Local search marketing is a way to grow a business and attract more customers by optimizing your website, your Google Business Profile, and the quality of ratings and reviews about your products and services. Ranking higher in local searches brings more visitors into your office or storefront location.
What is a Google Business Profile and why does it matter?
A Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of local search marketing. A local SEO campaign built around it also includes listing management on other location-data platforms like Yelp and Tripadvisor, social media publishing, image and video production and distribution, and strong focus on optimizing the company website.
Verified managers can change services offered, operating hours, and other listing details, and can use Google Business Profile Insights to see how customers are finding and engaging with the listing. Understanding how these listings function is key to producing results for local businesses, and managing the profile gives a strong base to build on as you expand your local search knowledge.
How should a Google My Business listing be maintained?
A Google My Business (GMB) listing should be kept up to date by filling out all relevant fields, encouraging customers to leave positive online reviews, and updating any business information that changes.
Google’s algorithm gives customer reviews more weight than any other ranking factor. Reviews help searchers identify businesses most likely to meet their needs and deliver a good experience, and they also help the business rank higher in search results.
After a GMB listing is optimized, website traffic typically increases. The work does not stop there. Listings need to be monitored and updated as needed: adding products, services, and special hours during holidays and events, using GMB features such as Messages to communicate directly with customers, and tracking performance with tactics such as UTM tagging.
How does Google Maps support local businesses?
Google Maps lets businesses embed maps directly on their websites with features like zooming, control settings, link text boxes, and customizable business information boxes.
Google gathers data to improve Maps through several techniques: Street View cars built for that task, GPS signals from mobile phones, and crowdsourcing through Google Map Maker, which lets people help correct errors and add places of interest.
The company tracks real-time traffic patterns so it does not send people down one-way streets or in directions that cause frustration. Users can use a button to report problems with roads or sidewalks, which are then reviewed and corrected.
Users can submit photos to cover areas not yet shown in Google Street View, and can request that Google blur images considered sensitive, such as those showing cyclists in urban environments or individuals with dementia.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an offshoot of traditional SEO that covers the ways a business can be discovered online by people searching for its services, including reviews, articles, interviews, and image and video assets. For local search marketing to work, each piece of content should serve the customer by answering their questions while being optimized for search engines.
A well-optimized Google Business Profile is a key part of local SEO. It should be updated frequently to keep its data accurate, and dedicated web pages should be created for each location to rank for more keywords and give searchers more useful answers.
Be wary of agencies making unsubstantiated promises about getting you to the top of Google search results, as these tend to be scams. Look for an agency with real people working on client marketing efforts.
Related coverage
- How to Use Local Search Marketing to Boost Traffic to Your Website
- Local Search Engine Optimization for Small Businesses