#carriehill

[nyfacurrent]

Event | Artists as Innovators Exhibition at SUNY Plattsburgh

Exhibition runs through August 9, 2019 and includes public events with NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellows.

The New York Foundation for the Art’s (NYFA) Artists as Innovators exhibition commemorates three decades of NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships and is touring to SUNY campuses through Spring 2020. The landmark exhibition, which celebrates a program that has supported more than 4,000 artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts, is now on view at Plattsburgh State Art Museum at SUNY Plattsburgh through Friday, August 9, 2019.

Throughout the exhibition, there will be a series of artist talks and workshops with exhibiting artists Elia Alba (Fellow in Crafts ’01, Photography ’08) and The Guerrilla Girls (Fellows in Performance Art/Emergent Forms ’88) and Hogansburg, NY resident Carrie Hill (Fellow in Folk/Traditional Arts ’15). All artist talks and workshops are free to the public, though seating is limited. Please RSVP to Christina Elliott, Museum Educator, at celli001@plattsburgh.edu.

Elia Alba — the multidisciplinary contemporary artist will discuss her artwork and host a fiber sculpture workshop. 

Title: Artist Talk with Elia Alba Date: Thursday, April 25, 7:00 PM Location: 202 Yokum Hall, SUNY Plattsburgh, 107 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Title: Fibre Sculpture Workshop with Elia Alba Date: Friday, April 26, 10:00 AM Location: 102 Myers Fine Arts, SUNY Plattsburgh, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

The Guerrilla Girls — this dynamic group of artists and activists will discuss their activist efforts and host a workshop. Please RSVP by May 6, 2019.

Title: Artist Talk with The Guerrilla Girls Date: Thursday, May 9, 7:00 PM Location: 202 Yokum Hall, SUNY Plattsburgh, 107 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Title: Workshop with The Guerrilla Girls Date: Friday, May 10, 10:00 AM Location: 102 Myers Fine Arts, SUNY Plattsburgh, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Carrie Hill — this traditional Mohawk basket-maker will discuss her artwork and host a weaving workshop. This event is part of Plattsburgh State Art Museum's New York State Path through History Days and ACCA Museum Days programming. Please RSVP by June 9, 2019.

Title: Artist Talk with Carrie Hill Date: Saturday, June 15, 10:30 AM Location: 224 Myers Fine Arts, SUNY Plattsburgh, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Title: Weaving Workshop with Carrie Hill Date: Saturday, June 15, 11:30 AM Location: 224 Myers Fine Arts, SUNY Plattsburgh, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are administered with leadership support from New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Funding for Artists as Innovators: Celebrating Three Decades of New York State Council on the Arts/New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships is provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with shipping support from Atelier 4.

Find out more about the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program, a $7,000 unrestricted cash grant awarded to individual artists living and working in the state of New York. Sign up for NYFA’s bi-weekly newsletter, NYFA News, to receive announcements about future NYFA events and programs.

Image: Elia Alba, Busts (Caitlin), 2009, photo transfers on fabric, rope, grommets, acrylic, Courtesy of the Artist

[viseomarketing]

How to Choose the Best Google My Business Category for Any Local Business

Recent studies have suggested that getting the right primary and secondary business categories in place for your clients' Google My Business profiles can really help local rankings. But with the categories themselves regularly changing, you need a solid process for testing and deciding how to select the best ones for your clients. Carrie Hill is here to help make sure you select the best category every time.

In the 2018 version of Moz's Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, contributors indicated that having a complete Google My Business (GMB) listing is a key element in ranking well in the local pack and maps.  When we break it down even further, we can see that two of the top ten local pack ranking factors are related to the category you choose for your business.

Making sure that the primary category you're using for your business is the best possible choice based on your business' products, services and/or goals can make a big difference as you try to improve visibility for terms related to that category.

Many say this is obvious-just pick what you are, right? Unfortunately, in some cases it's more complicated than that. Single location businesses with a narrow focus (i.e. a divorce attorney) can just pick “divorce attorney” and be done with it, for example.

But…..

What if that single location divorce attorney has multiple lawyers in a single location, and each attorney has their own Google My Business listing?

Practice and practitioner listings are kosher with Google under their Terms of Service, but only for certain verticals. This poses a more complicated problem. How do you choose a primary and secondary category without poaching or creating competition between your own employees (lawyers) and your business (practice?)

This is further complicated when that single-location business doesn't have a narrow focus (for example, HVAC, plumbing, water conditioning and backflow testing).

So how do you pick the primary category for a business that could cover multiple categories?

Let's explore some options.

Single-location business with a narrow focus (like our divorce attorney above)

This is pretty simple. The firm GMB category should absolutely be “divorce attorney”.  You can use the other options as secondary categories, but the primary category should be the most specific category that answers the question, “This person is (a/an) ___________.”

Single-location business with a broad focus (for example, HVAC, plumbing, water conditioner installer)

I have a client like this, actually, and I made him prioritize the types of business he wanted to attract; what is most important to him moving forward. He ranks really well organically for plumbing terms, but he'd like to focus more on HVAC.

Knowing that, I advised him to choose the category where he wanted to grow, with the understanding that he'd need to invest in more than just picking a category to make it happen. Landing page content needs to align with category subject, and some quality links and citations for that niche wouldn't be a bad idea.

Practice/practitioner or agent/agency listings (real estate office vs real estate agent, or dental clinic vs dentist)

In certain cases where the employee of the business has its own designation and customer base, both the business and the “employee” of that business can have a Google My Business listing. This is referred to as “practice/practitioner” or “agency/agent” relationships.

The firm's listing can be categorized as “law firm” or it can be categorized as “divorce attorney.” The attorneys within the firm can be “lawyers”, “family law attorneys” or “divorce attorneys.”

Having the practice and the practitioner show up for a single category in a local query, in a small market, can be a bonus. The proximity to the searcher can also help this, if applicable.

Depending upon the competitiveness of your market and the proximity of your competition, having both the practice and the practitioner use the same category can also muddy the waters a bit, though, so you should test this using different categories for your listings versus using the same categories for everyone's GMB listing.

If you wanted to cover more categories, the “firm” could be “divorce attorney” and the individual practitioner(s) could also be “lawyers”. You could also pick the most prominent listing (the one that ranks well already with more reviews) and give a practitioner the “divorce attorney” category if the firm has a weaker profile than the attorney.

Multi-location businesses in the above scenarios

Most of the time, a business' multiple brick-and-mortar locations don't have to worry about competing listings. However, there are cases where these locations may be close to each other, and those listings could be competing if they have the same category.

That's not necessarily “bad”, but it's something to be aware of. An example might be a dentist's office with a few locations within the same city, or an adjacent office/suite that houses the hygienists or orthodontists.

Technically, they could be eligible for their own GMB listing, but you need to be sure the category they choose aligns with what they do in that location.

How do you pick a category for those locations?  Again, the more specific you can get, the better, but you might benefit from spreading out primary categories as well. The only real advice I have for you here is to test different options until you find the right combination that not only seems to make Google happy to show your listings but also brings you more qualified traffic.

