Are you Googleable?

Welcome to the Franchise Marketer Newsletter Edition 4!

⏳ Read time: ~4 minutes

Welcome back! This week, I share how to get a Google Knowledge panel and why it’s becoming more important in 2025.

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

✅ Are you Googlable, and why does it matter?
✅ My favourite AI tool of 2025
✅ 15 AI tools to make content creation easier

Plus the FCA awards and the Jim’s Group Trade Show & Family Day

📰 Are you Googlable?

First, search your name in Google and Chat GPT. What comes up?

If nothing, why should people in 2025 think your credible?

When prospects Google you, what do they see? If nothing solid pops up, you’re leaving money on the table. In franchising, credibility isn’t optional—it’s everything.

A robust online presence, capped off with a Google Knowledge Panel, tells potential franchisees you mean business and builds trust from the very first click.

Here’s your no-nonsense 10-step checklist:

1. Own Your Name Online

Secure a domain that mirrors your full name (think joelkleber.com). This is your digital headquarters—a place where you control your narrative. If prospects can’t find a central source for your story, they’ll piece it together from bits scattered across the internet, and that rarely works in your favour.

2. Craft a Killer “About” Page

Your website’s “About” page needs to do more than just list credentials—it should tell your story. Explain who you are, what you do, and why you’re a leading voice in franchising. Keep your story consistent across LinkedIn, social media, and all online channels.

Pro Tip: Make it personal. Share a story or struggle or something that people can relate with.

3. Use Structured Data for SEO

Implement schema.org markup on your website. This structured data helps Google understand exactly who you are, ensuring your Knowledge Panel is built on a foundation of clarity. It’s not about gaming the system—it’s about making your expertise unmistakably clear.

4. Dominate Your Social Media Profiles

Create your social media accounts (LinkedIn, X [formerly Twitter], Facebook, Instagram) using your name, and make sure you claim them. When these profiles are properly set up and claimed, they often show up on the first page of search results.

Regularly update them with high-quality, genuine content that reflects your personality and expertise.

5. Publish Content That Proves Your Authority

For franchisors, being seen as an authority is non-negotiable. Publish solid content on your website that highlights your insights on franchising. If that’s not feasible, make regular, genuine postings on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.

Feed the Google machine data on you—upload authentic photos and raw phone videos of you speaking about franchising. This hands-on content not only proves your authority but signals to Google that you’re active and relevant.

6. Get Credible External Mentions

Don’t rely solely on your own channels. Volunteer for interviews and aim to do at least one YouTube video interview that you can repurpose repeatedly.

At Jim’s Group, we do this for all franchisors—and even for franchisees—free of charge. These interviews, along with other podcast or video appearances, boost your credibility and ensure you’re visible in search results.

And if one of your posts or episodes takes off, amplify its reach using the $1.50 a day strategy (a twist on Dennis Yu’s classic $1 a day strategy).

7. Monitor Your Google Presence

Keep tabs on how Google perceives you using tools like the BlitzMetrics Knowledge Graph Explorer. If your online persona isn’t adding up, it’s a clear sign that you need to reinforce your credibility signals. Make sure what Google sees is exactly what you want your prospects to see.

8. Claim Your Knowledge Panel

Once Google starts putting together a Knowledge Panel for you, it’s time to claim it—this is where you take control. Search for your name on Google and locate your Knowledge Panel (usually on the right-hand side).

Look for the “Claim this knowledge panel” link, often found at the bottom of the panel. Click it and follow the verification process, which typically involves linking your account to your social media profiles or providing official documentation.

Claiming it is crucial; if you don’t, you lose the opportunity to manage and update your digital footprint.

9. Boost Your Visibility with Ads

A little targeted advertising can work wonders. Use the $ 1.50-a-day strategy to promote your best content and accelerate your recognition. This isn’t just for the big players—the right ad spend can turn you into a household name in the franchising space.

10. Keep It Fresh and Do a Social Sniff

Your online presence isn’t a “set and forget” deal. Regularly update your website, social media, and all public profiles to reflect your latest achievements.

Do what I call a “social sniff”—consistently check your profiles and monitor your content. Prospects often do a social sniff before enquiring; if your digital footprint isn’t current and engaging, you could lose out.

🛠 AI Tool Spotlight: Gamma AI

One simple AI tool just saved me hours—here’s how:

The Problem

I get asked to do presentations at conferences, meetings, and events.
The speaking part? Easy. The slides? A nightmare.

I’d end up staying up the night before, rushing to finish them.

It’s time-consuming and draining.

The Solution

I started using Gamma AI to speed up the process.

• I write my content (sometimes with ChatGPT).

• I drop it into Gamma.

• It builds a structured, editable presentation in seconds.

Not just a basic template—it actually organizes the slides in a way that makes sense.

Why This Matters

Most presenters hate making slides. Gamma AI fixes that.

• No more wasting hours formatting slides.

• No more late nights trying to make things look good.

• Works for presentations, social media, documents, and even webpages.

If you do presentations and dread the slides, it’s worth a try.

🤖 My Favourite AI Tools for 2025

These tools will 10x your content in 2025! I’ve personally used every tool on this list to streamline content creation, repurpose videos, and automate workflows.

🔍 Ideas & Research

Perplexity | Reddit | Twitter/X

🎨 Images & Visuals

Ideogram | Midjourney | Canva

✍️ LinkedIn Content Creation

EasyGen | AuthoredUp | Swell.AI

🎬 Video Editing & Repurposing

OpusClip | CapCut

🖌 Design & Graphics

Canva | Gamma

⚡ Automation & Workflows

Zapier | Re-Purpose.io

Jim’s Group Trade Show and Family Day is this Sunday!

Our Trade Show and Family Day is back, with our COO and his team putting a lot of work into making this a great event.

Everyone is welcome, and even Jim may make an appearance.

Also a great content opportunity for us and I am sure we will get around 100 useable shorts on the day as well.

📅 Date: Sunday, 16th March 2025
📍 Location: Yarra Valley Racecourse, Armstrong Gr, Yarra Glen, VIC 3775
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
🎟 FREE ENTRY & PARKING

🏆 FCA Awards Are Open

FCA industry awards are now open for nominations.

You can nominate yourself or someone that you know for multiple awards.

I don’t think we are a chance at Jim’s for any of them as we aren’t allowed to leave Mooroolbark and mingle too much with other brands, but you have to be in it to win it!

Enter here: FCA National Franchising Awards