Does what's online about you match what your customers would say?

Your online presence should explain what you do clearly enough for someone who doesn't know your name to recognize a possible fit. And when someone does search for you directly, what they find should be representative of you. I think a useful way to check that is to compare it with what you'd want a friend to say in a word-of-mouth referral.

Someone may be looking for you without knowing your name

In my talk at 1 Million Cups Lincoln, I shared a story about a friend who spent two months looking for a builder like another friend of mine, who designs and builds homes. She never found him online.

That's why I said, “Jane might be looking for you.”

Most people are not going to be searching you up directly. They may be asking about the work they need, the kind of provider they want, or the things that matter to them in that decision.

For a service business owner, that changes what you need to look at. Searching your business name can tell you what someone sees after they've heard about you. It doesn't tell you much about what someone finds before they know you exist.

Compare what people find with the referral you'd want

Even if someone searches for you by name, is what they find reflective of who you are?

I asked this in the talk: “If you wanted someone to do a word-of-mouth referral, is that, what is being put online, is that representative of you?”

Here's a practical way to work through that question. Write down what you'd want a friend to tell someone about your business. Use plain language. What work do you do? Who is that work a good fit for? What would help someone decide to contact you?

Then compare that description with your website, Google Maps listing, and social profiles. Look for information that's missing, unclear, or no longer accurate. If something matters enough to include in a referral, check whether someone can actually find it online.

You don't need to make every page sound identical. You do need the facts to agree.

Check the questions people ask before they find you

My talk was about organic visibility: helping service businesses show up on Google Maps, their website, social media, and AI search like ChatGPT, without ads.

To review your own visibility, try a few questions someone might ask before they know your business name. Describe the service, the area you actually serve, and a relevant need. Then look at what comes back.

For AI search, also check whether an answer that mentions your business describes it accurately. Treat that as a check of that particular answer, not a promise that every person will see the same recommendation.

The question I want you to keep in front of you is the one I asked in the talk: “Are you in the conversation that you want to be in?”

At Protocol Text, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, that's the conversation behind this approach to marketing. Start by checking whether what's online gives someone the information you'd want a friend to share.