Secondary Categories

While the primary category is the most important choice, secondary categories are still important to ranking and relevance. Don't just pick a primary and leave the rest blank. Instead, add in those “rejected” opportunities for the primary category designation as secondary categories. If you choose “Divorce Attorney” for your primary, for example, choose “Family Law Attorney”, “Lawyer”, and “Law Office” as secondary categories.

Seasonality

When seasons change, sometimes so does the focus of a business! An HVAC contractor might do most of their work on AC units in the summer and on furnaces in the winter. Changing your primary category to suit the seasonality of your business is a good habit to get into. If someone is searching for a furnace repair person, we don't want them to see “a/c repair” as your category in the 3-pack, local knowledge panel, or maps listing!

Where categories don't work like they should

Practice and practitioner listings are not perfect, and therefore there are some cases where Google doesn't have it right.

As far as I know, for example, a tattoo studio cannot have practice and practitioner listings, and neither can a beauty salon and its hairdressers.  While both have their own clientele and require training and specific skill sets, Google does not recognize them as being eligible for listings that share an address with their employer.

This feels a bit elitist to me. I know of two specific cases where a tattoo artist and hairdresser were denied listings. I'd love to give Google the benefit of the doubt, so if you have any use cases where this is not the case, I would love to hear about them in the comments below!

Conclusion

As with most things “SEO” we find that the answer to the GMB category question is, in most cases, “it depends.”  Although it may seems like we say that a lot, the variables of competition, location, business type and proximity to your target market make blanket statements nearly impossible.

The best thing you can do? Test different options and make sure you're keeping track of what works best for you (annotations in Google Analytics, anyone?) Having your call-tracking and UTM codes on links from your GMB listing is imperative to helping you ensure you're making judgements based on data. Go forth and test, and good luck!

Carrie Hill is co-founder of Ignitor Digital Marketing with her mentor and business partner, Mary Bowling. They focus on comprehensive audits and marketing for businesses working to increase their location prominence in a variety of niches and markets around the US and Canada. In her spare time, Carrie is a voracious reader and foodie. She can usually be found stirring cream sauce with one hand while holding a book in the other. You can find her on Twitter at @CarrieHill.

The post How to Choose the Best Google My Business Category for Any Local Business appeared first on BrightLocal.

[allthatisseo]

via Twitter https://twitter.com/allthatisseo

[riichardwilson]

Google Tests $50/mo Upgraded GMB – What Does it Mean for Local Businesses?

On July 22nd, Google My Business Product Expert, Tom Waddington spotted a new feature being tested in Google Business profiles.

Google starting to offer an upgraded Business Profile (Google My Business listing) for $50/month that will add the Google Guaranteed badge to the listing and back services the business provides with the Google Guarantee. pic.twitter.com/x4bHLuVEi2

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020

What he saw caused SEO Companys to think that their fears were being realized: Google My Business was becoming a paid-for product.

But as we well know in local SEO Company, things are not always as clear as they first seem.

With so much speculation out there, we wanted to clear things up. That’s why I’ve waded through the mass of information and chatter circulating the internet to work out exactly:

What we know

What we don’t know

What the community thinks, and

What this could mean for local businesses

What we know

So, as I mentioned and as Tom’s tweet showed, the news broke on July 22nd that Google was testing paid-for Google My Business profiles. This tells us two things:

Google My Business is testing this. Paid-for profiles are not yet confirmed, Google tests things all the time, with some features being formally rolled out and others never seeing the light of day.

Google might be considering a paid-for offering (in this case, $50/month) in some context. Although this idea has caused quite the stir (as we’ll come onto later), it’s not necessarily new information. Back in the summer of sixty-ni—sorry, 2019—Google My Business caused controversy with its pay-to-play survey, asking users what features they’d be willing to pay for on a monthly basis.

Shortly after Google’s survey slipped out, we conducted our own poll, which showed that 59% of respondents felt worried about the prospect of GMB becoming a paid-for product.

So before we continue, it’s important to remember, first and foremost, that this potential profile upgrade is only being tested.

There is no sign that GMB is going to be paid for just yet, if ever.

Aside from the tweet that sparked this whole news cycle, we do have some additional information to work with. Search Engine Land reached out to a Google spokesperson, who said:

We’re always testing new ways to improve our experience for our advertisers, merchants, and users. This experiment will show the Google Guaranteed badge on the business profile. We don’t have anything additional to announce right now.

A typically vague Google response, but at least we know for sure, that as of right now at least, this is just a test.

The next thing shown in Tom’s original discovery is the ‘Google Guarantee’ badge. From this we can also see that an ‘upgraded’ Business Profile fits perfectly with the Google Guarantee badge.

And if that sounds familiar, it’s because it already exists, and has done since 2018. According to Google:

The Google Guarantee badge is available for businesses that pass a Google screening and qualification process through Google Local Services.

In practical terms, it means that Google will refund customers who are dissatisfied with your services if you’re backed by this badge. Although there aren’t any formal studies on this, many SEO Companys also speculate that Google Guaranteed badges will have a positive impact on CTR and conversions, especially in the current spam-dominated landscape.

Source: Search Engine Land

Outside of this test, the Google Guarantee is part of an ad offering, originally linked to Google’s Local Services Ads (LSAs), which are only available for eligible service-area businesses and professional services. LSAs for the latter category are currently rolling out across the US.

That covers what we can confirm as true. But what don’t we know about these upgraded profiles?

What we don’t know

In the screenshot Tom shared, Google states that the upgraded Business Profile is available to “eligible businesses”. Right now, we don’t know what those are.

While eligible businesses really could mean anything, Tom has speculated that the upgraded GMB profile could be available for businesses currently available in Local Service Ads. He also mentioned that he’s currently only seeing this test for HVAC listings on the home tab of the GMB dashboard.

Businesses already in Local Services is a logical to start since they have already passed the screening process. I think it will eventually expand beyond that though.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020

We also don’t know if or how this upgraded profile will benefit the local businesses who opt in. One user questioned if there was any indication the paid-for offering would boost a business’s ranking:

No, but even if it did (directly or indirectly), it wouldn’t help as much as keyword stuffing the business name, which is free to do and not policed well at all by Google.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 23, 2020

Another interesting question raised was whether or not this offering would replace LSAs. And although we can’t say for certain, Tom seemed pretty confident that that wouldn’t be the case:

No, absolutely not. This wouldn’t be a replacement. A supplement or doorway to it, if anything.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 24, 2020

Another uncertainty is whether or not this will be available globally or just for the US. Local Services Ads have performed well (for Google, at least) in the US, to the point that they’re now being rolled out nationally for professional services as well as SABs, so we could see Google Guarantee badges eventually following suit if this test rolls out further.

However, LSAs haven’t gone down as well in other parts of the world. For this reason, UK-based SEO Company Tim Capper commented that he was intrigued to see if Google would attempt to roll this out in the UK:

I’m interested if they will attempt to roll out in UK after LSA was rejected by UK businesses when they tried to on board a few years ago.

— Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) July 28, 2020

On top of this, a couple of people have asked about eligibility in the UK and Australia, to which Tom responded that he “wouldn’t expect to see it there anytime soon”.

Because of this, I’d be surprised to see Google Guaranteed, upgraded profiles rolling out outside the US any time soon, even if the test does roll out across the US.

What this could mean for local businesses

So, we’ve established what we know and what we don’t. But you may be wondering what this test could mean for local businesses.

Firstly, yes, this could mean that GMB is going to go down the route of pay-to-play. In fact, some SEOs have been predicting things would go this way for a while.

Well given that it was the worse survey ever… yes… but as you have noticed monetization has been a long term trend of Google’s which I don’t dispute they will and are doing more of it.

— Mike Blumenthal (@mblumenthal) July 22, 2020

However, it’s far too soon to jump to conclusions. Even if Google was to implement this, we don’t know if the cost would remain at $50, we don’t know if it would be in place for all businesses and categories, and we don’t know what perks or disadvantages users would receive.

There are a huge number of unknowns, so the best thing to do is — apart from keeping on top of the news ��� continue to optimize your existing GMB and engaging with potential customers as you normally would.

Some SEO Companys have suggested that this test could be an attempt by Google to tackle the rampant problem with Google My Business spam.

Just a few weeks ago, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan shared this tweet, in response to complaints about spam, that got the local search community talking:

Thanks. I know the team really is working to better deal with this type of stuff. I also know that as that’s been heard before. But I do expect improvements should be noticable in the near future.

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) July 17, 2020

We may be reading too much into this here, but the tweet suggests that Google was planning some pretty big steps to clamp down on GMB. I don’t think it would be a huge jump to speculate that upgraded and verified business listings could be one way to push out inauthentic listings and favor verified businesses.

What the community thinks

Okay, now we’ve worked out what we know and done some additional crystal ball gazing, it’s time to take a look at what local SEO Companys actually think about this potential new profile option.

Almost every tweet I saw about this test (and there were a lot of them) showed some very unhappy SEO Companys. They didn’t mince their words — poop emojis, curse words, and angry gifs filled my timeline.

This sounds like some bullshit. https://t.co/HlkgDKwPRz

— Amber Robinson (@AmberRobin5on) July 22, 2020

One SEO Company who also seemed to think this could be Google’s attempt at tackling spam was Sterling Sky’s Carrie Hill, who referred to the prospect as “a terrible idea”:

Can’t get a legit listing? Buy your way in?? this seems like a terrible idea…. https://t.co/lnhsnLU4qu

— Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) July 22, 2020

Carrie’s fellow Sterling Sky teammate, Brian Barwig, was similarly displeased. He also raised the idea that he was confused about where this offering would fit in with other paid-for products such as pay-per-click ads and Local Service Ads.

This seems insane on its face. Its not PPC or LSA, but it kinda is. What’s to stop them from raising rates each month? GMB getting monetized. https://t.co/hOo2eqOmdV pic.twitter.com/OOn2bPbU92

— Brian Barwig (@BrianBarwig) July 22, 2020

And, as with all important conversations on Twitter, memes made their way into the discourse:

pic.twitter.com/6IKJjjEcol

— Eric Thomas (@ethomasdigital) July 22, 2020

Although the response was overwhelmingly negative, there were a few people who seemed to see the benefit of a paid-for profile:

I hope it can serve as a way to weed out fake listings for home services / locksmiths but it’s an expensive price to pay considering how many small businesses are suffering

— William Gallahue (@willgallahue) July 23, 2020

Well – it might just be a good way to separate the paid/vetted from the others, including SPAM

— Andy Kuiper (@andykuiper) July 22, 2020

As well as looking at the organic comments that arose in response to Tom’s tweet, we also passed the mic to our own Twitter followers to see what they thought of the whole affair. Interestingly, the responses were a lot more mixed than expected.

While some local SEO Companys seemed pretty concerned by the test…

100% disagree with this. Is the entire internet becoming pay-to-play? Half of the proposed paid features belong on a website anyways, NOT the SERP. Not to mention, this could contribute to an increase in spam listings or prevent them from being taken down.

— Natasha B-d. (@natasha_bd) July 28, 2020

…others viewed it as potentially positive and something that could become a concrete option:

Yes will become reality. Worth $50 just for the local services badge.

— Chris St. Jean (@StJeanDS) July 28, 2020

Local SEO Company pro and Local Search Clinic panelist, Niki Mosier, also chimed in on the debate, raising both pros and cons:

I definitely think it will become a reality. I suspected that pay-to-play might become a reality for GMB a while ago. I think it’s really unfortunate. GMB is so vital for so many small businesses. I would like to say I wouldn’t pay it. (½)

— Niki Mosier (@nikers85) July 28, 2020

(2/2) But if it gets to a point where there is negative impact by not, I may have to encourage clients to do it.

— Niki Mosier (@nikers85) July 28, 2020

For those working with local business clients from an agency perspective, like Niki, if this test were to become a reality it could certainly introduce some new challenges as SEO Companys would need to weigh up the cost versus the benefits of getting involved with the scheme.

SEO Company Analyst Amanda Jordan also raised an interesting point. In order for a $50/month GMB profile to be worth it for her, she’d need to see significant improvements in Maps spam-fighting.

If they add a badge to unpaid local pack results with custom schema for organic, I would expect to see adoption from companies who wouldn’t consider local paid ads otherwise. Spam prevention would need to see major improvements.

— Amanda Jordan (@amandatjordan) July 28, 2020

In a similar sentiment, SEO Company Levi Williams-Clucas said she’d be happy to pay the price if she saw a notable improvement in the form of GMB’s (widely acknowledged as misinformed and under-resourced) support options. Again, Levi mentioned she would need to heavily consider her clients’ best interests.

I think I’d tell my clients to do so if I believed it’d protect their businesses, because ultimately that’s the most key thing, but I’d need proof that not paying damaged rankings. Not that I’d be happy about it if that were the case either – ‘free’ is it’s main USP!

— Levi Williams-Clucas (@Femkepants) July 28, 2020

Some users thought the prospect of paid-for GMB profiles was straight-up unfair, such as Sarah Blocksidge:

Not to mention the thought of spam included in all this makes my head hurt. As if it wasn’t already a struggle to get businesses breaking guidelines to be removed… I can that going verryyyyy badly.

— Sarah Blocksidge (@SarahBlocksidge) July 28, 2020

And finally, some — such as ‘We Asked the Experts‘ contributor, Amy Toman, just want more details.

I just want to know more. Will the businesses need to be background checked, a la LSA’s? Will GMB pay for that? Will there be additional fees? What other requirements will there be? Will there be better support now, and spam removals? So much to consider here…

— Amy Toman (@BubblesUp) July 28, 2020

Summary

At the end of the day, as with many Google My Business tests, there isn’t a whole lot of information out there just yet. As always, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the situation should any more information emerge, so look out for updates to this post as they come in.

