In this article, we’re going to focus on the local pack ranking factor, My Business Signals, which according to the SEO experts rounded up by MOZ accounts for a staggering 19% of your overall Local SEO score. Another description for My Business Signals is none other than Google My Business.
Google has mapped out practically the entire world, their idea is that by creating an overall user experience for anyone can theoretically find a business from their phone or desktop computer simply by typing in whatever they are looking for. Google also feels that when a person performs a search for a business, service or is even doing research about wherever they might travel, then that person should be able to see images of a business storefront, the interior as well as whatever else is pertinent to that customer’s query. Here is an example of a search one may do if they plan on traveling to Barcelona.
If a potential traveler to Barcelona is able to actually get an idea as to where they may want to spend an evening in Barcelona, so may a potential in your local business. The idea is that you want them to not only find you but also to know what kind of business you are which is why it is essential that your business signals are all pointing in the right direction. Here are the first steps to getting your business found in the local 3-pack.
Is your business verified or does it exist? If not, then don’t worry, just go to the following address https://business.google.com and click on create new business. When you add all of the relevant information Google will provide you with several options, one of which will be to have a postcard sent to your business with a code on it. You need that code to verify your business.
Once complete, it is essential that you get at least five exterior photos, five interior photos, five photos of your staff and add them to the page. You should also make sure that you create images that are specifically sized properly for the page. You should also add a logo to your page as well as any info in the about section, but most importantly of all, make sure that your Name, Address & Phone Number are all correct (also referred to as the N.A.P.).
It is also essential that you add the correct business classification. For example, if you are a plastic surgeon, make sure you label your business as a plastic surgeon and not just a surgeon. Or if you happen to be a dermatologist, make sure you don’t just title it as Doctor. Once done, you can click submit and you are on the road to getting your business found on Google local.
Now on to the other benefits of having your business verified with Google My Business is having your posts actually coming up on Google when people search for them.
As you can see here, this particular bar has actual events that are coming up in the search area of the business, which allows potential customers to not only view the events or the specials, but also click on the them or sign up via another website portal.
Google also rewards those who actually add pictures of their business every month. It is important because Google sees frequent posting as a relevancy that can actually assist them in making the overall user experience in tune with their own website policies.
Another fantastic area that can be crucial to your business is having the insight as to when people are actually looking for your business, but also where they can find you. Google Insights is an area in your Google My Business portal that will inform you how many direct searches occurred versus discovery searches; or whether or not they saw you on Google Search or Google Maps; or how many times that they visited your website, asked for directions or called; You will also be able to see how many photos were viewed as well as the direct quantity of your local competitors.
Google My Business is an essential component if you want your local business to rank.
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