Every business needs to rank on the 1st page of Google to bring in more customers and increase sales. There has never been a more critical time to fine-tune your client’s Google Business Profile (GBP) to ensure it performs optimally in search results. In this blog, we are excited to share this detailed strategy to help improve their online visibility, which includes nine fields that establish ranking factors and two new contenders that have gained significant traction for a total of 11 fields within your client’s GBP that are proven to impact rankings.
So, let us take you on a deep dive, where we show how you can help your clients stay competitive while improving their business’s local search performance.
1. Business Title
Most business owners have yet to learn that the business title plays a crucial role in how Google ranks local listings, and without even knowing it, many businesses overdo it by cramming the title with keywords, which can backfire by making the listing look untrustworthy. What’s worse is that, in some cases, Google may even flag these titles as spam, which could result in visibility issues.
Best Practice: Always adhere to Google’s naming guidelines. Ensure the business title is genuine and accurately reflects the brand as it is recognized offline. For new businesses, choose a name highlighting your primary offering to help boost local visibility. For new businesses, consider a name that reflects your core offering to improve local visibility.
2. Address
A company’s physical location is very important in determining its ranking, particularly in local pack results. The closer a business is to the consumer, the greater the chance of appearing higher in the results. However, if the company is too distant from its target audience or is located outside the official city limits, it can negatively affect its rankings.
Best Practice: If a business struggles to rank because of its address, relocating to a central area may help. Service Area Businesses (SABs) should ensure their address is hidden if they don’t serve customers at a physical location, though this can affect their visibility in searches.
3. Categories
Your client’s Google Business Profile categories are another important factor. The primary category should represent the business’s main offering, while secondary categories can be used to further define other services they provide. These categories help Google better understand your client’s business and improve their relevance for different searches.
Best Practice: You will need to review your client’s categories regularly to ensure they align with their offerings and that they will match the categories used by their competitors who are ranking on the 1st page of Google.
4. Website Link
A strong, relevant website linked to your client’s GBP is a major factor in ranking higher in local searches. Take into consideration that Google will always evaluate your client’s website’s authority and relevance which is key to ensure their site is well-optimized for organic search, which is incredibly important for boosting their local pack rankings.
Best Practice: You Link their GBP to a high-quality, user-friendly website and Make sure their website is properly optimized with local keywords and offers a seamless experience for users. This can help them rank higher in both local and organic search results.
5. Hours
It’s been shown that whether or not a business is open at the time of a search can impact its ranking in local pack results. Google tends to favor businesses that are currently open when a search is performed, especially when a user is looking for immediate services.
Best Practice: Always make sure that you analyze their competitors’ hours and adjust their schedule to create opportunities for increased visibility; for example, if your client closes at 6 PM, staying open until 8 PM could give them a great advantage during that time frame.
6. Reviews
It’s important to understan that customer reviews play a crucial role in both rankings and conversions, with Google taking several factors into account, including the total number of reviews, the average star rating, and the content within the reviews. The speed at which new reviews are received and their recency may also influence your client’s ranking.
Best Practice: Instruct your client to encourage customers to leave reviews about their business and have them respond to each one to show that they value the feedback. Have them focus on generating a steady flow of reviews to build a strong online reputation and improve their local rankings.
7. Attributes
Certain attributes, such as “women-owned” or “wheelchair accessible,” can make their business stand out and might also influence their rankings in local search. These fields allow businesses to highlight features that can help attract specific types of customers.
Best Practice: Review all available attributes for your client’s business type and select the ones that apply. Attributes are very helpful in improving relevance and will appeal to your client’s potential customers, therefore increasing engagement.
8. Services
Service-based businesses have the opportunity to list their services within their Google Business Profile. This field is especially important for local rankings, allowing Google to better understand what their business offers.
Best Practice: Try to list ist as many services as are relevant to your business. Customizing service names to reflect what customers are searching for can also improve your client’s relevance and visibility in local search results.
9. Products
For retail businesses, listing products on your client’s Google Business Profile can help them show up in product-related searches. The “See What’s In Store” feature on Google can also enhance their listing by displaying their products directly in search results.
Best Practice: We suggest using tools like Google Merchant Center or Pointy to upload your client’s product inventory and showcase it on their GBP. This will help them attract more attention from searchers looking for specific items.
10. Popular Times (New)
Recent data suggests that businesses see a ranking boost during their busiest times, as reported by Google’s Popular Times feature. Listings for businesses that are more active during specific periods tend to rank higher during those hours.
Best Practice: Your objective is to help your clients capitalize on this and have them offer promotions during their busiest times. Now, here is the perk, the key benefit of this increased activity will drive more in-store customers and improve your client’s ranking during peak hours.
11. Menu Items (New)
Restaurants, in particular, can benefit tremendously from accurately listing menu items on their GBP. Even if you fix a small typo or add a missing dish, it can have a significant impact on your client’s visibility in search results. Google uses this information to match restaurants to food-related searches.
Best Practice: Regularly review and update your menu to ensure it reflects what you offer. Correct any errors and include all key dishes to ensure you rank for relevant food-related queries.
Now, an important fact to consider,if your want to keep your clients competitive in local search, it’s crucial to consistently optimize their Google Business Profiles. When your agency focuses on these 11 fields, particularly newer ones like Popular Times and Menu Items, you will significantly improve their rankings, enhance visibility, and keep their customers engaged. Always make sure to regularly review and update these fields to maintain your client’s competitive edge.
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