What do you think of the upgraded GMB profile test? Is it just that — a test? If it rolled out would you pay for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Google Tests $50/mo Upgraded GMB – What Does it Mean for Local Businesses? appeared first on BrightLocal.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/google-tests-50-mo-upgraded-gmb-what-does-it-mean-for-local-businesses/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/625317297625743371

[scpie]

Google Tests $50/mo Upgraded GMB – What Does it Mean for Local Businesses?

On July 22nd, Google My Business Product Expert, Tom Waddington spotted a new feature being tested in Google Business profiles.

Google starting to offer an upgraded Business Profile (Google My Business listing) for $50/month that will add the Google Guaranteed badge to the listing and back services the business provides with the Google Guarantee. pic.twitter.com/x4bHLuVEi2

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020

What he saw caused SEO Companys to think that their fears were being realized: Google My Business was becoming a paid-for product.

But as we well know in local SEO Company, things are not always as clear as they first seem.

With so much speculation out there, we wanted to clear things up. That’s why I’ve waded through the mass of information and chatter circulating the internet to work out exactly:

What we know

What we don’t know

What the community thinks, and

What this could mean for local businesses

What we know

So, as I mentioned and as Tom’s tweet showed, the news broke on July 22nd that Google was testing paid-for Google My Business profiles. This tells us two things:

Google My Business is testing this. Paid-for profiles are not yet confirmed, Google tests things all the time, with some features being formally rolled out and others never seeing the light of day.

Google might be considering a paid-for offering (in this case, $50/month) in some context. Although this idea has caused quite the stir (as we’ll come onto later), it’s not necessarily new information. Back in the summer of sixty-ni—sorry, 2019—Google My Business caused controversy with its pay-to-play survey, asking users what features they’d be willing to pay for on a monthly basis.

Shortly after Google’s survey slipped out, we conducted our own poll, which showed that 59% of respondents felt worried about the prospect of GMB becoming a paid-for product.

So before we continue, it’s important to remember, first and foremost, that this potential profile upgrade is only being tested.

There is no sign that GMB is going to be paid for just yet, if ever.

Aside from the tweet that sparked this whole news cycle, we do have some additional information to work with. Search Engine Land reached out to a Google spokesperson, who said:

We’re always testing new ways to improve our experience for our advertisers, merchants, and users. This experiment will show the Google Guaranteed badge on the business profile. We don’t have anything additional to announce right now.

A typically vague Google response, but at least we know for sure, that as of right now at least, this is just a test.

The next thing shown in Tom’s original discovery is the ‘Google Guarantee’ badge. From this we can also see that an ‘upgraded’ Business Profile fits perfectly with the Google Guarantee badge.

And if that sounds familiar, it’s because it already exists, and has done since 2018. According to Google:

The Google Guarantee badge is available for businesses that pass a Google screening and qualification process through Google Local Services.

In practical terms, it means that Google will refund customers who are dissatisfied with your services if you’re backed by this badge. Although there aren’t any formal studies on this, many SEO Companys also speculate that Google Guaranteed badges will have a positive impact on CTR and conversions, especially in the current spam-dominated landscape.

Source: Search Engine Land

Outside of this test, the Google Guarantee is part of an ad offering, originally linked to Google’s Local Services Ads (LSAs), which are only available for eligible service-area businesses and professional services. LSAs for the latter category are currently rolling out across the US.

That covers what we can confirm as true. But what don’t we know about these upgraded profiles?

What we don’t know

In the screenshot Tom shared, Google states that the upgraded Business Profile is available to “eligible businesses”. Right now, we don’t know what those are.

While eligible businesses really could mean anything, Tom has speculated that the upgraded GMB profile could be available for businesses currently available in Local Service Ads. He also mentioned that he’s currently only seeing this test for HVAC listings on the home tab of the GMB dashboard.

Businesses already in Local Services is a logical to start since they have already passed the screening process. I think it will eventually expand beyond that though.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020

We also don’t know if or how this upgraded profile will benefit the local businesses who opt in. One user questioned if there was any indication the paid-for offering would boost a business’s ranking:

No, but even if it did (directly or indirectly), it wouldn’t help as much as keyword stuffing the business name, which is free to do and not policed well at all by Google.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 23, 2020

Another interesting question raised was whether or not this offering would replace LSAs. And although we can’t say for certain, Tom seemed pretty confident that that wouldn’t be the case:

No, absolutely not. This wouldn’t be a replacement. A supplement or doorway to it, if anything.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 24, 2020

Another uncertainty is whether or not this will be available globally or just for the US. Local Services Ads have performed well (for Google, at least) in the US, to the point that they’re now being rolled out nationally for professional services as well as SABs, so we could see Google Guarantee badges eventually following suit if this test rolls out further.

However, LSAs haven’t gone down as well in other parts of the world. For this reason, UK-based SEO Company Tim Capper commented that he was intrigued to see if Google would attempt to roll this out in the UK:

I’m interested if they will attempt to roll out in UK after LSA was rejected by UK businesses when they tried to on board a few years ago.

— Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) July 28, 2020

On top of this, a couple of people have asked about eligibility in the UK and Australia, to which Tom responded that he “wouldn’t expect to see it there anytime soon”.

Because of this, I’d be surprised to see Google Guaranteed, upgraded profiles rolling out outside the US any time soon, even if the test does roll out across the US.

What this could mean for local businesses

So, we’ve established what we know and what we don’t. But you may be wondering what this test could mean for local businesses.

Firstly, yes, this could mean that GMB is going to go down the route of pay-to-play. In fact, some SEOs have been predicting things would go this way for a while.

Well given that it was the worse survey ever… yes… but as you have noticed monetization has been a long term trend of Google’s which I don’t dispute they will and are doing more of it.

— Mike Blumenthal (@mblumenthal) July 22, 2020

However, it’s far too soon to jump to conclusions. Even if Google was to implement this, we don’t know if the cost would remain at $50, we don’t know if it would be in place for all businesses and categories, and we don’t know what perks or disadvantages users would receive.

There are a huge number of unknowns, so the best thing to do is — apart from keeping on top of the news — continue to optimize your existing GMB and engaging with potential customers as you normally would.

Some SEO Companys have suggested that this test could be an attempt by Google to tackle the rampant problem with Google My Business spam.

Just a few weeks ago, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan shared this tweet, in response to complaints about spam, that got the local search community talking:

Thanks. I know the team really is working to better deal with this type of stuff. I also know that as that’s been heard before. But I do expect improvements should be noticable in the near future.

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) July 17, 2020

We may be reading too much into this here, but the tweet suggests that Google was planning some pretty big steps to clamp down on GMB. I don’t think it would be a huge jump to speculate that upgraded and verified business listings could be one way to push out inauthentic listings and favor verified businesses.

What the community thinks

Okay, now we’ve worked out what we know and done some additional crystal ball gazing, it’s time to take a look at what local SEO Companys actually think about this potential new profile option.

Almost every tweet I saw about this test (and there were a lot of them) showed some very unhappy SEO Companys. They didn’t mince their words — poop emojis, curse words, and angry gifs filled my timeline.

