Google Topics

Being listed on Google Maps is an essential part of a local marketing strategy. But what happens when the location that pop ups when people search for your business in Google Maps isn’t where your business is actually located?

The business name you use in local listings should be the same as the name your business uses in the real world.

Creating local listings is one of the first steps most businesses will take when launching a digital marketing strategy. In order to make sure their listings are appearing on important platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp, Bing, and Foursquare, businesses need to follow each platform’s style guidelines.

Earlier this year, Google rolled out a new feature to let businesses create short names and short URLs for their business profiles. Just like the name implies, “short names” are unique, shortened names that are used to represent the business name, brand, location, or other description.

Google made a series of changes to its Google My Business platform in 2019 that significantly altered the way businesses use the Services feature.

Adding Attributes to your Google Business Profile helps the search engine give web searchers the information they’re looking for. It will also help optimize your local listings with the keywords and search terms that are most relevant to your business and the products or services you sell.

Although Google does not have its own appointment booking system, the company does allow businesses in certain verticals to receive bookings through Google. There are two ways to enable appointment booking as part of your Google listing: via an appointment URL, or directly in the listing itself using the Reserve with Google partnership program.

For restaurants and bars, having an accurate menu posted online is a key component in local search strategy. However, until recently, restaurants were limited in where they could publish their menus online. Now that has changed, and Google is finally allowing restaurants to add Menu buttons to their Google My Business pages, along with links to menus on their own websites or other third-party menu hosting platforms.

Adding a menu to your Google Business Profile makes it easier for web users to find the information they’re looking for when they research your business online. Similar to the Services and Products features in other categories, Google’s Menu feature is designed specifically with restaurants in mind.

Google’s Messaging tool gives businesses an easy way to engage with potential customers in real time.

Are you interested in increasing traffic to your website, increasing sales, and promoting better engagement with your online audience? If so, you might want to try out Google’s Posts feature.

Adding products to your business profile on Google drives customer interactions and helps showcase the items you sell. Online visitors who click on your listing in Google search will see a “Products” tab with information about all the products you offer.

Did you know that your Google business listing has a questions and answers feature that lets any user ask -- or answer -- questions about your business? If not, you’re not alone. Google’s Q&A feature is frequently overlooked by merchants. However, when it’s monitored and used correctly, it can be a valuable tool for staying ahead of the competition.

Claiming your listing on Google is one of the first steps to take when building a local marketing strategy. Using the free Google My Business (GMB) tool, business owners can claim their listings and manage how their information appears on Maps, Search, and other Google properties.

Google My Business is one of the most important tools in the local marketer’s toolbox. Creating a free Google My Business account is how businesses are able to connect with customers across Google Search and Maps.

Google regularly updates its local algorithm. These updates play a big role in how Google listings perform in local search results. 

Before you can understand how search engine optimization or local listings management actually works, you need to know a little about the Google core algorithm. 

When designing a Google search strategy, have you considered the role that artificial intelligence plays in determining your results? If not, you should. Artificial intelligence is transforming Google search and giving enterprise brands a leg up in local performance.

UTM parameters are tags that digital marketers use to measure the value of Google My Business. By adding UTM parameters to URLs, and pairing those parameters with assigned values, brands can identify which traffic is coming from their online campaigns.

Whether you are just getting started with local SEO or you have been refining your strategy for years, it is a good idea to check in on how your account is set up from time to time. Selecting the right business category in Google is an important part of connecting to customers online.

Local Inventory Ads help businesses link local listings to store inventory through the “See What’s in Store” tab. With Local Inventory Ads, you can showcase your products and store information to nearby shoppers. 

Case studies have shown that Google Posts have a mild impact on local search rankings, especially for brands in certain industries. The uptick in rankings that brands can see after publishing Google Posts is sustained for weeks or months, which makes this a low-effort strategy for brands looking to solidify their position in local search.