Many people have heard me say this and it has been my mantra for quite some time: “We live in a Google world.” I say this because we all know how to use Google. Even my Grandmother knows she can call and have me Google something for her. Google has become a powerful source for all kinds of information. We find maps and phone numbers; pictures and recipes; legal documents, government forms, and many other pieces of information using search engines. It’s the first step for a lot of people wanting to find out more about a charitable organization.
How does your cause or nonprofit organization appear when it shows up on a search engine results page (“SERP”)? Do those results show what your cause does or where I can find your organization? To help with this problem, many companies now hire professionals that specialize in search engine optimization (“SEO”). These people can help you with your search results on Google and any of the other search engines such as Yahoo, Bing, and Ask.com. Companies like eBay, YouTube, Wikipedia and Amazon.com also have search functions within them.
If the searcher is finding your cause, what are they finding? Individuals are often advised to be careful what they put on the Internet. Be smart about what you put on Facebook pages, in Flickr streams, or on your YouTube account. Your future boss – or worse, your mother – may be looking at those results. In the case of causes and nonprofits, donors and partners are looking at those results. Just like you would on a personal page, always put your organizations’ best foot forward. Take a minute right now and type in your organization’s name into that Google search box and see what comes up. Is it the best representation of your company?
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Tags: Ask.com, Bing, Google, sear, search engine optimization, SEO, SERP, Yahoo
