What Google's Publisher tag Can Mean for Your Dealership's Search Results

By Alejandra Olvera-Novack, Search Engine Optimization Specialist

Google world seems a tad obsessive about creating a Google+ page for your business. Meanwhile, over in our world, your SEO specialist is talking about the advantages of the "Publisher tag."

What in the world is your SEO specialist talking about, anyway? Let's start at the very beginning.

Google Places For Business vs. Google+ Local

Once upon a time, Google created Google Places. This tool allowed you to claim your business map listing in search results.

Even though your business was showing up on Google, using Google Places finally gave you the option to claim that listing as yours. Now you could add your business' contact and address information for all to see.

Google places

Then came the creation of Google+ Local Pages. This is Google’s social media network for your business.

You can connect with customers in a similar way to having "friends" on Facebook or "followers" on Twitter. Even better, you can also merge your  claimed Google Places map listing and your Google+ Local page into one.

Do you have a headache yet?

Why Google+ Business Pages Are Awesome

One of the hot topics of 2014 has been the growing need for businesses to pay closer attention to their Google+ presence and pages. In today's Google driven world, having a Google+ Local page allows you to inform Google who you are, what your company does, and where you are located. You can update your company's contact information, images, and posts, while simultaneously connecting with customers by responding to their online reviews. It's almost like sending your personalized brand message to Google's search engine, showing how relevant your company's info is to search queries.

You can identify a Google+ Local page thanks to fancy features such as tabs for Posts, About, Photos, and Videos.

The Many Wonders Of Publisher tag And Why You Want It...

Similar to the way you can claim your Google Places map listing, you want to make sure you verify your Google+ Local page by "connecting" it to your website.

That's where the Publisher tag comes in.

By adding a Publisher markup tag (rel="publisher”) to your website's HTML coding, you are informing Google that the content published on your website is written by the same publisher managing the Google+ Local page.

If the idea of adding the Publisher tag within HTML makes you quake in your boots, never fear!

A simple solution is now here!

Simply incorporate a Google+ badge to your site. Not only does this widget have the Publisher tag embedded in it, but it also provides a direct link to your Google+ Local page. Don't hesitate to reach out to your Social Media or Reputation Management Specialist for help setting up your Publisher tag.

Ok…Now What?

The question of the hour is at hand. What difference does incorporating the Publisher tag (rel="publisher”) make within Google's search results?

Adding the Publisher tag and sharing on your Google+ Local page increases your visibility in Google’s search results.  Over time, this can increase click-through-rates and social interactions with your brand. Here is an example of how much "real estate" you can take over!

There you have it.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to avoid the death trap of slipping away into the dark abyss that page 2 on Google’s search results would be.

Go forth and conquer!

About the Author

Alejandra Olvera-Novack is a Search Engine Optimization Specialist at Cobalt. As such, she analyzes car dealership websites and their ranking performance within organic search results. In the past, she has worked as a copywriter for diverse websites, helping private business owners to write user-friendly, readily comprehensible text in both English and Spanish. She also has a weakness for convertible Mini Coopers. Feel free to follow her on Google+. Learn more about Cobalt’s suite of automotive SEO solutions.