How to Create a Wikipedia Page for Your Company: Essential Tips and Guidelines
Maximizing Online Presence through Wikipedia Pages for Businesses
Introduction
Widely regarded by millennials and Gen-Zers as a comprehensive knowledge base, Wikipedia’s digitally boundless encyclopedia, covers everything from unique animal data to tidbits about television shows. One memorable attribute behind Wikipedia’s impressive information stockpile is the universal collaborative effort pooled by the platform’s editors and authors.
Considering Wikipedia’s prestige and significant web traffic, it’s no surprise that business owners frequently wonder about the potential benefits of having a brand presence on this popular platform. In this article, we at MKTG Plan, a Miami-based digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and web design, delve into the essentials of creating Wikipedia pages for businesses. Additionally, we offer an overview of the various benefits, alongside legal matters, you should be aware of while constructing your Wikipedia business page in this fast-paced digital era—and beyond.
Creating a Wikipedia Page for Your Business?
Page creation on Wikipedia is possible for members with appropriate administrative rights. However, users must exercise caution to maintain the platform’s principles, especially when adding new information. It’s crucial to steer clear of using the site as a medium for marketing content.
Advantages of Owning a Wikipedia Page
When it was still in its fledgling stage, Wikipedia was designed with an aim to promote objective and unbiased encyclopedia-building efforts driven by an open community. Therefore, content published should not be promotional or favor specific biases. Indeed, Wikipedia even discourages individuals from creating or modifying pages for companies they own or work for as it may negatively influence one’s ability to produce objective and non-promotional content.
Influence on Brand Authenticity and Image
A brand’s credibility and perceived authenticity can significantly improve by having a Wikipedia presence. Widely regarded as a heavily trusted information source, Wikipedia broadcasts information about your business to millions of people, subsequently solidifying your business’s reputation as a credible and well-established entity among potential partners, customers, and investors.
Boosted Online Visibility and Improved Search Engine Rankings
Typically, Wikipedia’s pages often rank highly in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) because of its immense popularity, therefore having a Wikipedia page may enhance your brand’s online visibility, making it simpler for prospective customers to find you. Improving organic search rankings like this can garner more website traffic, potential sales, and ultimately, business growth.
Global Audience Access
Being multilingual and accessed globally, Wikipedia offers the unique opportunity to showcase your brand to a sizable international audience. This feature can achieve global brand recognition, promoting product exposure to potential customers, partners, or investors who might have never encountered your brand otherwise. This can lead to business expansion opportunities in various international markets.
Legal Disclaimer
The subsequent steps contain screenshots and assets copyrighted by the Wikimedia Foundation from the Wikipedia website. Therefore, it’s essential to note that the Wikimedia and Wikipedia name, wordmarks, and logos are all under the Wikimedia Foundation’s trademarks, used here with their gracious permission. There should be no confusion that MKTG Plan, in whatsoever way, isn’t endorsed by or affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
The Process of Creating a Wikipedia Business Page
Creating a Wikipedia page involves detailed steps:
Create an Account
The first step is to visit Wikipedia’s homepage and click on “Create account” on the top-right side. Following screen prompts for setting a username and password, proceed to create the account.
Gaining Promotion to an Auto-Confirmed Member
For new Wikipedia users, a pop-up box with a message “Help improve Wikipedia” appears, prompting the user to begin editing an article. However, before creating your page, one must strive to gain autoconfirmation status. To achieve this status, the user should have an account older than four days and should have made at least ten edits.
Construct the Actual Page
The most critical step in the process is creating the page. Visit Wikipedia’s “writing an article” page, find the blue button labelled “Article wizard: an easy way to create articles,” and click on it. This redirects you to Wikipedia’s Article Wizard. This part of the process allows you to commence shaping your page or to take a pit stop and practice in Wikipedia’s sandbox before proceeding. Since your company likely doesn’t have an existing Wikipedia page, you have complete autonomy over how much or little content you want to include on the page.
Incorporate Citations
A fundamental aspect of Wikipedia pages is the inclusion of various citations and references to different articles and third-party sources. These references lend credibility to your topic and authenticate the legitimacy of your business. Preferable sources include news publication articles, other websites backlinking your site as a resource, directories linking to your company’s profile, etc.
