Googleability—the likelihood of being found by an Internet search engine, especially Google—is an integral part of establishing a recognizable brand or author persona in the greater writing community. There are many ways to attract the attention of the allusive Googlebots that scour the Web indexing site content. Here are five most efficient and productive ways to make a writer more Googleable:
1. Create An SEO-friendly Author Website
When creating your author website, remember that content is key. If a Googlebot is crawling your site looking for information to index, it is paramount to your success that your author website is Search Engine Optimized. This means (among other things) that your name is displayed prominently in key places such as H1 and H2 tags, throughout the body of a page, and in the page’s description. Also, optimizing your content with specific tags (such as “author,” “writing,” etc.) will help Google determine what your site is about.
When creating your author website, remember that content is key. If a Googlebot is crawling your site looking for information to index, it is paramount to your success that your author website is Search Engine Optimized. This means (among other things) that your name is displayed prominently in key places such as H1 and H2 tags, throughout the body of a page, and in the page’s description. Also, optimizing your content with specific tags (such as “author,” “writing,” etc.) will help Google determine what your site is about.
2. Update Your Author Website Regularly
Creating and optimizing your author website is only half the battle. What good is a website if it remains stagnant? No good at all. While Google does search for key terms when indexing sites, it also looks at how frequently sites are updated. A site with frequent updates is prone to be much more reliable than one that is never updated. While this will help with your Googleability, it will also increase your chance of repeat visitors.
Creating and optimizing your author website is only half the battle. What good is a website if it remains stagnant? No good at all. While Google does search for key terms when indexing sites, it also looks at how frequently sites are updated. A site with frequent updates is prone to be much more reliable than one that is never updated. While this will help with your Googleability, it will also increase your chance of repeat visitors.
What’s the best way to interact with fans?
3. Engage Often in Social Media
If you guessed social media, you’re absolutely right. Social media does a few things for the aspiring Googleable writer: It increases one’s visibility across the Web (giving Google even more chances to index one’s name), it leads to an increased fan base; and it allows one the opportunity to share posts from one’s own author website with the greater online community.
If you guessed social media, you’re absolutely right. Social media does a few things for the aspiring Googleable writer: It increases one’s visibility across the Web (giving Google even more chances to index one’s name), it leads to an increased fan base; and it allows one the opportunity to share posts from one’s own author website with the greater online community.
What kind of posts make the best sharing material, you ask?
4. Blog! Blog! Blog!
Blog posts. Plain and simple, regular blog posts are the best way to generate content your fans are interested in and to share your name with the online world. Blog about anything your heart desires—your struggles with the pen, your favorite books, anything! The Web is your oyster. Just remember to share those posts on your social media profiles so everyone can see them. This will incidentally drive even more traffic to your author website, letting Google know there’s something there it should be paying close attention to.
Blog posts. Plain and simple, regular blog posts are the best way to generate content your fans are interested in and to share your name with the online world. Blog about anything your heart desires—your struggles with the pen, your favorite books, anything! The Web is your oyster. Just remember to share those posts on your social media profiles so everyone can see them. This will incidentally drive even more traffic to your author website, letting Google know there’s something there it should be paying close attention to.
5. Get Published in Online Journals
As a creative writer, it is important to submit your work to a wide variety of literary journals—online journals are no exception. By getting your work published in online journals, not only will more people be able to read your work, but your name will appear alongside your piece. This drastically improves your chances of Googleability. As Google indexes sites with your name on them, those sites will begin to appear under your name’s own search results.
As a creative writer, it is important to submit your work to a wide variety of literary journals—online journals are no exception. By getting your work published in online journals, not only will more people be able to read your work, but your name will appear alongside your piece. This drastically improves your chances of Googleability. As Google indexes sites with your name on them, those sites will begin to appear under your name’s own search results.
Increasing your Googleability is by no means a quick or simple task. However, by following these simple steps, you can efficiently and comprehensively boost your Web presence and reputation.
