The influence of Google My Business on local search rankings has experienced significant growth in 2018, as identified in Moz’s 2018 Local Search Ranking Factors survey.
The survey results are largely similar to the previous year, with one notable exception.
Google My Business signals now account for 25% of the top ranking factors for Google’s local pack, an increase from 19% in 2017.
Features like Google Posts, Google Q&A, and image/video updates are frequently highlighted throughout the survey as top ranking signals.
Darren Shaw, founder at Whitespark, stresses there is still an opportunity to capitalize on these features before they become widely adopted:
“Many businesses are not yet investing in these aspects of local search, so these features are currently a competitive advantage. You should get on these before everyone is doing it.”
Using these features more regularly demonstrates to Google that your business is actively engaging with customers.
Moreover, it creates content for searchers to interact with, which sends critical user behavior signals to Google.
Other Key Findings from the Survey
Alongside the rise of Google My Business signals, here are some other notable highlights from the survey:
– Review signals have increased by 17% year-over-year, and by 43% compared to 2015.
– The importance of keywords in reviews is becoming more significant.
– Links continue to be highly effective.
– Citation signals have decreased by 37% but are still considered crucial to local search.
– The primary negative local ranking factors include incorrect information in a GMB listing.
The results of the 2018 Local Search Ranking Factors survey are based on the expert opinions of local search authorities.
