To put it simply, Google’s main job is to provide quality referrals for their customers. When you perform a search on Google—let’s take “General Contractor” as an example—you are relying on Google to provide you with the best possible options for your contracting project. If you were repeatedly jilted by contractors provided by the top search results given by Google you likely would not utilize Google as much, and look for other search engine options.

Compare your feelings of the contracts on Google General Contractors vs. those found on Craigslist and you’ll get my point.

So how does Google plan on finding the most reputable companies to refer to their searchers to make sure they don’t get screwed? After all, all they have to rely on is a website which boils down to a bunch of 1’s and 0’s…. or do they?

Google is evolving quickly; the days of simply organizing data based on just 1’s and 0’s is long gone. Think of Google Search evolving into having more of a human touch, eventually becoming the equivalent of that “go-to guy” friend of yours who seemingly “has a guy” for everything.

So, how do you leverage this evolution of technology to get the most out Google for your business? We frequently offer our clients the “Not So Safe For Work” advice from Boiler Room – ACT AS IF:

In the clip Ben Affleck offers his testosterone-fueled, sage-like wisdom to his sales staff: act bigger than you really are, and how you want to be perceived.

To relate this to the SEO world without touching a line of code:

Act as if your business and correlating website were as large as Apple, or Nike. What do these websites do that you can accomplish without having billions in sales?
Typically, a large, respectable, reliable business that is appealing to Google offers the following:

• Slow, steady, growth of the website and it’s content—big businesses don’t just plop out their big informative website and let it sit for its 2–3 year lifespan. Businesses with lots of sales change and evolve with the times. It’s a sign of healthy growth.
• Reviews! And lots of them.
• Contributes Content – A respectable, reliable business creates content or, even better, provide thought leadership for their industry.
• Social Media – Not many shady business owners would be available on public forums such as Facebook & Twitter. You’re not one of those; you run a world-class business. Be there!
• Social Signals – Don’t just create a monologue on social media and your blog. It needs to be relevant, likable, and shareable by your audience. Likes, comments, and clicks on your content count!
• Privacy Policy – Sure, you may not truly know what they say or what they are for… but the big guys all have them, and Google actually likes websites who protect their visitors.
• Dress The Part – As Ben Affleck says “We have kind of a minimum level of aesthetic professionalism here that we have to maintain.” Google has repeatedly mentioned that they are placing huge emphasis on user experience. There is no factor that plays more of a role on user experience than overall design and interface. You better look good!
• The latest coding ethics—similar to the above, but on the techy, nerdy side. Cutting edge companies have cutting edge websites.

The list goes on and on. Visit your favorite big brand websites and ask yourself how would I “act as if” I became a direct competitor in sales volume with this company. Great SEO is a long-term game, and putting yourself in the mindset of a world-class website owner is a great way to set yourself up for long-term search success.