According to a study, 46% of all Google searches are related to local searches. If you want your business to appear first in a local Google search, you need to keep an eye on 3 fundamental factors: Relevance, Distance, and Prominence.
Knowing each factor well and understanding its impact on local SEO is the key to achieving top Google rankings for local searches related to your business offerings.
With that in mind, in this post I explain how the 3 factors work and what actions you should take to optimize your business's visibility on Google.
The 3 key factors of Google My Business to optimize your local SEO strategy and climb the local search rankings
1. Relevance
How well does your establishment match what a consumer is looking for at that moment?
Relevance determines the best match between a local establishment and a user's search.
Adding complete and detailed business information helps Google better understand your business and rank it according to its relevance to the consumer.
Make sure your business is considered relevant when a potential customer searches for what you offer. And the way to do that is by ensuring your Google My Business profile is as complete and up-to-date as possible.
Here's a list of improvements you can add to your Google My Business listing to optimize your local SEO:
- Choose the right business category. See here how to correctly choose your business category on Google.
- Clearly describe what your business offers. Explore keywords relevant to your segment.
- Consistent company name. Enter your company name precisely and it must be the same across all platforms where your business is present (your website, fan page, TripAdvisor, etc.).
- Consistent NET data. Name, address, and phone number must be the same across all platforms where your establishment is present (your website, fan page, Tripadvisor, etc.).
- Add a link to your website and make sure your NET information is correct. If you don't have a website, GMN provides one for free.
- Please provide detailed information about the establishment, including opening hours, payment methods, etc.
- Place a marker on Google Maps
- Photos. Add several photos of your establishment, be creative and don't just post pictures of the facade; show your team, what a workday is like, etc. Update regularly. Avoid stock photos.
- Don't have a Google My Business profile? See here how to register your business on Google My Business.
2. Distance
How close are you to the person looking for a particular establishment?
Distance is the physical space between each potential search result and the location used in the search. If a user does not specify a location in the search, Google will calculate the distance based on what is known about that user's location.
However, keep in mind that relevance will be the strongest signal. If an establishment is further away from the consumer's location, but better meets the consumer's search criteria than another establishment that is closer, Google will show the more distant establishment ahead of the one that is closer to the consumer.
The success of the Distance factor is related to how much information you provide. Anything to help users and Google know where your business is located.
Keep your location information updated on Facebook, Expedia, Tripadvisor, your website, and all your business channels.
Do you have a business with multiple locations?
A great way to improve the local search ranking for each of these locations is to create dedicated pages for them on your website; remember to include the location of each one.
3. Prominence
How well-known is your business?
Prominence refers to the popularity of an establishment. It is evaluated based on the web information that Google has about the business (such as links, articles, and directories). Its position in web search results is also included. Thus, SEO practices also apply to local search optimization.
This is the area where the company has the most freedom of movement to lead the competition in local search.
Here's a list of improvements to optimize your business's local SEO:
Link building.
Just like general SEO, links are an influential signal for local SEO. Define your link strategy based on these three factors: Link authority; Local relevance (sources close to you); and Number of links. Connect with other local business owners. Participate in and sponsor local events. Send press releases when something noteworthy happens to your business.
On-Page
These refer to the factors influencing the page you are trying to rank. Starting with the NET (name, address, and phone number), keywords, and domain authority. Also optimize: page title, meta description, URL, image titles (h1, h2…) and alt text.
Local quotes
These relate to how well your company's information can be verified by other online sources. Citations can come from other businesses, review sites, or social media platforms. The more often your website details appear on the web, the more credible your site will appear – and the better your local SEO will be.
Behavior on the site
How people interact while browsing your website. You can start by monitoring: Click-through rate, bounce rate, time on page, and clicks on the call button.
Be Mobile Friendly
Have a mobile-friendly website. A survey by Bright Local found that 89% of consumers use their mobile phones to find local businesses.
👉Check it out: Mobile advertising: how location-based marketing works
Consistent NET
NET – Name, Address, and Phone Number. Ensure this information is accurate and up-to-date on all listings for each store you have on Google My Business.
Always request new reviews on Google
Not only on Google, but also on other relevant online review sites in the market. Positive, high-quality customer reviews improve your company's visibility and increase the likelihood of a potential customer visiting your business.
Manage your online reviews
Having a significant volume of reviews isn't enough; managing them is crucial. Beyond demonstrating to potential customers that you care about them, which increases their trust in your business, review management is essential for extracting valuable insights from feedback that will help improve the customer experience and, consequently, obtain better ratings.
👉Check it out: 3 reasons why you should start using review management in your network of establishments immediately.
Visibility on social media
Engagement around your brand on social media is highly valued by Google. Focus on promoting your content – photos/videos, company news and updates, etc. – as well as sharing the best testimonials and responding to your fans.
👉Check it out: How managing online reviews impacts your social media planning
This checklist doesn't cover all aspects of local SEO, but it's an excellent starting point for making your page more relevant to Google.
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