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What does a referred client see when they Google you?

Serhat Altunoğlu · 4 min read
Two people shaking hands across a table in a cafe in the evening, with coffee cups and a phone on the table

Imagine a colleague recommends you to Ayşe, a plant manager: “They're very good at this. You should definitely talk to them.”

Ayşe does not contact you right away. First she types your name into Google. This search takes a few minutes. What she sees in those few minutes either strengthens the referral or weakens it. That is often where she decides whether to reach out to you.

From referral to first conversationThe decision is often made at the third step, before you even know about it.
  1. 1ReferralA colleague recommends you to Ayşe.
  2. 2SearchAyşe looks you up on Google or LinkedIn.
  3. 3Moment of decisionDoes what she sees support the referral?
  4. 4ConversationIf it does, she reaches out to you. If it does not, she often does not.

What is Ayşe looking for?

Ayşe does not know you. All she has is one sentence from her colleague. What she looks for on Google is a sign that this sentence is true.

That sign is not a list of services. Ayşe wants answers to three questions:

  • What work have you done?
  • Who have you worked with?
  • Who besides you confirms it?

In short, she is looking for evidence. This search does not always happen on Google. Some people search your name directly on LinkedIn, some ask an AI assistant. The place changes. The question does not.

80%+
More than 80% of professional services buyers look at the provider's website before making a decision.Source: Hinge Research Institute, Beyond Referrals (2014, 1,028 buyers)
17%
When considering a purchase, B2B buyers spend only 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers.Source: Gartner, The B2B Buying Journey
Forecast25%
Gartner predicted that traditional search engine use would drop 25% by 2026 because of AI chatbots and virtual assistants.Source: Gartner press release, February 19, 2024

The evidence ladder: what does Ayşe see at each step?

I describe this with a five-step ladder. The “E” on each step stands for evidence. The bottom step is E0, the top step is E4.

Evidence ladderAt each step, Ayşe becomes a little more sure about you.
  1. E0No traceNothing meaningful comes up for your name.
  2. E1General claimSentences like “one of the leading names in the industry” that no one can verify.
  3. E2Specific claimIt gives the year, the project and the result. But you are the only source.
  4. E3Supported claimA client testimonial or a publication confirms the same information. This is the step to aim for.
  5. E4Independent verificationA source independent of you verifies it through its own research.

An example makes the difference clear. “I have many years of experience in the industry” is E1. “In 2022, I rebuilt the order process at a 150-person logistics company” is E2: it has a year, a project and a size. When that company's manager confirms the same information in a named testimonial, the sentence moves up to E3.

E0 is not always a shortcoming. Some experts stay in the background on purpose. But Ayşe cannot know that. She only sees that she found nothing.

Not every claim needs to reach E4. Having your two or three most important claims at E3 is usually enough.

Reach E3 in six steps

This work is not about creating new claims. It is about making the evidence you already have visible. Go in this order:

  1. Be the same person everywhere. Your LinkedIn headline, your website and other pages that mention you should show the same name, the same area of expertise and the same city. Seeing a different title on every page confuses Ayşe.
  2. Replace general sentences with specific ones. Instead of “experienced consultant,” write which industry, how many years and what kind of projects you have worked on. This step takes you from E1 to E2.
  3. Pick two or three claims. Do not try to strengthen all of them at once. Start with the topic that brings you the most work.
  4. Find support for each claim. It can be a named client testimonial, a written recommendation on LinkedIn, an article you wrote for an industry publication or your name in an event program. Once support is added, the claim moves up to E3.
  5. Put the evidence where people can see it. No one sees a thank-you message sitting in your inbox. With your client's permission, move it to a case study page on your website or to the Featured section on LinkedIn.
  6. Do not write what you do not know. Do not make up a number for a result that was never measured. Saying “the result has not been measured yet” is far more credible than a number that later turns out to be wrong.

A ten-minute self-check

You do not need a long analysis to see where you stand. Set a timer for ten minutes, put yourself in Ayşe's place and answer these questions:

  • Search your first and last name in a private browser window. Do the results on the first page really belong to you?
  • Add your area of expertise or your city to your name and search again. What changed?
  • Does your LinkedIn headline say who you help and with what, or does it only show your title?
  • Can someone who reads the first screen of your website understand what you do in a few seconds?
  • Do you have at least one public case study?
  • Do you have at least one client testimonial that shows the person's name, title and company?
  • Are your title, city and area of expertise written the same way everywhere?
  • Does anything come up that is old or that conflicts with what you say?
  • Is it clear right away how to contact you?

Every question you answered “no” to shows you where to start. The easiest step is often this: move a testimonial you already have to a place where people can see it.

If you want to do this check in more detail, you can try the Free Visibility Check. With 16 short questions, you see right away where you stand across eight areas. If you like, I review your public sources and send you the full report in writing within three business days.

Short answers to common questions about visibility on Google, LinkedIn and AI search: Visibility for experts.

Sources

  1. Hinge Research Institute, Beyond Referrals: How Today's Buyers Check You Out (2014)
  2. Gartner, The B2B Buying Journey
  3. Gartner, Search Engine Volume Will Drop 25% by 2026 (press release, February 19, 2024)
See where you stand, for free.

16 short questions, a quick assessment across eight areas. No scoring.

Free Visibility Check
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