increased organic rankings.
In reality, this is a misleading signal that could cause your website to rank higher than it deserves and potentially push down other more relevant results.
Also, if and when Google discovers that your site is not relevant to certain user queries, they may consider this action a violation of their guidelines and best practices. If Google suspects a violation of their rules, your site could see a significant drop in search visibility.
4. Wasted Ad Spend
For PPC campaigns, Googling your business can also lead to wasted ad spend.
How?
When you click on your own PPC ads, it costs you money without adding any value to your campaign.
Additionally, Google’s algorithm might interpret the clicks as genuine interest which leads to higher costs and less efficient use of your advertising budget.
5. Negative Impact on Local SEO
If you operate a local business, you should be even more cautious about Googling yourself.
Why?
Frequent searches from the same location can potentially lead to skewed local search data.
Google may start to prioritize your location and preferences, leading to an inaccurate understanding of how your business ranks in different localities. This skewed data can hinder your ability to make informed decisions about target areas for improving local SEO efforts.
Additionally, when you search for your business frequently, Google may perceive it as a popular choice in your area. This may potentially affect its rankings in the local map pack. If this happens, it can create a false representation of your business’s actual popularity and impact its visibility for genuine local searchers
Ultimately, these issues may cause problems when you’re trying to attract new local customers.
6. Negative Impact on Suggested Search Terms
Frequent Googling of your own business name or related keywords can lead to Google’s autocomplete and suggested search terms being influenced by your search behavior.
If this occurs, it may distort the actual search patterns of potential customers and make it harder to understand what users are genuinely searching for when looking for products or services offered by businesses like yours.
7. Wasted Time and Resources
Ultimately, Googling your own business can become a time-consuming habit that diverts your attention from other essential aspects of managing and promoting your business.
Instead of fixating on search results influenced by your own searches, you should focus on legitimate SEO and PPC strategies that can improve your customer experience and enhance the value of your products or services.
Trust The SEO and PPC Experts
As a business owner, it’s essential for you to proactively protect the effectiveness of your SEO and PPC strategies.
A good first step to achieve this goal is to resist the temptation to Google your business.
By avoiding personal searches and relying on reliable data, you can make informed decisions and ensure that your marketing efforts reach their full potential.
If you need help with your digital marketing efforts, you can always rely on professional digital marketing agencies like Results Repeat to analyze and optimize your campaigns accurately.
Using their combined experience and industry knowledge, our team of SEO and PPC experts can help ensure your digital marketing strategies and campaigns perform optimally.
Contact us today for a Free Digital Marketing Evaluation and let our team of specialists help your business thrive in the highly competitive digital landscape!
