Changing google auto-suggestions

January 29, 2016 7:43 AM

I am helping someone freshen up their google results. As per previous asks we are registering Linked-In accounts etc to push the juicier results down to the second page. Much good that does while Google auto-suggests Bob Bobsworth conviction when you start typing his unique name. Anything to be done?

I gather that it's from the most common full searches done, are there services that will do a bazillion searches on Bob Bobsworth pottery instead? Other up-to-date online reputation management tips or search terms appreciated of course.

posted by anonymous to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Autocomplete suggestions are based on the popularity of what real people really search for. But results are also geo-sensitive so I suspect that even if a 3rd party service does a bazillion searches on Bob's name, searches in Bob's broad geographic region will still return Bob Bobsworth conviction as an auto-complete suggestion.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:58 AM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

The websites that publish conviction information are way ahead of you in that game. I'd focus efforts on pushing his easy-to-remember URL ( right?) rather than leaving people to search for his work.
posted by teremala at 9:06 AM on January 29, 2016

I don't know if this will work, but you could try writing a slew of articles that use all those words.

"Bobsworth's sense of conviction doubled when he saw the marketing numbers.", etc.

Probably won't help with the autocomplete, but if you can get different results on the first page for those search terms...

Anecdotally, a friend of mine got great results from their google searches after telling several people they knew in their geographic area to please search for XYZ and click on the result that the friend wanted to appear at the top. If there aren't too many searches being done your friend might get some traction from doing a daily circuit of searches from several computers at libraries, best buy, friend's houses, etc.
posted by yohko at 10:55 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]