Comply With Creative Commons Guidelines
When using content affiliated with Wikipedia’s Creative Commons, please follow their Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 guidelines.
Maintain Neutral Bias
In trying to rule out the possibility of having a promotional page, it’s crucial to review the content you add or modify before it becomes live from the perspective of a reader who isn’t connected to the business. If the content includes biased information or appears overly sales-driven, consider moving it. Furthermore, referring back to Wikipedia’s Conflict of Interest guidelines is advisable.
Submit Page for Review
Upon finishing your page, submit it for review. Once Wikipedia approves it as a credible source, it will upload the page as an official Wikipedia page.
Regular Updates
Keep in mind that creating a Wikipedia page is not the end of the task. It must be updated regularly to reflect the most recent information concerning your products or services. This activity not only maintains the page’s relevance but also upholds transparency, which is comforting to both customers and prospects.
Superlative Wikipedia Page Characteristics
Encompassing over 6.7 million articles in English, Wikipedia hosts numerous company pages. Some evident characteristics among the best company pages are that they aptly describe the company, adhere to a neutral viewpoint, include references to renowned, independent sources, and provide a company website link. Transparent disclosure that the page was created or edited by company members or paid entities, with attempts to maintain content neutrality, is also an asset.
Company Wikipedia Page Examples
For reference, let’s examine the Wikipedia pages of two notable companies, World Wide Technology and Urban One.
1. World Wide Technology: The World Wide Technology Wikipedia page provides a brief summary about the company, followed by a timeline of significant events from its inception to recent notable accomplishments and recognitions. The page concludes with an exhaustive list of references to independent reliable sources, underlining why the organization is notable and verifying it avoids any conflict of interest.
2. Urban One: The Urban One Wikipedia page starts by describing what the company does, who its primary audience is, and how large it is. While including impressive details, they are stated objectively and cited correctly to maintain the appearance of objectivity.
The Importance of a Positive Online Presence
A Wikipedia page is just one facet of a comprehensive online presence. With an increasing percentage of commerce moving towards online platforms, curating a positive and accessible online identity is essential for all businesses. However, your online identity should not remain confined to your website or social media pages. The ability to branch out onto high traffic websites such as Wikipedia can provide not only increased visibility, but heightened credibility.
At MKTG Plan, an SEO and website design agency, we understand the importance of a complete online presence. With our dedicated team’s expertise in website design and SEO, we can provide your business with the tools and strategies required to make the most of your online platform.
Maintaining your Wikipedia Page
Simply creating a Wikipedia page isn’t sufficient. Maintenance and regular updates are vital. Changes in your business operations, new products or services, changes in the management team or significant achievements should always be updated on your Wikipedia page.
However, it is also essential to maintain the neutrality of the content. Rather than presenting your brand excessively positively or as superior to others, the content should be factual and straightforward. This approach helps maintain the credibility of your page and ensure its longevity on the platform.
Furthermore, it is crucial to monitor your Wikipedia page for any unsolicited changes. While Wikipedia encourages the collaborative effort of its user base, this also opens the doorway for potential misuse. Anyone with a Wikipedia account can make changes to your page, potentially altering the information presented. Regular monitoring can prevent the dissemination of incorrect or negatively skewed information.
The Need for Professional Assistance
Although creating and updating a Wikipedia page might seem straightforward, it often involves complexities better handled by professionals. At MKTG Plan, we not only provide SEO and website design services, but also content creation for platforms like Wikipedia. Our team understands the nuanced guidelines of Wikipedia and can work towards creating a page that enhances your online presence while adhering to the platform’s requirements.
Conclusion
In today’s digital age, a robust online presence is no longer a luxury but a necessity. A Wikipedia page stands as a testament to your business’s credibility, offering potential customers a neutral and detailed insight into your business. From understanding to set up to regular maintenance, the process can be time-consuming and intricate. Professional services like those provided by MKTG Plan can streamline this process, allowing you to reap the benefits of a Wikipedia page without the associated hassles.
As trends shift and the digital world evolves, MKTG Plan remains committed to providing the highest quality SEO and website design services, helping your business stay ahead of the curve and continuously reach new heights.
