Laura Watkins

OPLIN

Increasing Web Visibility in Your Library

For years, libraries have been challenged to create an effective, but not overly invasive web presence.  For many libraries, the extent of this presence can be found in a single location—the library website.  This is an excellent start.  But what else can libraries do to ensure ongoing virtual visibility in their communities?  A recent trip to the annual Internet Librarian conference yielded six results which have been adapted from a presentation entitled Online Marketing for Libraries: Outreach & PR in a 2.0 World by Sarah Houghton-Jan & Aaron Schmidt.  The results are as follows: Search Engine Findability, Library Directory Listings, Wikipedia/Wikimapia, Community Website Presence, Blogs, and Social Networking Sites.  Now, let’s take a look at these outreach tools one-by-one.

• 1. Search Engine Findability:  This is something that should happen naturally.  An easy way to test this is to search for your library’s name (and variations of that name) and see if your library website (or other legitimate library web presences) are listed at the top of the search results.  If your library happens to have an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) budget, you might also consider buying AdWords from Google.  On a related note, if your library has a blog, you can also check for Blog Search Engine Findability using Google Blog Search and similar engines.

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• 2. Library Directory Listings:  LibDex, MapMuse, Libraries411, and PublicLibraries.com are just a handful of the library directory sites out there.  Look around and see if your library is listed; if it isn’t, follow the site’s guidelines on how to submit your library’s information!  Customers visit these sites for the sole purpose of finding a library; consequently, you aren’t doing your library any favors if it isn’t listed.
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• 3. Wikipedia/Wikimapia:  Chances are, you’re familiar with Wikipedia—but what is Wikimapia?  Think Google Maps plus Wikipedia.  Essentially, you can browse an area by geography (rather than keywords) and click on locations to find more information.  You’ll want to list your library in the appropriate town/community/county entries.  Not only will this help search engines find your library’s information, but it will make it easier for your users to find you as well.  And as it turns out, very few Ohio libraries have a Wikipedia presence.
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• 4. Community Website Presence:  In addition to Wikipedia and Wikimapia, there are loads of other websites that your customers likely access when seeking out information about their community.  Some examples include: AmericanTowns.com, Artsopolis.com, Upcoming.org, Craigslist, Eventful, and countless other local options.  Add your upcoming library events these sites and others like them.
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• 5. Blogs, Blogs, Blogs:  Find and interact with local blogs/bloggers to get your library’s name and services out there.  A few tips: 
  1. Don’t intrude, but be available
  2. Identify yourself and your goal
  3. Find relevant and appropriate blogs
  4. Have authentic interactions
  5. Don’t be a wind bag
     Entering into an online community can be hard work


• Getting linked to from local blogs (often referred to as an “inbound link”) is a great way to boost your library’s visibility in the community, and is also, of course, a way to get indexed by the search engines.  Technology boards, continuing educations boards, various forums, and other groups with “local flair” are also great places to offer information about the library.

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• 6. Social Networking Sites:  Creating a profile for your library is often a quick and easy way to get your name out there.  MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, and Ning are all major players in the social networking domain.  Establishing your presence on these sites will help to create awareness and accessibility for your library.  Many libraries already have a presence on social networking sites; review their profiles and look for ideas that you can use in your own efforts.  Social review websites like Yelp, CitySearch, and InsiderPages are also great places to promote your library.

In summation, the real key is to find out where your users are going online and be available to them.  Provide them with the information they want to know.  Make it easy for them.  But don’t assume that your presence will be recognized overnight; developing a web presence takes time and effort.  Focus on meeting the needs of your customers while increasing your library’s online visibility and you’ll find that an effective web presence is, to some degree, the natural result of meeting those needs in the virtual arena.