Last week we discussed the introduction of automatic updates to business hours on Google Business Profiles. This week we’re looking at Google’s growing local relevance signals, and why this makes Google EAT (expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) more important than ever for a business’ Google Business Profile.

Are You Applying Google EAT to Clients’ Google Business Profiles?

We’ve talked with you quite a bit about adding EAT to your clients’ Google Business Profiles – and for good reason.

As Damian Rollison points out, Google uses the elements within a Google Business Profile (GBP) – such as services, photos and so on – to determine relevance. Other items, like GBP posts, are shown to also influence relevance.

These justifications (as many call them) are also influenced by services and information on the business’ website. We originally spotted this in 2019, and discussed here how you can help your local business clients influence the local pack by adding EAT to their Google Business Profiles – yes, referred to as Google My Business back then.

Local Search Relevance and Justifications

You may have noticed examples of justifications in local search results as well. Essentially, justifications are snippets of text that indicate why the Google Business Profile is being featured for a particular search query. Here are just a few examples of the reasons Google uses to justify a listing:

• Provides – Examples of relevant services listed on a GBP.
• In stock – Up-to-date record of available products at a client’s store.
• Posts – A relevant offer taken from recent Google posts.
• Their website mentions – Services taken from a business’ website.
• Menu highlight – A specific type of food, such as pasta or pizza.
• Reviews – A review snippet taken from a GBP review.

As you can see, Google is helping searchers determine why they might be interested in a business. Plus, for us as local marketers, this clearly demonstrates the need for a comprehensive Google Business Profile. For example, imagine a business that didn’t list all their services on their GBP or website. If Google cannot be certain that a business offers a particular service, that business likely will not be featured for the more specific searches.

But Google’s push to expand local search doesn’t end there. As Damian also points out, local search is beginning to merge with Google Shopping to offer more comprehensive and consumer-focused SERPs (search engine results pages). Thanks to improvements in Google’s visual recognition technology, relevant searches are likely to feature product offerings besides the usual business data.

At Advice Local, we’re heavily in favor of adding a wide variety of images to a business’ Google Business Profile. This strategy can certainly pay off for action-taking businesses, as Google showcases relevant products for targeted searches.

If you see elements like Google posts, products and service details as being simply “optional extras,” it’s time to rethink this. It’s obvious that Google is offering an extensive local search experience that delivers more for consumers than ever before. And while Google is using AI to do much of the work, you can make things easier by creating up-to-date and complete Google Business Profiles for each of your clients.

Local Ranking Factors and Search Visibility

We’ve recently mentioned that several ranking factors influence local pack results. For a quick reminder, we’re talking about relevance, proximity and prominence. Ideally, a business should satisfy all three factors – be appropriate for the search query, located close to the target destination – and recognized as a high-quality business.

As you well know, local pack and map results are customized for each user. Since you can’t be certain which of the three factors mentioned above will win out, what do you do? The answer here is to make use of all available elements in a GBP, along with maintaining a business website, continuing to add fresh Google posts – and underpinning these factors with Google EAT.

Using #Google EAT to Influence Local Relevance Signals by @BernieColeman @Advice_Local #SEO #GMB #GBP
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Our Listing Management Tools Are the Answer

For an easy, efficient approach to helping local business clients stand out in search results, the Advice Local partner dashboard is the solution. Through the dashboard you can make use of local business listings, our Google Business Profile tools such as GBP Sync and the Google Authority Score, online visibility reports and much more. To get started, request a demo today by calling (214) 310-1356.

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Last week we detailed how to perform a simple local presence audit for your local clients. This week we’re looking at prominence, and how it can help businesses get greater visibility in Google’s local pack.

New SOCi Study Looks Into Local Ranking Factors

Remember when Search Engine Journal brought up the relevance between prominence and EAT (expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) a while back? Around that time, we covered how businesses can apply EAT to Google Business Profiles (GBP) to win in the Vicinity update.

Well, last week Damian Rollison on Street Fight shared a sneak peek into a study completed by SOCi that shows how prominence can win out over relevance and proximity in the local pack (in some cases). The study uncovered a surprising data point in the top 20 local search rankings – many of the lower positioned listings actually had a greater volume of positive reviews than even the third position listing in the local pack.

The Key Ranking Factors for the Local Pack

A quick refresher – local search listings are primarily determined by three ranking factors.

• Relevance – How applicable a listing is believed to be to a user’s search intent.
• Proximity – The distance between the searcher and the business location.
• Prominence – Positive brand recognition corresponding to Google EAT factors.

So, if listings further down in maps have a greater number of reviews than others in more prominent positions, it could imply that a local pack listing within the top three positions is less important than previously thought. However, a deeper analysis of the study showed more complicated factors at work, and we’re looking forward to seeing the complete SOCi study.

For each local search term, Google has only a limited inventory of listings that meet the three criteria of relevance, proximity and relevance. When the options are exhausted, the search results must sacrifice one of these factors to some degree.

In light of the Vicinity update, it may be somewhat surprising that prominence has emerged as an increasingly relevant factor. In practice, this means that the proximity to a searcher or relevance to the search query will begin to loosen. However, prominence (the number of positive reviews and brand sentiment) will remain high.

