Google Local
BAM! Google My Business Kicks It Up A Notch
Google My Business (GMB) has always been the most important factor in local rankings as in the map/local listings, especially the snack pack or top 3 positions.
I’ve emphasized maintaining your GMB profile by consistently adding posts and tying them to blog posts on your website in the LEARN MORE option. I hammered the fact that your uploaded pics/videos/posts and reviews will ultimately make or break your rankings even above citations that point back to your GMB listing.
Now Google appears to be kicking it up a notch with a little more cayenne. You can’t have great ranch dip without a little heat and GMB is packing it so let’s dip in on the latest.
What's GMB Up To?
Based on reports we’ve received from other bloggers and some of our SEO addicts Google appears tapping GMB posts with relevant content into it’s rich knowledge results finder. For businesses that have up to date posts that are relevant to the googler’s search it’s a boon. About three relevant posts appear to show across the ‘Related to your search’ heading.
Google has been pulling in ‘what’s new’ posts, ‘product’ posts, ‘event’ posts and ‘offer’ posts – and more. In tests, ‘offer’ posts stop showing in the ‘Related to your search’ feature once the offer was no longer relevant.
What Does This Mean To You?
This is probably an initial test as Google often plays around first before getting serious. But like most Google tests that are found by the public it tells me that Google will make this a major factor soon.
This is just another reason to take GMB serious and take advantage of the added benefits to posting on GMB:
- They’re an opportunity for a business to add relevant content that will appear right there on the search engine results.
- They’re likely to boost your long-tail keyword rankings.
- Your business relevance will improve in Google’s eyes.
Making Google posts part of your weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly (just be consistent) routine is more important than ever so take the time to produce GMB posts that are relevant, compelling, and get visitors to click that LEARN MORE option and visit your website blog.