Fine Tuning Search Results for Your Local SEO

Now that you’ve claimed and verified your Google Business Profile listing and have started to write your own business directory citations, it’s time to start the tune-up and enhancement process of your Local SEO presence. Just like a fine-tuned racing machine or well-conditioned athlete, your local SEO presence requires constant monitoring and improvements so that your business stays competitive.

Below are two important suggestions that can enhance SEO results and conversion rates. This is by no means an exhaustive list as there are numerous factors that contribute to a location’s overall rank.

GBP Written Content – Geo/Niche Descriptors

A few great places to start nudging your listing in a positive direction for your own local search results are the description field, the Google Business Profile website, service menus, and product descriptions for the Google Business Profile listing. Adding keywords related to your business to your GBP’s business listing is a great way to assist Google in properly indexing your listing. Having your GBP properly indexed within Google will allow for accurate search results to your listing from online users searching for businesses such as yours.

Google has very strict guidelines on how your business should be represented, so caution is suggested when modifying these areas. Keyword stuffing and irrelevant data should be avoided.

When using Geo-Descriptors, keep the information relative to your immediate location, such as referencing at the village/suburb level or a nearby public attraction like a park, lake, monument, or public building.

Niche keywords should be limited to the category that you are promoting and not related to describing your offerings. Including too many keywords for specific products and services is not helpful. Keeping the content areas concise and related to your main category is preferred.

Let’s use the following NAP example to illustrate good Geo/Niche descriptors within your Business Introduction information. This client’s primary category is “Cajun Restaurant”:

NAP Info

Great Jones Cafe

54 Great Jones St.

New York, NY

10012

GBP Description

“Great Jones Cafe located in the East Village remains the same. Once an outpost in a no man’s land, it is now one of the last down to earth neighborhood joints in the “New” Bowery. If you’re in the East Village, drop in and wet your whistle! We are the #1 Cajun Cafe in New York City, offering the finest in Creole Cafe Cuisine. Come explore the history and flavor of a New York Classic. Be sure to save a quarter for the jukebox!”

Highlighted in bold above are several Geo/Niche descriptors that showcase the restaurant’s location relative to village and neighborhood as well as city and state. You’ll also see several Niche descriptors that mirror the restaurant’s Primary and Secondary categories. The description remains brief, concise, and fun.

Google Business Profile Services Menu

Another great tool we use to add keyword content about your business is within the GBP services menu.

Below are some great examples of how a Services menu can be utilized and enhanced with Geo and Niche keywords.

Here we see some great services keywords added to this menu. Many of these services are what individuals search for when they are in need of dental care.

It’s also important to make keyword phrases come across naturally. Content is always best added when it comes across naturally – Infant Dental Care in Dallas vs. Infant Dental Care Dallas. Google is beginning to recognize when phrases like “Infant Dental Care Dallas” don’t make sense. This can be recognized by Google as keyword stuffing.

Conclusion

By making small changes, there are many more ways to enhance your local presence through the Google Business Profile listing and through your directory citation providers. You can also edit the copy to highlight specific aspects of your business that best appeal to your audience. The above examples are just a couple. Be patient with your expectations for results, as providers take time to scour and update information and Google takes time to evaluate all of the data from those providers.

Be cautious in making your changes. Make small updates and wait for results before taking the next step. Allowing time for results will give you a much clearer picture of the impact a change has (or hasn’t) made. Fine-tuning and zeroing in on the right combination of settings and data will yield more results, helping you to win the race!

Trust Your Business’s Local SEO Presence to V Digital Services

For those businesses that would prefer to trust their local SEO and Google Business Profile Listing presence to the experts, V Digital Services is a full-service digital marketing agency with a team of local SEO experts with vast experience working with national and local brands. Contact us online today to learn more about how we can utilize Instagram to increase your company’s brand awareness and expand your customer base.