And what’s the reason listings further down the page often have more positive reviews? Well, Street Fight points out that these listings may not be perfectly located or relevant to the search query being monitored, but they are often the prime listing for a fairly similar query.

It appears Google is willing to reward the exceptional local businesses in one specific vertical with search visibility in an additional vertical (even if it’s less relevant) if they have a higher prominence. So for example, say you help your moving company client become the primary listing in the local pack. This client could then also be featured in the top 10 for storage companies. And while local businesses want positions one through three, even businesses in position 10 can win if they feature across many search terms.

This brings us back to Google EAT. With prominence becoming a critical element for local businesses and their search visibility, quality brands with respected names and positive reviews will prosper. To achieve this, local businesses need to work on showcasing their expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness in everything they do.

These Key Factors Can Influence the Local Pack in Many Ways by @BernieColeman via @Advice_Local #SEO
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Try Our Local Business Listing Tools Today

If you want to stay on top of your clients’ Google Business Profiles, we have features such as GBP Sync, Auto Reject of GBP Updates, the Google Authority Score and more. Our dashboard provides a range of tools to help you better serve your local business clients. Request a demo now to learn more. Call (214) 310-1356 for help today.

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With it being the 5th week of the month, we thought a roundup post would be useful. There were quite a few interesting news stories from this last week that we wanted to share.

1. When It Comes to GBP Spam, Google Is Still Fighting the Good Fight

Do you remember back in 2021 when Google shared how they were tackling spam? We highlighted the most important data they reported, including their stopping 3 million bad actors from verifying Google Business Profiles that didn’t belong to them.

Well, last week Google shared how they kept information on Google Maps reliable in 2021. The report revealed that they removed more than 7 million fake Google Business Profiles (GBPs), stopped 12 million attempts to create fake GBPs, as well as 8 million attempts to claim GBPs that didn’t belong to them. They also shared information about reviews, photos, etc. It’s quite the data-packed read – you might want to check it out.

They did give some of the credit to those of us who are Local Guides, stating that this “local knowledge that our global community contributes is a huge part of what makes Google Maps more than a navigation tool.”

If you are not a Local Guide, it’s pretty simple to sign up. And once signed up, you’ll earn points for reviews, photos, etc. that you upload. The higher your Local Guide status, the easier it will be for you to get your edits accepted where you report GBP spam.

2. Google Is Testing Booking Appointments Within GBPs for Some Healthcare Providers

In other GBP news, it seems Google is testing the ability for consumers to see appointments and booking availability for medical appointments directly through search. At this point, it seems they’re testing this only with a few healthcare providers. Barry Schwartz covered the topic on Search Engine Land.

Not every healthcare provider uses booking apps to manage their patients’ appointments, and if this change goes out mainstream, their decision to avoid booking apps could hit them hard. We agree with Greg Sterling, who stated on Near Media that this is Google’s attempt to once again be a gatekeeper and insert itself into more local transactions.

3. Google Partners Directory Is Available (Again)

Google has once again rolled out its Google Partners directory, this time with requirements that are a bit less restrictive. If you’re thinking about becoming a Google Partner, you may want to check it out.

4. Business Listings Are the Hot Topic on Search Engine Journal

Business listings seemed to be a hot topic on Search Engine Journal over the last week with several blog posts that caught our attention, including Why NAP & User Experience Are Crucial to Local SEO and 21 Web Directories You’ll Still Want to Use. In this second article, pay close attention starting at point #5 on the list, and review some of the many directories we can help you with – and more.

Hopefully you’re well aware of the fact that we are strong proponents of business listings and their value, and how building citations on authoritative data sources will help you improve your clients’ visibility in the local pack, Google Maps – and ultimately organic search results.

5. Facebook Says Watchbait Is a No-No

For those of you who follow social media closely (or have in the past), you may remember when Facebook updated its algorithms to detect clickbait and reduce the visibility of this type of content in the newsfeed. Well, Facebook is now telling users they cannot use watchbait tactics. They present a list of strategies that a video should avoid using, which includes withholding, sensationalizing and misleading.

What’s New With #Google, #GBP Spam, Bookings From Search, Plus More by @BernieColeman via @Advice_Local #SEO
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Request a demo of our listing management solution today to learn about how we do listing management better – real fast and in real time. Call (214) 310-1356 for help today!

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Last week we detailed some best practices for writing business listing descriptions. This week it’s time to take a closer look at how listing management works.

Improving Search Visibility With Listing Management

While we’ve talked extensively about the importance of citations and listing management in recent months, we’ve spent far less time on just how the process delivers results for local businesses.

To put it simply, a citation is a mention of a business’ name online or offline. Ideally, the citation will include the business’ address and phone number when online. It’s even better if the citation includes other information like opening hours, media and services. Online these citations appear most often on a business directory, review site, mapping app or social media platform. These citations, also known as business listings in online directories, can help a business build trust.

