Getting it right for Google

Like Alice, I feel like I’ve gone down a rabbit hole.

It started with an Internet search. Anyone who’s ever done an Internet search knows it can lead you right to your destination, or take you so far off track you don’t remember what you wanted in the first place.

Part of my job is digital. I set up social media for Hilltop Affiliates Inc. and keep it updated regularly. I set up Google+ pages for our facilities. I’ve optimized our listings in the obvious places. But I was floored by the number of websites out there with business information.

One leads to another -- to another. I found a list of a bunch. Then I found a list of a bunch more.

My current list stands at 45, and I know there are more. These are the easy ones.

Fortunately, we’ve not had our main phone number change. And generally, the business listings contain Hilltop in the name. But it’s my goal to get Hilltop Affiliates Inc. listed accurately in every place I can.

Most of the time, it’s just a matter of my time to claim a business and correct or add the appropriate information. There are a few that are linked to a paid-only option to correct content. I bristle at that, on principle, if nothing else.

So why bother with all of these websites when most people just Google or use the search bar in their favorite browser to search online?

Because they all are connected.

Google just doesn’t use Google to determine your placement in a Google or, apparently, even what information is shown. It also searches dozens of other sites to filter your information and determine what is most accurate about your business. If you don’t have updated information on every website, you might be confusing Google and hurting your business in the process.

Sometimes I wonder where the information came from originally. I see the same misspelling of Hilltop Ravenwood over and over. The website often is close but not quite right.

One downside to all of this is having to register with all of these websites to claim our listings. I started a spreadsheet to keep track of them. It’s easy to forget which ones I’ve worked on and which still need attention.

There are businesses that will do this for you. But they charge up to hundreds of dollars per month. I’m also hopeful that once I have them corrected, they’ll stay that way.

It does seem to be a never-ending process, though. Once I’m done with Hilltop Affiliates, I’ll start on Hilltop Home Care. And then it will be time for Hilltop Grand Village. My adventure down this particular rabbit hole will continue for the foreseeable future.

Walking for work

I walked almost 5 miles one day this week – and most of it was for work.

I try to walk the dog both in the morning and evening. When the weather and roads are good, I try to do 2 miles a day with her. When it’s so cold it hurts my face, we don’t walk. Call me a wimp. I’d like to keep my skin intact.

But when it gets up above 10 degrees, I feel compelled to get us out for some exercise. It’s the only way to combat her winter weight gain. I can eat healthier, but she’s on a pretty limited diet, without a lot of treats and people food. She already looks like a sausage. Exercise is her only hope.

Mocha dog on a walk in December.

So on one particular day, the dog and I walked about a half mile before work. A co-worker asked me to take a resident to the bank and shopping, so I got more steps in at a local store.

Then I set about delivering brochures. CQ Graphic Design (http://cqgraphicdesign.com/) created nice brochures for our new home care business, and I wanted to get them out. I had a few places on my list from last summer where I hadn’t yet made the time to deliver our Hilltop Affiliates Inc. brochures.

I also stopped at the building site for Hilltop Grand Village and took some photos and videos. I try to get out there once a week to record the progress for our Facebook page. I wound up talking to some guys from the gas company who were putting in lines and valves with the help of GPS.

The result of all my running (not literally, it was all walking) was almost 4 miles. Another couple shopping stops Thursday night put me at 8,873 steps, or 4.82 miles. Not too shabby for a work day – or any day. And I finally got the box of brochures out of my trunk. It was a good day all around.

Security at work

Drilling. Pulling. Positioning. Checking placement. Setting in place.

No, we didn’t turn into a dentist’s office this week. We installed security cameras.

Anthony Walter from All Electric LLC with help from Randy Neibauer installed cameras at our facilities. It meant climbing into the attic on a super cold day, but Anthony said it still was better than being outside on a sub-zero day.

To install cameras, you choose your location, check to be sure you can reach it through the attic, drill holes to run the cords, pull the cords from the office to the location, mount and connect the camera. You can adjust the camera to get your desired angle and view. We used cellphones and shouting to give direction. “A little to the left. Now down. Good!”

Installing cameras also became a group activity. Everyone wanted input on location, angle and technique for installing. Anthony was patient with all of us and got the job done.

He did so well, that when he installed at our second location, he put up more cameras in half the time.

The system we purchased is pretty intuitive. What I couldn’t figure out with the electronic manual I was able to find in the online forum. There’s one aspect I have yet to master, but it’s not absolutely necessary. I think I need another cord to get it to work.

This little device is all it takes to run a security system.

We wanted a security system to better track who is in our facilities. It could help if a resident tries to exit. It provides a layer of security.

It also captures one of our employees who joked she’d dance when she was in view of the cameras. So far, I’ve seen a couple of moves. It’s good to have fun when you can. We even used it to figure out the mystery of who took the fire extinguisher off the wall.

Hopefully, we won’t need to use the recorded footage often. We’d like smooth sailing at our facilities. But it’s good to know it’s there if the need arises.