There are many different ways in which brands can establish authority, visibility and general trustworthiness. For those targeting online audiences, being mentioned in the right places and/or by the right influencers can make a huge difference. From search engines to social media, gaining additional clout and recognition can have a number of benefits.

Websites such as Wikipedia naturally rank prominently in relevant search results, making this a valuable platform through which to be featured. But how can brands create more visibility via Wikipedia? As it turns out, it’s easier than you might think.

Let’s take a look at what you can do to establish greater visibility via Wikipedia.

Establish Brand Recognition Through Trusted Sources

The sad reality is that not every brand can automatically establish a Wikipedia page that makes it through the review process. Very small or otherwise unknown brands have difficulty in this arena; a brand needs both mentions and mentions from credible sources to successfully establish a page.

It’s enough to just start pinging servers with content and hope that enough internal mentions will justify a Wikipedia page’s creation on your behalf. You need to focus on earning sources: these are mentions from reputable entities (such as media outlets, local news agencies and other trustworthy, unbiased entities) to hope for a successful publication.

Create a Presence on the Website

Just like a brand needs credibility, a user submitting a request for new page creation needs the same. For this reason, it is ideal to first establish rapport with Wikipedia by creating an account and submitting edits and content that undoubtedly pass muster. This can be within the industry of your brand or outside of it; given Wikipedia is ultimately comprised of users from around the world and the information presented relies upon accuracy and verification, the more you contribute to the platform via a user account, the more trusted your future submissions will be.

It’s also vitally important that you disclose any conflict of interest issues you may have with creating pages (i.e. one for your own brand). There are clear and simple processes for disclosing this information, and you will want to do so before you attempt to create a page for your own brand to ensure its chance at publication.

Document, Cite and Prove

After you have successfully created a Wikipedia account, disclosed your conflict of interest and contributed a number of successful edits to the community’s plethora of pages, you may feel compelled to create a page for your own brand. It’s important to know exactly how to go about this endeavor.

If you just start pinging servers with biased claims that are not sourced or cited by authoritative and independent entities, then the chances of your page being approved are minuscule. Before creating your page, be sure to outline what practical information you want to convey and find non-brand sources for documenting and citing this information. The more citations you can provide for your brand and any claims on its Wikipedia page, the better your chances are at establishing a successful, published listing.

There is no quick and easy process for establishing a Wikipedia listing. However, with a bit of patience and cultivation of cited references, you too can be listed alongside your competitors and other big names. By earning such a listing, your brand’s clout in search results and other important metrics can be potentially improved in meaningful ways.