Do you want more local traffic and business? In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode, we’re talking about making the most of local Google traffic and the key fields to focus on in your Google Business Profile.
Optimize Your Business Name for Search
Sometimes you might see an overly long title stuffed with keywords like “Car Accident Dog Bite Personal Injury Lawyer Willow Grove PA.” Don’t be tempted to do the same. That’s because Google uses the business name as a ranking signal.
Long, keyword-stuffed names look untrustworthy to potential customers and don’t help build your real-world brand. Plus, Google or the public can flag such names as spam, leading to edits or penalties. Instead, follow the guidelines for naming your business. If you’re starting a new business, consider optimizing the name to reflect a top search phrase. For example, “Virgil’s Vegan Diner” might be better than just “Virgil’s Place.” If it’s an existing business, use your real business name to comply with Google’s terms of service.
For new Google Business Profiles, optimize your name for search; for existing businesses, use your real name to comply with Google’s terms of service.
Be cautious about including city names in your business title unless you’re sure your business won’t expand to other locations. You don’t want confusion if you open a new branch elsewhere.
The Closer You Are the Higher You Rank
Your business’s physical location impacts not only foot traffic, but also your local rankings. The proximity of your address to a searcher’s location is crucial. The closer you are, the higher you’ll rank in local searches.
On the flip side, if your competitor is closer to the searcher, they’ll have the edge. Sometimes, the only solution is to move your business closer to your core customer base. If your address falls outside the mapped borders of a city, you might struggle to rank for searches within that city.
Now if you are a service area business, like a plumber or carpet cleaner, who serves customers at their location, you hide your physical address and add the geographic areas you serve. But, your address still factors in the rankings. If you try to rank for a city that is far from your actual location, you may find yourself at a disadvantage. If that market is critical to your business you may even decide to get a staffed physical office in that location, if possible.
Your Category Completes the Picture
Now let’s talk about categories. Make sure your primary category represents your core offering. You have nine additional categories to fill in to create a complete picture of your business. You have to pick from a list of pre-existing categories so you’ll have to try and find the best ones from the list. Linking to a strong, authoritative website will also improve your local pack rankings.
Your Hours of Operation Impact Search
Make sure your hours of operation are correct. There is also some speculation that businesses that are open when someone is searching rank higher. So you might want to consider staying open during hours when your competitors are closed to gain an edge.
Make Good Reviews Part of Your Regular Strategy
Reviews are another big factor. Your overall star rating, the number of reviews, and the language in those reviews can all affect your rankings. Aim for a steady stream of reviews and importantly, respond to every one. Sometimes we see people only respond to negative reviews, but it’s important to acknowledge your fans too! Make asking for the review and responding a regular part of your new customer process.
Don’t just respond to negative reviews – it’s important to acknowledge fans too!
What Do You Have to Offer?
Don’t forget about attributes and services. Add as many relevant attributes and services as possible. This helps Google understand what your business offers and can improve your rankings. A word of caution though, Google will add recommended services and attributes too. These won’t always make sense for your business. A good rule of thumb is to go into your profile at least once a month and check that everything is correct and any edits that were made to your profile are edits you want.
The Google Maps Pin Scam: Are You Aware?
The Google Maps Pin scam is a deceptive practice that can harm your rankings. Competitors can move your map pin to a new location using the “Suggest an edit” feature. Google doesn’t notify you when this happens, so you might not realize why your rankings have suddenly dropped.
Always keep an eye on your Google Business Profile for any unauthorized changes.
Always keep an eye on your Google Business Profile for any unauthorized changes. It’s essential to maintain your correct location to avoid ranking issues. If this happens, you can’t just reposition your pin in your Google Business Profile without risking suspension. Instead, log into Google using an email not connected to your profile, search for your business on Google Maps, and follow the steps to suggest an edit and move the pin back to the correct location.
The bottom line is this: focus on the key fields in your Google Business Profile to improve your search rankings and stay vigilant against scams.
Do you prefer to listen in? Here’s our podcast:
Links in this episode: The 11 Known Google Business Profile Fields That Impact Your Rank
The Google Maps pin scam: A new Google Business Profile threat
Local Business Content that Gets Noticed
