I read an article in yesterday’s Boston Globe describing how companies can vanish (or sink way down) in Google listings overnight, thanks to the search engine’s constant (500 times a year) tweaking of the algorithm it uses to rank web sites.

So, for example, one day you show up at the top of the list when someone searches on “chocolate  covered penguin feet” (not that I am suggesting this), and the next day you’re gone, along with all those prospective customers who can no longer find you.

The worst part of all (again, according to the article) is that there’s no way to know why it happened, since Google is extremely tight-lipped about how its algorithm works.

Not that I needed any more convincing, but this was another reminder of why I love and depend on relationship marketing; your connection with other people isn’t tied to what Google or anyone else decides. It’s a direct connection, one you can build and maintain and use to grow your business.

As a professional service provider, your relationships – your house list – are your most valuable, most enduring assets. Don’t let them fade while you’re off chasing rankings!

Photo courtesy of Yodel Anecdotal, used under a Creative Commons license.