Wikipedia has become the go-to resource for an increasingly large number of people. According to Alexa, it is currently the sixth most visited website both in the United States and on the planet. With such an enormous audience, it’s only natural to want your business to have its own page, and with Wikipedia’s content submission system, it’s easily possible. Being listed on Wikipedia can also give you a huge boost for your dealership’s Automotive SEO efforts, Should you do it yourself though?
Let’s start with the obvious; there are many upsides to having your business on Wikipedia. Do a Google search for any fortune 500 company, heck, do one for ANYTHING, and you’ll find the Wikipedia entry pretty high up in the results. It is a trusted site among all search engines and is known to be relatively spam free, so they love to direct you there. An added bonus for businesses is credibility, if your business is listed on Wikipedia (and has no associated scandals) then you instantly gain more than a modicum of trust from consumers.
Before you run off to add your business to the internet hive-mind though, ask yourself this difficult question: am I relevant enough?
It can be hard to discern sometimes, especially when your ego is yelling, “Relevant? You bet your ass I’m relevant!” It’s a necessary distinction though. Having a thriving business is not enough. You need to have proof of your notability. Wikipedia has listed there notability guidelines, check them out and see if you qualify. For a quick answer, ask yourself if you’ve been mentioned more than a couple times in the media. Have you or your business been published in a book? Authorship, accompanied by your ISBN, is a great way to land on Wikipedia fast.
Anyone can contribute to Wikipedia, so you may be tempted to just add your page and see if it sticks. Doing that is analogous to black hat SEO tactics. Sure, it works for a bit, but when you’re caught you’ll be penalized. Your best bet is, much like white hat, to think long term. Build a reputation on Wikipedia as a reputable, unbiased source. Perform helpful edits and add pages that need adding. When it comes time that your business IS notable enough, be sure the article is impartial and informative.
No one wants to read about the CEO’s rugged, James Dean style good looks, even if it’s true.