As an ethical Wikipedia consultant, I often get asked, how can I use Wikipedia to promote my business and boost its presence in search engine results? My answer is simple, you can’t. Wikipedia is an educational resource, not a promotional tool. Wikipedia is an open-source project that anyone can get involved with. The aim is to document the sum of all human knowledge and make it available and accessible to anyone anywhere. It’s an amazing goal and if everyone contributes in whatever way possible, Wikipedia might just achieve its goal within a lifetime. However, using the site for selfish and personal gains will divert resources away from this goal, so be respectful. If you are thinking of creating content or if your business already has Wikipedia content but you want to improve it, always keep the aims of the project in mind. Think of it as an opportunity to educate people about your business. Ideally your Wikipedia page should provide a gateway for anyone wishing to learn more about you or your business. So, bearing this in mind, here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts designed by me to help anyone anywhere learn more about your business.
Don’t! Make a mess.
Before diving in and making edits take some time to learn how to edit and reference properly. Wiki code is very simple so familiarising yourself with the basics won’t take long. It’s important to use the right headers and referencing style. Treat Wikipedia like any other public space, don’t make a mess then expect someone else to clean it up. Always remember that Wikipedia’s editors and admins are volunteers so don’t antagonise them. Also stuffing pages full of links to your website and other business related content is not cool. Spamming Wikipedia is the internet equivalent of stencilling your company logo to a bus stop: it is vandalism. So, don’t do it!
Do! Make sure your business is notable…
For a new company article, I first check the scope of the company-notability guideline and identify the evidence that supports the proposed subject. Its primary test requires multiple sources that each discuss the company in depth and are each reliable, independent and secondary. Repeated copies of a press release or a collection of passing mentions cannot be combined into a qualifying source.
My New Page Creation work establishes and demonstrates the company’s relevant notability through that evidence. Research substantiates the initial assessment; the draft and revisions make the case clear in neutral, proportionate prose. A company and its founder are separate subjects. A biography needs its own assessment against the relevant biographical or occupational criteria.
Do! Check what each source can support.
Source type and independence are different questions. A primary source supplies original material or a first-hand account; a secondary source analyses or interprets material. A company publication or paid affiliate article may lack independence regardless of its source type. I inspect the exact passage, who produced it, its reliability and the claim it is being used to support.
For my company and organisation New Page Creation first drafts, I use only reliable, independent secondary sources that support or directly contribute to the company-notability case. A company blog or press release cannot establish that case. This is my commissioning constraint for those first drafts, not a blanket ban on primary sources across Wikipedia.
For other editorial work, an authentic, reputably published primary record may verify a directly stated, non-contentious fact within its authority. I still check its relevance, currency, attribution, privacy and proportion. Verifying a routine fact does not establish reputation, importance or notability. My notability route guide explains how I distinguish those questions.
Do! Make regular donations!
Did you base your entire PhD on a Wikipedia page? What about that embarrassing rash you needed to look up the other week? Yes? Thought so. Wikipedia may be ostensibly run by volunteers but hosting over 45 million pages in 301 different languages takes a lot of server space. Everything from device testing to keeping the servers cool requires money. So if you use Wikipedia in your personal, academic or professional life (as so many people do) go to https://wikimediafoundation.org/ and (depending on the size of your dissertation or severity of your rash) make a small or large one off donation or set up a standing order for as little as £2 a month.
To wrap things up…
So, there you go! Some do’s and don’ts for anyone wishing to increase their businesses presence on Wikipedia. Of-course this list is by no means exhaustive, in fact it barely scratches the surface. But the good news is there are literally thousands of Wikipedia pages and essays devoted to its guidelines, etiquette and standards. There are even a few YouTube videos, go ahead and get stuck in. Happy editing.
Disclaimer! I do not work for Wikipedia and I am not affiliated with Wikipedia in any way.