This sounds like some bullshit. https://t.co/HlkgDKwPRz

— Amber Robinson (@AmberRobin5on) July 22, 2020

One SEO Company who also seemed to think this could be Google’s attempt at tackling spam was Sterling Sky’s Carrie Hill, who referred to the prospect as “a terrible idea”:

Can’t get a legit listing? Buy your way in?? this seems like a terrible idea…. https://t.co/lnhsnLU4qu

— Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) July 22, 2020

Carrie’s fellow Sterling Sky teammate, Brian Barwig, was similarly displeased. He also raised the idea that he was confused about where this offering would fit in with other paid-for products such as pay-per-click ads and Local Service Ads.

This seems insane on its face. Its not PPC or LSA, but it kinda is. What’s to stop them from raising rates each month? GMB getting monetized. https://t.co/hOo2eqOmdV pic.twitter.com/OOn2bPbU92

— Brian Barwig (@BrianBarwig) July 22, 2020

And, as with all important conversations on Twitter, memes made their way into the discourse:

pic.twitter.com/6IKJjjEcol

— Eric Thomas (@ethomasdigital) July 22, 2020

Although the response was overwhelmingly negative, there were a few people who seemed to see the benefit of a paid-for profile:

I hope it can serve as a way to weed out fake listings for home services / locksmiths but it’s an expensive price to pay considering how many small businesses are suffering

— William Gallahue (@willgallahue) July 23, 2020

Well – it might just be a good way to separate the paid/vetted from the others, including SPAM

— Andy Kuiper (@andykuiper) July 22, 2020

As well as looking at the organic comments that arose in response to Tom’s tweet, we also passed the mic to our own Twitter followers to see what they thought of the whole affair. Interestingly, the responses were a lot more mixed than expected.

While some local SEO Companys seemed pretty concerned by the test…

100% disagree with this. Is the entire internet becoming pay-to-play? Half of the proposed paid features belong on a website anyways, NOT the SERP. Not to mention, this could contribute to an increase in spam listings or prevent them from being taken down.

— Natasha B-d. (@natasha_bd) July 28, 2020

…others viewed it as potentially positive and something that could become a concrete option:

Yes will become reality. Worth $50 just for the local services badge.

— Chris St. Jean (@StJeanDS) July 28, 2020

Local SEO Company pro and Local Search Clinic panelist, Niki Mosier, also chimed in on the debate, raising both pros and cons:

I definitely think it will become a reality. I suspected that pay-to-play might become a reality for GMB a while ago. I think it’s really unfortunate. GMB is so vital for so many small businesses. I would like to say I wouldn’t pay it. (1/2)

— Niki Mosier (@nikers85) July 28, 2020

(2/2) But if it gets to a point where there is negative impact by not, I may have to encourage clients to do it.

— Niki Mosier (@nikers85) July 28, 2020

For those working with local business clients from an agency perspective, like Niki, if this test were to become a reality it could certainly introduce some new challenges as SEO Companys would need to weigh up the cost versus the benefits of getting involved with the scheme.

SEO Company Analyst Amanda Jordan also raised an interesting point. In order for a $50/month GMB profile to be worth it for her, she’d need to see significant improvements in Maps spam-fighting.

If they add a badge to unpaid local pack results with custom schema for organic, I would expect to see adoption from companies who wouldn’t consider local paid ads otherwise. Spam prevention would need to see major improvements.

— Amanda Jordan (@amandatjordan) July 28, 2020

In a similar sentiment, SEO Company Levi Williams-Clucas said she’d be happy to pay the price if she saw a notable improvement in the form of GMB’s (widely acknowledged as misinformed and under-resourced) support options. Again, Levi mentioned she would need to heavily consider her clients’ best interests.

I think I’d tell my clients to do so if I believed it’d protect their businesses, because ultimately that’s the most key thing, but I’d need proof that not paying damaged rankings. Not that I’d be happy about it if that were the case either – ‘free’ is it’s main USP!

— Levi Williams-Clucas (@Femkepants) July 28, 2020

Some users thought the prospect of paid-for GMB profiles was straight-up unfair, such as Sarah Blocksidge:

Not to mention the thought of spam included in all this makes my head hurt. As if it wasn’t already a struggle to get businesses breaking guidelines to be removed… I can that going verryyyyy badly.

— Sarah Blocksidge (@SarahBlocksidge) July 28, 2020

And finally, some — such as ‘We Asked the Experts‘ contributor, Amy Toman, just want more details.

I just want to know more. Will the businesses need to be background checked, a la LSA’s? Will GMB pay for that? Will there be additional fees? What other requirements will there be? Will there be better support now, and spam removals? So much to consider here…

— Amy Toman (@BubblesUp) July 28, 2020

Summary

At the end of the day, as with many Google My Business tests, there isn’t a whole lot of information out there just yet. As always, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the situation should any more information emerge, so look out for updates to this post as they come in.

What do you think of the upgraded GMB profile test? Is it just that — a test? If it rolled out would you pay for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Google Tests $50/mo Upgraded GMB – What Does it Mean for Local Businesses? appeared first on BrightLocal.

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source http://www.scpie.org/google-tests-50-mo-upgraded-gmb-what-does-it-mean-for-local-businesses/

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Google Tests $50/mo Upgraded GMB – What Does it Mean for Local Businesses?

On July 22nd, Google My Business Product Expert, Tom Waddington spotted a new feature being tested in Google Business profiles.

Google starting to offer an upgraded Business Profile (Google My Business listing) for $50/month that will add the Google Guaranteed badge to the listing and back services the business provides with the Google Guarantee. pic.twitter.com/x4bHLuVEi2

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020

What he saw caused SEO Companys to think that their fears were being realized: Google My Business was becoming a paid-for product.

But as we well know in local SEO Company, things are not always as clear as they first seem.

With so much speculation out there, we wanted to clear things up. That’s why I’ve waded through the mass of information and chatter circulating the internet to work out exactly:

What we know

What we don’t know

What the community thinks, and

What this could mean for local businesses

What we know

So, as I mentioned and as Tom’s tweet showed, the news broke on July 22nd that Google was testing paid-for Google My Business profiles. This tells us two things:

Google My Business is testing this. Paid-for profiles are not yet confirmed, Google tests things all the time, with some features being formally rolled out and others never seeing the light of day.

Google might be considering a paid-for offering (in this case, $50/month) in some context. Although this idea has caused quite the stir (as we’ll come onto later), it’s not necessarily new information. Back in the summer of sixty-ni—sorry, 2019—Google My Business caused controversy with its pay-to-play survey, asking users what features they’d be willing to pay for on a monthly basis.

Shortly after Google’s survey slipped out, we conducted our own poll, which showed that 59% of respondents felt worried about the prospect of GMB becoming a paid-for product.

So before we continue, it’s important to remember, first and foremost, that this potential profile upgrade is only being tested.

There is no sign that GMB is going to be paid for just yet, if ever.

Aside from the tweet that sparked this whole news cycle, we do have some additional information to work with. Search Engine Land reached out to a Google spokesperson, who said:

We’re always testing new ways to improve our experience for our advertisers, merchants, and users. This experiment will show the Google Guaranteed badge on the business profile. We don’t have anything additional to announce right now.

