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How to Win the Google Game: A Guide to Improving Your SEO and Online Presence

Written by command on . Posted in Business, Featured, Glens Falls.

By: Michael Nelson

Are you looking to kick off 2025 with strategic focused efforts geared towards bringing in new business? Looking for the one magical thing you can do to increase brand awareness and bring potential clients your way? Tired of social media chewing up your budget without much ROI? Then focus on one thing: Winning the “Google Game.” 

Winning the “Google Game” often seems like some sort of magical contest, where only a chosen few are able to rise to the top. The simple truth is that there is nothing magical about it, like any other game it is a simple matter of understanding the rules, and using them to your advantage. Before we get into what some of the rules are, or ways to use them to your advantage, let’s first define what Google’s Search Engine does. 

Google’s Search Engine is in the business of matching up search queries with search results. If these results were unfavorable, people would look elsewhere for the information. Google has successfully built a system that understands when people are happy with their search results, so the next time someone has a similar search it shows the “better” results. It incorporates things like Bounce Rate, Load Speeds, and Backlinks to differentiate good search results from poor. To be fair, the list of things Google takes into consideration is not short, and can be a bit technical. The amount of time, money, and resources needed to look after them all can seem daunting so here are a few items (not all) you can use to help your business win the “Google Game”. 

1. Focus on your website first.While a good web designer can quickly spot deficiencies on a web site it is not always in the budget to bring one in. There are plenty of tools out there, both free and paid, that you can use to scan your current website and see what adjustments to make. For those of you reading this online you can click this link for our favorite free tool: https://website.grader.com/. This tool will scan your website in seconds and give you back a score on each of the following:

  • Performance
  • SEO
  • Mobile Devices
  • Security

It will even break these down into smaller chunks with potential actions to take to get you to a 10 out of 10. There are many others as well, some focus on SEO, some on website structure, etc. Start simple and move to more sophisticated tools as your knowledge base grows.

2. Make sure you have a Google Business Profile.Having an up to date and active Google Business Profile can often be a huge traffic driver. It’s free, it’s fast, and everyone uses these to get to your website, find your phone number, or get directions. Add a bunch of 5 star reviews to it and you have a simple lead generation tool to help ‘make it rain’ in 2025. 

3. Google Maps is commonly overlooked as a part of people’s SEO strategies, but it can be a game changer for many. When a search is made there is often a google map business listing that pops up. It is super important to be on the list, and most of the things you do to build a better Google Business Profile will help your position on the maps list. Here is a quick link to the Google Maps “how to” from Google.

So, are you ready to play the “Google Game” and win? Remember, it’s not a “one and done” strategy – you need to keep at it and be patient. The behaviors needed to win require ongoing monitoring and updating. If you don’t, you will fall off the list, and your organic ranking will drop. Like all things in Marketing, winning the “Google Game” is a marathon, not a sprint.