Google My Business

Have you noticed that when you google a search term you’ll often get a box with a summary of relevant information on the right of the screen? This is the knowledge graph (like this one here for editor and author Sophie Cunningham), which contains information grabbed from various sources on the internet.

Having your website and curated information come up in a knowledge graph when people google your name or business is a good way to stand out as a freelancer. It can even help people find your website if it isn’t the top link in a google search.

If you’re not a famous enough to have an entry in Wikipedia, for example, one way of getting a knowledge graph for your business is to register with Google My Business. This links your google account with your business, which must be registered at a particular address. Even though location isn’t particularly important for freelance editors – we don’t get a lot of drop-in clients – there are still benefits in showing up in a map search or in a knowledge graph (you can show suburb rather than specific house address).

I found out about this in a recent episode of The Recipe for SEO Success podcast by Kate Toon, and I recommend you listen if you are interested.

The cute thing is that, to register your address, Google will post you an actual letter with your verification code. Enter the code and set up your info and some relevant pics, even post updates. With this bit of DIY, very soon you too can look extra professional in the google results.

This article was first published in the Editors Victoria February 2018 newsletter (link updated to IPEd archives, members only)

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