Google has become an integral tool for businesses wanting to suss out their client-appeal, with 82% of companies admitting to Googling themselves as part of company image control.
In a survey conducted by specialist web design and marketing agency, Digimax, more than a third (37%) of businesses stated that they believe that Google can make or break a business, and thus it has become a vital tool, not just in marketing but in assessing what potential customers might think of them.
Key findings:
- Two thirds of businesses check Google for company image
- 37% of businesses believe that Google can make or break a business
- One in ten businesses are surprised by self-search Google results
The top reasons given for Googling are as follows:
- 69% wanted to see how the company looked to potential clients searching for their kind of business
- Six out of ten (61%) used Google to check out the competition – looking to see which company in their field had the greatest visibility
- More than half (57%) of the businesses contacted said that they used Google to find customer reviews
- 44% used Google to ascertain the presence of their landing page; to see what customers would see when searching for their name
- Finally, more than a quarter (26%) of businesses searched Google to find negative comments
Although Google is so widely used by the business world, it seems that it doesn’t always produce the hoped-for results, with less than half (43%) of businesses saying that they were happy with what they found on Google, and a further 11% saying that they were surprised with the results their searches revealed.
Shaz Memon, Creative Director at Digimax, comments: ‘Google has become ubiquitous in everyday life, but this research just goes to show how widely it is now being utilised by the business community. No longer is the search engine seen simply as a tool to gather information; companies now view the platform as having the potential to make or break their business.
‘Marketing professionals have long known the power of Google – there are few people who don’t now know what is meant by a “Google ranking” – but it’s interesting to see that companies are no longer simply trying to move up the search engines ranks, but actively using it as a tool to control their image and determine customer opinion.
‘The internet has become an increasingly important aspect of running a business and companies need to find ever-more inventive ways to make the most of it. This widespread embracing of Google is really only just the beginning of the tech revolution.’