Getting a local business listed on Google, Facebook, Yelp, Bing or any other site isn’t too difficult. However, remember that the difference between getting listed on these popular platforms alone versus adding an additional 40 or more directories is quite significant. And this is why agencies look to Advice Local as their listing management provider.

Once these business listings have been created, to hold long-term effectiveness they must also be maintained. So what’s the solution to this problem? Exactly – it’s listing management.

The Role of Data Amplification With Business Listings

Submitting to the most important directories, data aggregators and mapping apps plays a key role in building authority for businesses. To really get traction, this process must be accomplished through a dedicated solution.

Google understands the impact of inaccurate or irrelevant search results for consumers. By gaining a large number of citations on credible platforms using accurate data, you signal to search engines (including Google) that you have authority within your industry. BrightLocal’s 2021 Business Listing Trust Report revealed that 63% of consumers wouldn’t use a business if the listing contained incorrect information. It’s most definitely a fact – citation volume, consistency and authority are key factors in determining trust.

Through a listing management solution like Advice Local provides, NAP data is submitted to a network of trusted sites. These sources themselves have their own network of platforms that trust them for accurate listings. So when a trusted source has vouched for your business client’s listing, countless others will use the data, including Apple Maps and other popular platforms. This is the essence of data amplification.

An Overview of Advice Local’s Data Amplifier Network

• Data aggregators – Platforms like Data Axle and Foursquare collect and distribute business data to a wide range of sources like Google Maps, in-dash navigation apps and search providers.
• Data accelerators – Bing, YP, Yelp and other accelerators provide data for apps, wearables, virtual assistants and other innovative technology.
• Data enhancers – Focusing on directories that other directories trust (Chamber of Commerce and Judy’s Book for example) is very powerful.
• Additional GPS accelerators & mapping apps – Submission to in-dash navigation systems, GPS devices like TomTom, plus mapping apps like Waze must be included.
• Vertical directories – These are dedicated directories for specific industries like healthcare and legal.

Accessing such a broad cross-section of directories, maps, voice search platforms and more is clearly impossible without a dedicated service. However, data submissions are not without their problems. For example, amplifying business data when the NAP information is wrong will quickly erode trust. Inevitably, conflicting data provides a poor user experience for consumers, and may also harm your chances of search visibility.

Fortunately, this issue is easily avoided with careful management of your clients’ listings. Rather than treating listing management as a one-time thing, address it as an ongoing process. Does a client need to change their address? Did you discover inaccurate NAP details? All of these issues can be resolved with our business listings solution.

How Listing Management Delivers Results for Your Clients by @BernieColeman via @Advice_Local #SEO
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Our real-time business listing management solution has helped countless agencies, brands and marketers create and manage their clients’ business listings. Request a demo now to try out our listing management services by calling (214) 310-1356 today.

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Last week we looked at the importance of data aggregators for syndicating business information. Well, today we’re continuing the data submissions theme with a focus on navigation and mapping apps.

Mapping Apps and In-Dash Navigation Solutions Are Essential

This week we want to talk with you about the importance of submitting a business’ data to in-dash navigation solutions and mapping apps. As a local marketer, we’re sure Google Maps and Apple Maps stay top of mind for you – and the local businesses you represent – but there are many more mapping solutions out there.

For instance, with over 140 million users, Waze should be a priority, along with TomTom and Garmin. Plus, today most car manufacturers (Ford, BMW, etc.) have their own in-dash navigation – they need to be considered too.

There are many challenges for a local business working to reach these solutions on its own. That’s why partnering with a business listing management service like Advice Local is so important. Through our listing management solution, we syndicate business information to these powerful mapping platforms. And we include it for free.

So why do users like Waze so much? It’s the access to crowd-sourced information in real time. Waze users submit traffic jams, speed traps and accidents when they see them. Waze immediately shares this data with users traveling that same route, providing alternate driving directions when possible.

This collaborative approach has become so popular that Apple Maps and even Google Maps are trying to provide a similar experience. While they’ve not yet achieved the Waze community-minded spirit, their crowdsourcing functionality is constantly improving.

Why Is Data Accuracy in Mapping Apps Important?

Now imagine for a moment that your client’s local business data can’t be found on Waze – or that what’s listed is no longer accurate. Think about customers who arrive at the business location only to find it’s closed – or no longer there. These frustrated customers can then submit this information to Waze.

In turn, the next customers requesting directions to the business may receive this bad data. Just how many customers will this local business miss out on? Thankfully, this can all be solved with a listing management solution that submits to a comprehensive network of mapping apps.

At Advice Local, we include submissions to the most popular mapping apps and in-dash navigation solutions for every local business submitted through our solution – and it’s included for free. We will ensure your local business clients get found in Apple Maps, Bing and many more important data sources that make up the Local Search Ecosystem.

Why Local Businesses Need #Mapping App Solutions by @BernieColeman via @Advice_Local #SEO
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Our Listing Management Solution Makes Map Submissions Easy

If you want help submitting your local clients’ map data to the important mapping apps, the Advice Local partner dashboard is the solution for you. You can also rely on us to assist with directory submissions, data aggregators and more. To try it for yourself, request a demo today. Call (214) 310-1356 for more information.

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