1.  Optimize your LinkedIn profile
2.  Gather testimonials of happy customers and post on your website
3.  Claim and optimize your business' Google Plus Local page
4.  Claim your business listing in online service and business directories such as Yelp, Merchant Circle, YP

Congratulations, your website is showing up on the first page of Google when prospects are searching for someone offering your service.  You are right there with at least eight to ten of your best competitors.  You may have spent a lot to get to the first page in the search results, but are you converting the prospects who are finding you?

I performed a search for an acupuncturist in a city near my local area this morning.  Twelve different acupuncture clinics showed up on the first page, some listed multiple times.  I looked at the twelve websites and found that 50% had a nice, professional look; the others were not very impressive.  What I also noticed was that most of the sites offered similar information that consisted of generic or private label articles.  Some of the information and resources seemed to be duplicates.   

One acupuncturist stood out from the rest.  His website was similar to some of the other better designed sites, but he had what appeared to be original content in the article tab of the website.  This acupuncturist had something else that was different.  He has written a book on wellness that is being published in the autumn and there is information about his frequent appearances on TV and radio where he shares his knowledge of Holistic Healing and Acupuncture.  This acupuncturist stands out as the expert, the only one of twelve that is frequently appearing in the media.     

I am sure that all of the twelve acupuncturists I found are well qualified.  They all indicated their educational background, which was impressive.  Most had several good online reviews and most had patient testimonials on their site.  The problem is that their education, background and experience all look about the same, with the one exception.  My estimate is that the one acupuncturist that has been positioned as the expert in the news media gets a higher share of the prospective prospects and commands a higher fee.  That reminds me - most of his competitors are showing their visit fee schedules  on their websites, while the "expert" isn't advertising his fees. 

Many business owners and professionals don't believe they have enough going on to issue press releases or news releases.  Actually, there are dozens of good reasons for press or news releases.  Here are a few, and I will add to this list in future posts.

1.  A new service offering
2.  Launched a new website
3.  Appearance in the news media
4.  Published a book
5.  Speaking at a seminar
6.  Sponsoring a charitable event
7.  Employee received an award
8.  Launched a new product
9.  Published a newsletter
10. Major business accomplishment