Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing: Avoid Common Pitfalls
Google My Business (GMB) can be an invaluable tool for any local business in gaining customers or clients and enhancing revenue.
However, many GMB listings suffer from critical issues that can impede their performance.
On June 16, a sponsored webinar was presented by Mark Luckenbaugh, sharing insights on avoiding common pitfalls whether you manage a single GMB listing or thousands.
Google My Business: Technical SEO Audit Items
1. Brand Dilution Diagnosis
Ensure that Google recognizes and assigns authority to your business. To check:
- Search for your business name on Google.
- Assess if a Knowledge Graph is served or if irrelevant/competitor results show up.
If a Knowledge Graph is missing, consider:
- Brand insulation: Create and optimize authoritative profiles and social accounts. Utilize schema and data aggregation platforms.
- Reverse-engineer competitor’s Knowledge Graph.
2. Address Audit
Accuracy of business addresses is crucial. Verify your address by entering it into an address validation service. Ensure your business pin on Google Maps is within actual city limits.
Additional tips:
- Fix nonexistent suites.
- Update address formats.
- Adjust service area expectations.
3. Fighting the ‘Possum’ Filter
Google may filter out low-quality or spammy-looking listings from local search results. Avoid duplicate listings:
- Paste your business address into Google Maps.
- Use the “Nearby” filter to find registered businesses at the same address.
For practitioners sharing similar categories at the same address, proper categorization can help mitigate visibility issues.
In cases where competitors share the same building, a “filter flip” strategy can aid in making your listing more authoritative.
4. Phone Number Health Check
Prevent issues with GMB listings by:
- Ensuring multiple businesses don’t use the same number.
- Identifying data consistency issues and business listing problems.
Double-check the consistency of your phone number by searching various variations on Google using advanced search operators.
5. Google My Business Listing Audit
Optimize your GMB profile by:
- Fully completing your listing: More data helps in relevant search results.
- Enhancing attributes, images, Q&A, posts, reviews: Stand out in local map packs.
- Smart category optimization: Use up to four relevant categories to stay niche and obtain quality leads.
- Using the “radii rule” for multi-location service-area businesses: Avoid overlapping service areas.
6. Local Signals
Prioritize essential citations like Yelp and Yellow Pages, and niche directories. Shift focus from citations to quality local signals.
There are numerous ways to generate hyper-relevant, geo-specific links without resorting to dubious citation sites.
Further Insights: Avoiding Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing
Review the insights shared via the SlideShare presentation embedded below.
More Resources:
- Local SEO Toolbox
- GMB Ranking Framework Ebook
- Definitive Guide to Improve Local Search Rankings
Join Us For Our Next Webinar!
Brands Rule Google: Why Building a Brand Is Key To SEO
Join us to learn about competing with dominant brands in Google search results, understanding why big brands lead in rankings, and measuring your brand’s impact against competitors.
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Image Credits
All screenshots taken by the author, June 2021
