Getting a handle on your Google My Business (GMB) can be a little bit more than you bargained for, especially if marketing, or digital in general, isn’t exactly your forte. For Google, customization is king, which leaves us with plenty of options—and little in precise direction. But there’s some good news: for the local pack, four Google My Business fields reign supreme for search engine results page (SERPs) rankings. Here are the ones that you need to pay special attention to.
Categories for Business
While seemingly basic on paper, categories carry weight in SERPs. Google allows you to select your categories, but there are limits: only 10 categories can populate your profile. Compare that to Google’s current category lineup, with around 4,000 listed, and you might feel a bit shortchanged. Oh, and new additions and revisions constantly come up, which means things are ever-changing.
Safe to say, all of the available options can dizzy the senses. Couple that with the constant change-ups—and it might seem a bit much to track on your own. That’s completely understandable, and part of why we’re here: to boost your presence on Google’s local pack. Get in touch to square away your Google My Business, and shore up other digital marketing as well.
Your Business’s Name
Your business’s name bears weight in local pack rankings, for better or worse. Usually for worse, especially if your business doesn’t lend itself to fat head (high-ranking) keywords. For instance, you might have a family name for your business passed down from generation to generation that didn’t factor high-ranking Google keywords in from the get-go (who’d a thunk, huh?). Business name also seems to hold the most sway on ranking of all the Google My Business fields, which is a point of controversy.
All this being said, there is a silver lining: Google’s guidelines forbid businesses from retroactively stuffing keywords into their business name for purely ranking purposes. And you can even flag competitors who you notice participating in that less-than-savory practice.
Google Reviews
Reviews also hold a stake in local pack rankings, along with their number. But that doesn’t mean the returns run equal across the board. For example, if your business jumps from zero reviews to a couple dozen, you’ll probably notice an increase in your business’ online radius. Think of it like this: your business will be on more people’s radar because you’ll start to rank further away from homebase.
However, Google Reviews don’t grant that same clout with each uptick in review tally: returns eventually do fall off. Your next two or three dozen probably won’t net you the same kind of boost your first dozen did. But reviews are still vitally important for climbing up the local pack ladder—and maintaining status as well. Losing reviews can directly influence ranking and may even dip your business down in the pack.
Website
Last on our list, but certainly not least: the website. Many businesses opt to place their homepage in this Google My Business field, which is A-OK—especially if your place of business is the sole base of operations. You might, however, want to shake this field up if your business boasts multiple locations, or even (exclusive) departments. Not doing so when you are a multi-location business could limit your total exposure, since stuffing listings into a ranking isn’t really an option.
Get More From Your GMB
If all this seems totally foreign, you’ll be pleased to know that all things digital—including Google My Business—is Uptick Marketing’s love language. We can help you fill out more than just these essential GMB fields: We can care for your entire GMB profile and more, helping woo your business into Google’s good graces and allowing it to top the local pack. For GMB assistance, and other digital marketing services, link up with Uptick Marketing.
