Local SEO is extremely important for any business that wants to be visible in search engine results for local searches, which is why it’s best to utilise the best tools possible. If you didn’t know, it is the process of optimising your online presence to attract more customers from local search results.
Google My Business is quite a fantastic tool that can assist businesses in their journey to improving their local SEO visibility. Continue reading to learn more.
Google My Business is an online and free tool that enables businesses to manage their online presence across Google. This powerful avenue offers various features involving search results, maps, and Google+ pages.
Local companies are able to control how your business appears in Google search results and on Google Maps. By optimising your Google My Business listing, you can improve your visibility in local search results and attract more customers to your business.
To create a Google Business Profile, you first need to create a Google account if you don’t already have one. Then, you can claim your business by searching for it on Google Maps. If your business is already listed, you can claim it by verifying your ownership.
Upon claiming your business, you can add or edit your business information, such as your business hours, website, and contact information. It’s also possible to add photos and videos and manage your reviews.
Google My Business does not release the specific details of its ranking algorithm. However, we know that Google considers a variety of factors when determining the ranking of local businesses in search results. The main factors include relevance, distance, and authority. Here’s some more info as to why these three are important:
Google wants to show users the most relevant businesses to their search. To determine relevance, Google looks at factors like your business category, your business name, your business address, and your business phone number. If your business information is incomplete or inaccurate, it will be less relevant to Google and will therefore rank lower in search results.
The second factor that Google considers is distance. Google wants to show users the businesses that are closest to them. To determine distance, Google looks at your business address and the location of the user’s search. If your business is further away from the user’s location, it will rank lower in search results.
Google wants to show users the businesses that are most popular and most trusted. To determine authority, Google looks at factors like the number of reviews you have, the number of backlinks you have, the number of social media followers you have, and the number of citations you have. Your business will rank lower in search results if it is less popular and less trusted.
In conclusion, Google My Business is an important tool for local SEO. By optimising your business listing with this avenue, you can improve your visibility in search results and attract more patrons from your local area.
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