A typically vague Google response, but at least we know for sure, that as of right now at least, this is just a test.

The next thing shown in Tom’s original discovery is the ‘Google Guarantee’ badge. From this we can also see that an ‘upgraded’ Business Profile fits perfectly with the Google Guarantee badge.

And if that sounds familiar, it’s because it already exists, and has done since 2018. According to Google:

The Google Guarantee badge is available for businesses that pass a Google screening and qualification process through Google Local Services.

In practical terms, it means that Google will refund customers who are dissatisfied with your services if you’re backed by this badge. Although there aren’t any formal studies on this, many SEO Companys also speculate that Google Guaranteed badges will have a positive impact on CTR and conversions, especially in the current spam-dominated landscape.

Source: Search Engine Land

Outside of this test, the Google Guarantee is part of an ad offering, originally linked to Google’s Local Services Ads (LSAs), which are only available for eligible service-area businesses and professional services. LSAs for the latter category are currently rolling out across the US.

That covers what we can confirm as true. But what don’t we know about these upgraded profiles?

What we don’t know

In the screenshot Tom shared, Google states that the upgraded Business Profile is available to “eligible businesses”. Right now, we don’t know what those are.

While eligible businesses really could mean anything, Tom has speculated that the upgraded GMB profile could be available for businesses currently available in Local Service Ads. He also mentioned that he’s currently only seeing this test for HVAC listings on the home tab of the GMB dashboard.

Businesses already in Local Services is a logical to start since they have already passed the screening process. I think it will eventually expand beyond that though.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020

We also don’t know if or how this upgraded profile will benefit the local businesses who opt in. One user questioned if there was any indication the paid-for offering would boost a business’s ranking:

No, but even if it did (directly or indirectly), it wouldn’t help as much as keyword stuffing the business name, which is free to do and not policed well at all by Google.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 23, 2020

Another interesting question raised was whether or not this offering would replace LSAs. And although we can’t say for certain, Tom seemed pretty confident that that wouldn’t be the case:

No, absolutely not. This wouldn’t be a replacement. A supplement or doorway to it, if anything.

— Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 24, 2020

Another uncertainty is whether or not this will be available globally or just for the US. Local Services Ads have performed well (for Google, at least) in the US, to the point that they’re now being rolled out nationally for professional services as well as SABs, so we could see Google Guarantee badges eventually following suit if this test rolls out further.

However, LSAs haven’t gone down as well in other parts of the world. For this reason, UK-based SEO Company Tim Capper commented that he was intrigued to see if Google would attempt to roll this out in the UK:

I’m interested if they will attempt to roll out in UK after LSA was rejected by UK businesses when they tried to on board a few years ago.

— Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) July 28, 2020

On top of this, a couple of people have asked about eligibility in the UK and Australia, to which Tom responded that he “wouldn’t expect to see it there anytime soon”.

Because of this, I’d be surprised to see Google Guaranteed, upgraded profiles rolling out outside the US any time soon, even if the test does roll out across the US.

What this could mean for local businesses

So, we’ve established what we know and what we don’t. But you may be wondering what this test could mean for local businesses.

Firstly, yes, this could mean that GMB is going to go down the route of pay-to-play. In fact, some SEOs have been predicting things would go this way for a while.

Well given that it was the worse survey ever… yes… but as you have noticed monetization has been a long term trend of Google’s which I don’t dispute they will and are doing more of it.

— Mike Blumenthal (@mblumenthal) July 22, 2020

However, it’s far too soon to jump to conclusions. Even if Google was to implement this, we don’t know if the cost would remain at $50, we don’t know if it would be in place for all businesses and categories, and we don’t know what perks or disadvantages users would receive.

There are a huge number of unknowns, so the best thing to do is — apart from keeping on top of the news — continue to optimize your existing GMB and engaging with potential customers as you normally would.

Some SEO Companys have suggested that this test could be an attempt by Google to tackle the rampant problem with Google My Business spam.

Just a few weeks ago, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan shared this tweet, in response to complaints about spam, that got the local search community talking:

Thanks. I know the team really is working to better deal with this type of stuff. I also know that as that’s been heard before. But I do expect improvements should be noticable in the near future.

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) July 17, 2020

We may be reading too much into this here, but the tweet suggests that Google was planning some pretty big steps to clamp down on GMB. I don’t think it would be a huge jump to speculate that upgraded and verified business listings could be one way to push out inauthentic listings and favor verified businesses.

What the community thinks

Okay, now we’ve worked out what we know and done some additional crystal ball gazing, it’s time to take a look at what local SEO Companys actually think about this potential new profile option.

Almost every tweet I saw about this test (and there were a lot of them) showed some very unhappy SEO Companys. They didn’t mince their words — poop emojis, curse words, and angry gifs filled my timeline.

This sounds like some bullshit. https://t.co/HlkgDKwPRz

— Amber Robinson (@AmberRobin5on) July 22, 2020

One SEO Company who also seemed to think this could be Google’s attempt at tackling spam was Sterling Sky’s Carrie Hill, who referred to the prospect as “a terrible idea”:

Can’t get a legit listing? Buy your way in?? this seems like a terrible idea…. https://t.co/lnhsnLU4qu

— Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) July 22, 2020

Carrie’s fellow Sterling Sky teammate, Brian Barwig, was similarly displeased. He also raised the idea that he was confused about where this offering would fit in with other paid-for products such as pay-per-click ads and Local Service Ads.

This seems insane on its face. Its not PPC or LSA, but it kinda is. What’s to stop them from raising rates each month? GMB getting monetized. https://t.co/hOo2eqOmdV pic.twitter.com/OOn2bPbU92

— Brian Barwig (@BrianBarwig) July 22, 2020

And, as with all important conversations on Twitter, memes made their way into the discourse:

pic.twitter.com/6IKJjjEcol

— Eric Thomas (@ethomasdigital) July 22, 2020

Although the response was overwhelmingly negative, there were a few people who seemed to see the benefit of a paid-for profile:

I hope it can serve as a way to weed out fake listings for home services / locksmiths but it’s an expensive price to pay considering how many small businesses are suffering

— William Gallahue (@willgallahue) July 23, 2020

Well – it might just be a good way to separate the paid/vetted from the others, including SPAM

— Andy Kuiper (@andykuiper) July 22, 2020

As well as looking at the organic comments that arose in response to Tom’s tweet, we also passed the mic to our own Twitter followers to see what they thought of the whole affair. Interestingly, the responses were a lot more mixed than expected.

While some local SEO Companys seemed pretty concerned by the test…

100% disagree with this. Is the entire internet becoming pay-to-play? Half of the proposed paid features belong on a website anyways, NOT the SERP. Not to mention, this could contribute to an increase in spam listings or prevent them from being taken down.

— Natasha B-d. (@natasha_bd) July 28, 2020

…others viewed it as potentially positive and something that could become a concrete option:

Yes will become reality. Worth $50 just for the local services badge.

