When searching the vast world of the internet, search engines help us narrow down the results so that it’s possible to find relatable materials. Of course, most users won’t scroll past the first page or try a different combination of keywords. For those who consider their online presence vital to their marketing strategy, this means that they want Google to find them quickly and show their brand name, as well as their website.

Have you ever considered what your Google grade is? Is it important to anyone who values online presence? Of course, it is! This is why BrandYourself has made it quick and easy to analyze exactly how your online strategy is impacting your brand.

Nine Things You Need to Know About Google Grader

1. Google Grader is available through Facebook and allows you to rate your brand’s search results. What this app does is filter the top ten results for your search (brand name) and allows you to select their relevance to your brand according to “positive,” “negative,” or “not me” results.

2. The app also allows you to share the grade with others across your social networks, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. You can either sign up manually (email and brand name) or sign up with your Facebook account – a lot easier. Then, all you need to do is choose the name you want to grade. Check your specific name brand and try similar names to see how you rate there, as well.

3. The basic principle behind this particular tool is that everyone should know what users are going to find when they search a brand. While the grader itself isn’t a solution, its application allows you to get your grade and apply what you now know to help manage your online reputation.

4. Google Grader also provides analytics, such as positive links rising and negative links getting buried. You can use the results to your advantage, so be sure that you keep an eye on what’s going on with your brand’s Google Grade score.

5. It’s essential to get a good grade. Once you have an idea of what Google thinks about your brand’s relevance, you’ll be able to tune your online approach to help improve search results.

6. Be sure that you include both your personal and business brand in your Google Grade.

This is because the majority of companies and employers that you conduct business with are going to search your name, not just your professional brand name.

7. A helpful hint for LinkedIn users is to spell out your complete brand name within your custom URL so that Google will target it in the top ten results. While keywords are going to improve broad search results, it’s your name/brand that matters the most. This is the exact place where you don’t just want to appear, but completely dominate the results. When your brand is specifically searched, you need to cover at least the top three results. Because names can be shared due to the high volume of users throughout the world, it’s wise to utilize your middle name to create specific results, especially for a personal brand.

8. Choosing the most relevant social networks is going to play a huge part in your brand’s appearance. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are going to be rated high, even if they aren’t you specifically; there may be another personal brand with the same or similar name. Twitter often appears to have the habit of being shared (#mentions) through comments on websites, so the easier it is for your popular social network to be shared, the more word of mouth will play a part in Google’s search results.

Keep this in mind when building a social profile so that your site is the only choice for your users to choose from in their results, especially if the other results bring up something negative that isn’t related to your brand. This why the grader helps out, since you can see what is helping or hindering your brand’s online presence.

9. Fresh material is a choice selection for Google’s search results, which means that to be in the top ten requires your material to be constantly managed and kept refreshed.

Knowing what Google thinks of your brand is an extremely important advantage for anyone with an online presence because if your brand isn’t the dominant choice (all of or at least the majority) in Google’s top ten results, you’re definitely missing out on available marketing impact.

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Maria Elena Duron, is CEO (chief engagement officer) of buzz2bucks, a word of mouth marketing firm, skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz. She facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy, buzz2bucks.com.