08/27/2026
Our founder, Chris Raulf, searched his own name in an incognito window to see what Google actually returns.
His about.me page came in ahead of his Instagram and his YouTube channel.
That page is free. It took minutes to build. And Google Search Console confirms Google is crawling and recording the links pointing out of it.
For a local service business with no website yet, that changes the order of operations.
→ You do not need a site live before you have something Google can find, index, and rank
→ about.me recently opened up multiple call to action buttons, where there used to be only one
→ Every button can carry a link to a service page, a booking form, or a newsletter signup
→ Search Console shows Google recording those links, so they are not sitting there invisible
→ Your own branded search results are real estate you can influence for free, this week
Most owners think a web presence starts with building a website. It starts with whether Google can find anything about you that you actually control.
Read the full newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-put-free-page-above-his-instagram-here-why-vrhbc/?trackingId=DK%2BszsdsSkVuCiUKn%2B%2BSdA%3D%3D
The button Chris adds on camera points to our AI SEO & GEO Online Summit, October 7, 2026, 9 AM to 11 AM Mountain. Three sessions on getting your business cited as a trusted source in AI search. Registration here: https://chrisraulf.com/ai-seo-geo-summit/