— Chris St. Jean (@StJeanDS) July 28, 2020

Local SEO Company pro and Local Search Clinic panelist, Niki Mosier, also chimed in on the debate, raising both pros and cons:

I definitely think it will become a reality. I suspected that pay-to-play might become a reality for GMB a while ago. I think it’s really unfortunate. GMB is so vital for so many small businesses. I would like to say I wouldn’t pay it. (1/2)

— Niki Mosier (@nikers85) July 28, 2020

(2/2) But if it gets to a point where there is negative impact by not, I may have to encourage clients to do it.

— Niki Mosier (@nikers85) July 28, 2020

For those working with local business clients from an agency perspective, like Niki, if this test were to become a reality it could certainly introduce some new challenges as SEO Companys would need to weigh up the cost versus the benefits of getting involved with the scheme.

SEO Company Analyst Amanda Jordan also raised an interesting point. In order for a $50/month GMB profile to be worth it for her, she’d need to see significant improvements in Maps spam-fighting.

If they add a badge to unpaid local pack results with custom schema for organic, I would expect to see adoption from companies who wouldn’t consider local paid ads otherwise. Spam prevention would need to see major improvements.

— Amanda Jordan (@amandatjordan) July 28, 2020

In a similar sentiment, SEO Company Levi Williams-Clucas said she’d be happy to pay the price if she saw a notable improvement in the form of GMB’s (widely acknowledged as misinformed and under-resourced) support options. Again, Levi mentioned she would need to heavily consider her clients’ best interests.

I think I’d tell my clients to do so if I believed it’d protect their businesses, because ultimately that’s the most key thing, but I’d need proof that not paying damaged rankings. Not that I’d be happy about it if that were the case either – ‘free’ is it’s main USP!

— Levi Williams-Clucas (@Femkepants) July 28, 2020

Some users thought the prospect of paid-for GMB profiles was straight-up unfair, such as Sarah Blocksidge:

Not to mention the thought of spam included in all this makes my head hurt. As if it wasn’t already a struggle to get businesses breaking guidelines to be removed… I can that going verryyyyy badly.

— Sarah Blocksidge (@SarahBlocksidge) July 28, 2020

And finally, some — such as ‘We Asked the Experts‘ contributor, Amy Toman, just want more details.

I just want to know more. Will the businesses need to be background checked, a la LSA’s? Will GMB pay for that? Will there be additional fees? What other requirements will there be? Will there be better support now, and spam removals? So much to consider here…

— Amy Toman (@BubblesUp) July 28, 2020

Summary

At the end of the day, as with many Google My Business tests, there isn’t a whole lot of information out there just yet. As always, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the situation should any more information emerge, so look out for updates to this post as they come in.

What do you think of the upgraded GMB profile test? Is it just that — a test? If it rolled out would you pay for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Google Tests $50/mo Upgraded GMB – What Does it Mean for Local Businesses? appeared first on BrightLocal.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/google-tests-50-mo-upgraded-gmb-what-does-it-mean-for-local-businesses/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/08/google-tests-50mo-upgraded-gmb-what.html

[your-stuartgreen-posts]

Local marketing is by far the most effective way to promote your local business. Without being found online, your local business may never be found these days.

[simplisticpro]

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Local Search FAQs Answered! #LocalSEOChat Recap

