{"id":31380,"date":"2022-05-20T17:14:51","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T23:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vendasta.com\/blog\/?p=31380"},"modified":"2026-01-09T21:55:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T21:55:51","slug":"how-to-optimize-google-my-business-for-local-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vendasta.com\/blog\/how-to-optimize-google-my-business-for-local-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to optimize Google Business Profile for local SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The best place to hide a dead body is on page 2 of Google. The brutal truth is that if a business isn\u2019t showing up on the first search engine results page (SERP) it will be very difficult to acquire new customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given Google\u2019s dominance of the search market (in April 2021, Google accounted for over 92 percent of the global search engine market share), it\u2019s clear that search engine optimization should be at the forefront of your digital marketing strategy. Interestingly, 46 percent of all Google searches are regarding local information (<\/span>Source: Oberlo<\/span><\/a>). Consumers want to find local businesses quickly and easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s especially critical for local businesses that are competing with big commerce to target their marketing efforts locally<\/a> and have an SEO plan. Listings on Google Business Profile are one of the best ways to be found in local search<\/a>. Local citations and review management are other tactics that will increase your clients\u2019 Local SEO<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, to be found in a general local search for \u2018brunch restaurants (insert city name)\u2019, or \u2018brunch restaurants near me\u2019<\/a> it\u2019s critical to be on the first SERP.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is Google Business Profile?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Google Business Profile<\/a> (formerly Google My Business) is a listing that displays business information. This free tool from Google helps customers find and contact local businesses. With a Google Business Profile, your client can see and connect with their customers, post updates, and see how customers are interacting with your client\u2019s business on Google.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, although small businesses are competing with big-box stores to rank on Google, they can hold their own in local search by executing a local SEO<\/a> plan. This is because of the community support that they can leverage to power their backlinks. Building backlinks is another excellent way to build authority with Google, resulting in higher ranking. You can lean on the business community connections your clients have. Encourage them to reach out to their connections to mention their store in a blog or on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to create a Google Business Profile<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ensure to fill out as much information as possible when creating a Google Business Profile listing. Google ranks these profiles based on the quality of their information and favors listings with more information. By keeping the information updated you can make sure that Google is feeding the correct information to Google Maps<\/a> and the local pack. This pack displays three high-performing GBP listings when conducting a local search.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A business profile alone won\u2019t help in SERP ranking. As a completely separate step, you will need to create a GBP account from which you manage the profile or listing. Now you\u2019re ready to optimize for ranking purposes. For additional answers to Google Business Profile questions, this <\/span>FAQ page<\/span><\/a> can help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Steps to get set up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Check if someone has already <\/b>created a listing for your business<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n