For us authors, our biggest and most important brand is our own name. That means when people Google us, the first result should be our own.
Let us take a look at how you get content about your name to the top of the search results for your name.
1. Write good content
I cannot stress enough how important good quality content is. SEO hacks come and go but the one constant that all search engines are trying to locate is good quality content.
Everything about every search algorithm (the code that makes it work) is an attempt to pair a searcher with the best results possible.
Before anything else, create good content.
2. Pick a good domain name
There is little point paying out for AngelFish2000.co.uk if you write under the name Anne T. Zechpfiser-Gowing (a name I made up which has zero search results). Instead, try to pick a domain that reflects your author name.
Why does domain name matter?
It does and it does not matter. Write good enough content about being Anne T. Zechpfiser-Gowing and Google and the like will slowly figure out that AngelFish2000.co.uk is something of an authority on this Anne T. Zechpfiser-Gowin character.
On the other hand, Zechpfiser-Gowin.com is a huge clue right off the bat. If you owned that, and want to get technical your site could redirect to www.Anne.T.Zechpfiser-Gowin.com (a subdomain of the same).
That’s a blatant clue that the site is about the person whose name makes up the main linky bit.
We look at domains in the website basics of the author platform guide.
3. Do a little reputation management
Don’t panic, reputation management is easy. All it means in this context is sign up for a few things where you can put your name.
For example:
Many of these social sites can be automatically posted to by a decent blogging system. Which is good because I would recommend finding the one or two that are worth the investment of time and effort for you. Leave the others sitting there until later.
4. Link out to news and press mentions of you and your book
Especially when starting out, make a fuss over every last positive mention of you and your work. Make sure that the people who follow you on social media see it Be sure that you mention in a blog post – or, better yet, a press mentions page.
Be proud of the praise and possitive attention you get when you get it.
5. Send out press releases to the local press
Local press and bloggers should be on the top of your mailing list when it comes to sending out a press release. Sure, you can throw it at the nationals – you might get lucky. The important thing is that you target those outlets looking for relevant local news to share.
This means that when your book comes out – press release.
When you do a book signing – press release.
If you get nominated for an award – press release.
Should you score a public speaking gig – press release.
Something interesting is going on relating to you as an author – press release.
It only takes one blogger, or one newspaper to publish a single story about you and your name will end up in front of a lot of new potential readers.
Read more about Author Press releases in our guide.
6. Be available to give talks
Nothing gets you more attention than being available as a public speaker. If you go down this road (and I recommend it) make sure you are billed like this:
Tonight’s guest speaker is the author Anne T. Zechpfiser-Gowing
It does not matter how it is laid out (that much) as long as your author name and the word “author” get together in the same sentence.
If you can cultivate the talent of after dinner speaking not only can you charge money for your time, you can raise your profile while getting paid to advertise yourself.
7. You can try your luck with book bloggers
Sending a copy of your book to a book blogger with a large following used to be a sure fire way to get new readers. However, these days the best book bloggers already have more books than they can read in their own lifetime.
That’s not to say don’t try, just don’t set all your hopes on “getting” discovered by a popular reviewer.
8. Use business cards
There is a reason why business cards are still used – they work. Business people know that when they find a connection with someone, a simple card with their name and contact details puts a reminder in the pocket of another person. When they get home and thing, “who was that interesting author I was speaking to?” The answer is right there on your card.
A decent business card can be the difference between a person who means to look you up and then forgets and someone who comes to your site, joins your list, and buys your books.
9. Do interesting things
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
There is a saying in marketing circles that there is a kind of advertising money cannot buy – being interesting. By being in any way remarkable (worth remarking upon) you name will be in the mouths of others.
This may or may not work for all authors. However, if you can be interesting, do interesting things, or hold interesting opinions, people will talk about you. Chances are they will say things like, “author, Your Name Here, today announced they would be making a solo trip arround the moon.”
Be interesting and others will talk about you.
10. Get comfortable with basic SEO
Here is a secret. Basic SEO is just creating good quality content. Get that right and the rest is just polish.
Polish a gem and you get a better gem. Polish a cowpat and you still have dung. Make sure your content is good first.
You can read an introduction to SEO in our author platform guide.
Bonus link
Here is an article from Copy Blogger I recently found in the Author Buzz feeds. It is a fairly good introduction to basic SEO.
Over to you
What tips would you add for getting your name out there as an author?
Have you tried any of these techniques? How much publicity did it get you?
I would love to hear from you and your opinions – both good and bad – on these tips.