Did you know that Wikipedia is the second most visited site from Google Searches? Add to this knowledge that more searches are conducted on Google than on any other search engine and you soon realize that there is some serious traffic moving through Wikipedia and for good reason. Consumers turn to Wikipedia as a reliable source of information and more often than not, the online encyclopedia has got the information searchers are looking for.
Now, have you ever noticed that Wikipedia often appears in the top search results from Google for keywords related to your business? If so, I am sure you have wondered how to get that search result action for your business by utilizing Wikipedia. It is possible, but in order to be part of the vast information of Wikipedia, you must first respect the knowledge they share and fully understand the benefits of getting a listing with them. Then be prepared to monitor your listing as you do all portions of your online reputation.
There are multiple benefits to becoming part of the enormous human edited online encyclopedia. Having a listing with Wikipedia adds value to your business reputation and a transparency that can actually be a little scary for some companies. Having a listing can also provide added exposure for your business, as access to Wikipedia is not limited to PC and laptop users. Wikipedia is available on many mobile devices as a source for endless information for masses on the go. Then of course, because Wikipedia is a website with an outstanding page rank, a listing with the encyclopedia giant can add tremendous value to your search engine marketing campaign. Wikipedia should not however be considered part of a link building strategy. In an attempt to thwart the masses of spam and poor quality entries being made to their site, Wikipedia placed a ‘nofollow’ tag on all external links.
If you are interested in promoting your business with Wikipedia, you need to go into the project with the goal of adding value to the information source, not just using the website for gaining links and generating traffic to your website. You can’t or shall I say, you shouldn’t write your own Wikipedia listing and for good reason, there should be nothing self-serving and nothing self-promotional in your article. The best approach to getting a lasting listing with Wikipedia is to request a third party to write an informative biography, so to speak, of your company. To fully ensure your work doesn’t get the boot from the experienced volunteer Wikipedia community, make sure your content is full of quality sources and utilizes great references from credible media sources.
Subsequent edits to your Wikipedia listing need to be unbiased as well. The addition of the WikiScanner has provided the public with the ability to see exactly who is doing the editing, adding a whole new level of transparency that is not entirely loved by all. A great way to ensure a quality Wikipedia listing is to inspire others to add to your listing for you. A great way to do this is with some positive improvements in your company. Whether they are improvements in your products or services or making huge environmental changes to your industry’s operations. Events like these can literally move consumers to go to a Wikipedia listing and add the news in their own words for you. Always bear in mind, anyone has access to seeing who is doing the editing on your Wikipedia listing and if you are constantly “editing” your own page, it will raise suspicions and probably some criticisms.
The consumer trust in Wikipedia as a valuable resource is built largely from the transparency that Wiki encourages. By writing a quality listing about your company that actually adds value to the encyclopedia, you can help strengthen your online reputation, increase your business exposure and reinforce your search engine marketing strategy.
CEO Studio98