As if we haven’t given ourselves enough to do this year already (did someone say monthly webinars?!) on Tuesday, February 18, we took to Twitter to host our first #LocalSEOChat of the year. Using questions we didn’t quite get around to in last week’s Local Search Clinic with Greg Gifford, we invited the local search community, including some of the industry’s most knowledgeable figures, to solve your frequently asked questions surrounding local SEO. In just one hour, local SEOs united to solve each other’s queries, ranging from how to gain prominence as a service-area business to tackling shared locations on GMB, as well as first steps for agencies, mobile page speed, and motivating engagement through GMB. If you missed out on the excitement, you can catch some of the top questions and answers below, along with some useful resources: Recap Q1. Do service areas on GMB profiles have any effect on local SEO and visibility in those areas? – Adam A1: A businesses defined service area business will certainly affect local positions within reason.#LocalSEOChat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 I’ve seen an effect when those service areas are also mentioned on the landing page and on other 3rd party pages that mention the brand. More of a co-occurrence strategy, but yes, I have seen it work and do recommend testing adding them. — Steve Wiideman (@seosteve) February 18, 2020 A1. Interestingly enough, it is possible for SABs to rank outside of the areas they operate in — but that only tends to be the case for smaller locations. Read more about the nuances of SABs in @tomwaddington8‘s blog here: https://t.co/mxf1aDCA26 #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/PAU7QW3sYi — BrightLocal (@brightlocal) February 18, 2020 Q2. If someone is a practitioner with three locations and three GMB profiles, should their office hours only show when they’re actually in the office? – Nathan A2. This is a requirement by GMB guidelines. I’m astonished by the number of people and agencies that are unaware of this. The hours should also not overlap. #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/jsD5vh4nwV — Krystal Taing (@krystal_taing) February 18, 2020 It’s a tough one to explain to a client who has employed a secretary 9-5 to cover more than one location. They don’t like the idea of their business showing as closed. Which I do understand. — Digital Davidson (@digidavidson) February 18, 2020 A2. Unless practitioner has achieved a quantum state in which they can be at all three locations at the same time, they MUST state real business hours in respective listings. https://t.co/dPTZVKdAdp — Amit%20Tiwari (@teamamittiwari) February 18, 2020 Q3. What are the first five things agencies should do for new clients? – Tim A3: Audit, assess, and prioritize. https://t.co/16BHX8rpel — Gyi Tsakalakis (@gyitsakalakis) February 18, 2020 A3: 1. Audit 2. Strategize 3. Content 4. Fight Spam 5. Links#localSEOChat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 A3: – Claim / Verify GMB Listing – Optimise Said Listing – Integrate with Website – Citation Checks – Now the work really begins#LocalSEOChat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 A3. #LocalSEOChat Agencies should: 1. Conduct a full client needs analysis 2. Perform a local SEO audit (GMB, LLP, Citations, Reviews) 3. Setup a PM system breaking out LSEO disciplines 4. Setup reporting – including share of voice for critical kwds — Steve Wiideman (@seosteve) February 18, 2020 Q4. What are the best practices on GMB for home-based companies that don’t want to show their address online? – Ron A4: Set your business as a service area business. Select the areas your serve.#LocalSEOChat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 A4: Hide your address once you’re verified – but know that Google doesn’t treat SABs fairly (IMO) so you have to really have strong content on your GMB (and website) to convey the WHERE! Set your Service areas to start, also put that info in your description. #LocalSEOChat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 Q5. How important is mobile page speed when you’re trying to make the first page of SERPs on mobile? – Wes A5: Since we’re in the world of mobile-first indexing – mobile page speed is a goodly piece of ranking well desktop OR mobile – also if you rank, but have a slow crappy site – you won’t convert – so look at it from a user’s standpoint and MAKE IT FAST! #LocalSEOChat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 A5: Depends on how competitive the market is. If you’re playing with the big dogs, you better have a passing speed. We see sites married to their slow designs losing ground all the time.#LocalSEOChat https://t.co/NyKTnEsDBh — Kammy Caruss (@ynotweb) February 18, 2020 A5. I have never seen a case where improving page speed hasn’t had a long term impact on keyword rankings and an immediate impact on bounce rates. #LocalSEOChat — Steve Wiideman (@seosteve) February 18, 2020 It’s important. Specifically the page (not the whole site) that you are looking to rank. However, the goal should be to improve user experience overall. pic.twitter.com/vD8p8mjzk5 — Turrem Technology (@turremdottech) February 18, 2020 Q6. I see offers for press release distribution with GMB embeds. Can this be helpful or is this practice dangerous? – Dennis A6: Both. #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/WbGK18cTqb — Gyi Tsakalakis (@gyitsakalakis) February 18, 2020 A6 cont: Also – what most people think is news, is probably not really news. If you’re doing a PR – make it NEWS – not “we have this new product” type of stuff. #localseochat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 A6: Forget Distribution – Do it yourself old school with a nice box, sweetener and press release delivered to journo Never fails to get real press coverage in the right places.#LocalSEOChat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 Q7. What’s the best way to get social media badges to show on GMB? – Emily A7: use them as images for posts – getting them anywhere else is a crapshoot. #LocalSEOChat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 If your website is #WordPress and you have #Yoast installed then there’s a chance your profiles will feature on your Knowledge Panel, if you’ve configured everything correctly #localseochat — Digital Davidson (@digidavidson) February 18, 2020 Q8. What tips do you have for motivating more engagement with GMB listings? – Gyi A8: Offers exclusive to GMB (posts, etc). #LocalSEOChat #meta https://t.co/2r2D5NBKzW — Gyi Tsakalakis (@gyitsakalakis) February 18, 2020 A8: your products(#nolongerbeta) should have engaging photos, you should try for the query carousel, you should list services (shows on mobile), you should have compelling cover photo/photos, you should write an engaging biz description #localseochat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 A8. Definitely captivating images (underrated IMO), posts, products & menus #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/UvEbyW14q4 — Krystal Taing (@krystal_taing) February 18, 2020 Images! Post fresh images.#LocalSEOChat https://t.co/3KwgeWuW9b pic.twitter.com/g5i2VVneoh — Amit%20Tiwari (@teamamittiwari) February 18, 2020 Q9. Do keywords in reviews help with map rankings? – Jara A9: I feel they do – but difficult just to test this singular point.#localseochat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 A9. I do think it can improve your visibility for specific words but wouldn’t bank on this as an overall ranking strategy. #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/at8SQd1hge — Krystal Taing (@krystal_taing) February 18, 2020 A9: sorta – They help more with conversions. If someone mentions a product/service in a review – and a shopper sees that the biz does “xyz thing” really well – and they’re shopping for “xyz thing” – they’re much more likely to hire that company/buy that product. #localseochat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 A9: I think they make a big difference with Google using AI to semantically understand what websites are about. #localseochat — Ted Chan (@upwardmobility) February 18, 2020 A9: I believe they do! Definitely something to keep on your mind when asking for customer reviews #localseochat https://t.co/d9YPkcFG8x — Iveta O. (@iveta_osobova) February 18, 2020 Q10. How much do activity and social signals from Facebook, Twitter, etc. affect local rankings? – Chris A10: I think its indirect and has a lot to do with word of mouth, community building (virtual and offline) and branding. It’s totally worth it for some brands/metros – and not at all for some. #localseochat — Carrie Hill (@CarrieHill) February 18, 2020 A10: Meh#LocalSEOChat pic.twitter.com/mLx111QdIE — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 Q11. What kinds of videos do you suggest adding to GMB? – Joseph A11: Video Testimonials. Just like you ask for reviews ask for a video testimonial and add it to your Google My Business listing https://t.co/9xfC2ufodw — Crystal Horton (@imcrystalhorton) February 18, 2020 A11. Whatever videos will help tell the story of your products or services to customers. Explaining a new program or service, showing a new product and how it could be useful in their life, sharing stories to build connection to the community, etc. #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/FYqNn2IwcI — Krystal Taing (@krystal_taing) February 18, 2020 A11: Depends on the business Gym – They love weekly coaches challenge Restaurants – Sizzle & Flames Manufacturing – Removal of baffle grease filters ?? Training Centre – Student Diary Experiment#localseochat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 Videos about the backstage of running that business, the employee’s routine and interesting activities And of course, videos about the product or service you sell Are you a restaurant? Make food and kitchen videos Are you a car seller? Shows your best deals inside And so on — Gabriel Botelho (@GabrielBoteIho) February 19, 2020 We love adding videos to our #GMB updates as well! A great place to display engaging content, not only in the videos tab! @brightlocal https://t.co/XZmX8p28nS — Smallbusiness Community (@ssmallbusinesss) February 18, 2020 Q12. What could be the reason for local ranking flip-flopping (e.g. going from #2 to #23 multiple times)? –Henya A12: Spam. #LocalSEOChat https://t.co/7Rl5zSds2M — Gyi Tsakalakis (@gyitsakalakis) February 18, 2020 A12. Ranking fluctuations may be due to a slow (or suspicious peak) pattern of growth in data accuracy, local landing page experience, new citations, or rating/review behavior. Work on all consistently, see consistent growth. #localseochat — Steve Wiideman (@seosteve) February 18, 2020 Q13. What the heck is going on with local rankings?! – Everyone A13: What the Flux? But this worked for one SAB business that got fluxxedhttps://t.co/YWQCIlqvAr#LocalSEOChat — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) February 18, 2020 A13: They are in massive flux. #localseochat https://t.co/ub1ntQrkGT pic.twitter.com/VLcENwx0Nr — Gyi Tsakalakis (@gyitsakalakis) February 18, 2020 Resources What is a service-area business? How to set up and optimize a service-area business in Google My Business Google My Business guidelines for representing your business Did the mobile-first index affect local businesses? Google page speed insights Think with Google benchmark your site speed How to get social media icons to show in your GMB listing The ultimate guide to GMB photos How to make video marketing work for you Local SEO Guide keywords in reviews How to report GMB spam Local RankFlux Thanks to everyone who joined us yesterday and participated so keenly in #LocalSEOChat! Why not keep the discussion going in the comments below? Or, alternatively, join our local SEO networking list on Twitter to connect with other local SEOs. The post Local Search FAQs Answered! #LocalSEOChat Recap appeared first on BrightLocal. https://probdm.com/site/MTE3Njg

[rioseosoftware]

RT @CarrieHill: Think about your language - don't say "conversions" to a customer - say "phone calls" "bookings" "purchases." @danaditomaso #localuniv

Think about your language - don't say "conversions" to a customer - say "phone calls" "bookings" "purchases." @danaditomaso #localuniv

— Carrie Hill 🗺️📌 (@CarrieHill) February 6, 2019

by rio_seo http://twitter.com/rio_seo/status/1093201504595435521 #localseo #localsearch #rioseo