Many business owners know that their Google My Business Profile impacts Local SEO performance, but they may not know exactly how it factors into the algorithm. While Google’s algorithm is a complex enigma with hundreds of ranking factors, there are a few Local SEO ranking factors you need to know.
This article will look at some of those significant ranking factors and how these are connected to the information you include in your Google Business Profile.
If you’re completely new to the Google My Business (GMB) universe, we created a helpful glossary to help you get familiarized with the industry lingo.
Local SEO Ranking Factors You Need to Know
Before we dive into some ranking factors, let’s define Local SEO. Local SEO refers to the process of boosting your online visibility within your local community. If you’d like to read more about these basics, check out our introductory guide here.
Now let’s jump into three essential Local SEO ranking factors that Google considers and how you can optimize your Google Business Profile.
Relevance
The main goal of Google search is to match users with the best information based on their query, which involves gauging search intent. Google tries to match users with results that answer their questions and makes it easy to sift through information.
Because relevance is an essential ranking factor, you need to ensure your Google Business Profile is crystal clear about what your company does. You aren’t helping your customers (or Google) by being vague in your business description, service description, or categories. The clearer you are about your business, the better chance your business will rank for search queries relevant to your services, products, and solutions.
Distance
Distance and proximity are some of the cornerstones of Local SEO rankings. For example, if your ice cream shop is in Miami, you won’t rank for the “ice cream shop near me” query if the user is currently in New York. That’s why it’s essential to input the accurate address in your Google Business Profile. This data will help customers find your shop and signal to Google that your business is close to the potential customer. You can also boost your Local SEO signals by including local and regional content on your website, blog, contact page, and Google Business Profile.
Prominence
Prominence is a ranking factor that is closely tied to your reputation. The quality and quantity of your Google Business reviews play a significant role in your Local SEO ranking, as does the quality and quantity of backlinks to your website.
An excellent way to boost your prominence is to regularly post fresh content to your website and Google Business Profile. Keeping your website and profile active sends a signal to Google that your business is dynamic, engaging, and helpful for users.
How M&R Marketing Can Help Your Business
If you would like to boost your Local SEO performance and optimize your Google Business Profile, our team of digital marketing experts can help. M&R Marketing can assist you in setting up your profile, implementing Local SEO strategies according to best practices, and creating fresh and relevant content for your blog.
Get in touch with one of our account managers, and let’s get started! Call us at 478-621-4491 or send us an email at hey@mandr-group.com.