Google tends to prioritize big brands in ranking results.
Big brand names can bolster rankings and gain a broader audience for a site. So the question is: how does Google determine which websites qualify as a big brand?
Social Media Indicators
As discussed in part seven of this series, social media interactions play a notable part in the ranking of your franchise website. For these interactions to exist, social accounts must be set up. Sites that represent large brands tend to use a variety of social media outlets. Google examines these affiliated accounts to check for legitimacy and brand awareness. The algorithm looks at the following questions:
- How many followers does the social media account have?
- How many posts has the company created?
- What level of interaction occurs on these pages?
- How many employees list the brand as their employer on LinkedIn?
Multiple, active, and popular social media accounts are a clear sign of brand awareness. This guides Google to boost the ranking of affiliated websites.
Unlinked Mentions
In this case, mentions that do not contain hyperlinks are actually beneficial. Google factors in everything from news articles to social media comments that contain the name of a brand. When there is no affiliated hyperlink, it is more likely that the brand is well known. Mentions in news outlets are a solid indicator of brand recognition unto themselves. This demonstrates a certain level of public knowledge, indicating brand awareness.
Business Signals
Analysts suggest that Google checks into a business’s background before proclaiming it a big brand. Google may search for tax records to make certain the business is legitimate, or it may check into where the site’s associated offices are located. By finding brick and mortar locations, Google can be more confident of the actual size of the business.
When running a site affiliated with a big brand, owners receive many ranking advantages. For those who are just building their brand, the next part in this series will explore how to avoid being marked as spam.
