Google’s Local Business Cards a SEO Boon?

 

The former CEO of Google and current Alphabet CEO, Larry Page, has been quoted on the possibilities the search engine holds by saying,

“We’re at maybe one percent of what is possible. Despite the faster change, we’re still moving slow relative to the opportunities we have. I think a lot of that is because of the negativity… Every story I read is Google vs someone else. That’s boring. We should be focusing on building the things that don’t exist.”

As of late, the Internet has been abuzz with Google experimenting with a new feature that is a potential full-on game-changer.
Google Posts, as they have been dubbed since there is no official name for the feature, originally rolled out in January for use by U.S. presidential hopefuls. These posts would appear in the search results as cards for any query corresponding to one of the candidates. As of early March, it has been reported that Google is opening this feature up to a handful of local businesses to utilize.
So what exactly are these Google Posts, and how could they benefit you?

Google Posts are a new element to the search engine that is currently in the experimental phase. The feature allows businesses and people alike to develop content to be posted directly on Google. The content then appears highly ranked in the SERPs in a carousel format. The new results also allow for animations and GIFs to be displayed; a first for Google. If you need a bit of a visual aid, just Google “A Healthy Choice Spa” and you can find the carousel directly below the first result.
Mike Blumenthal was the first to take notice of Google opening up this new aspect of the search engine on March 4. Greg Sterling of Search Engine Land later confirmed this to be true. As it stands right now, Google describes this feature by stating,

“Verified individuals and organizations can now communicate with text, images and videos directly on Google. Creating content is fast and simple, and once published, posts will appear instantly in search results related to the publisher. Each post can also be shared on popular social networks.”

This means that only a very select number of people and businesses have access to the feature at the moment, although, while posts are currently invite only, there is a waitlist available for those who want to take advantage of the service later down the road. Do keep in mind, however, that there is no guarantee of acceptance or if Google will even expand the new offering.

There is no way to access any of the Google Posts from the Posts homepage. They can only be accessed in the search results when queries are entered for participating organizations. There is also no way to see all of the posts from these participants either as some may disappear as time passes, much as they did for presidential candidates. Additionally, the content is completely custom as it is not pulled from Google My Business or any other source, so if a post disappears, it will likely be quite difficult to or impossible to find ever again.

The new implementation is currently seen as a push by the search giant to develop a fresher and more dynamic experience for users, as it is always seeking to do. The cards also offer Google the opportunity to build an increasingly social presence, as content can be shared directly from the carousel, while simultaneously creating new ad space as right-side ads were recently banished.
Google postsThe layout was developed with mobile as the top priority but they still display equally as well on desktop devices. With mobile, the cards appear below the Knowledge Panel, whereas on desktop they are displayed alongside the Knowledge Panel.

The purpose of the cards, as with the previous incarnation for presidential candidates, is to give businesses the opportunity to provide additional content or convey information about the products or services a company offers in a way that the Knowledge Panel does not accommodate.

If this new feature makes it past experimentation to become a mainstay in Google’s arsenal, this could prove not only as a great resource for small businesses to get their content seen, but also serve as a SEO boon. Any business that implements the new cards would have instant access to publishing content directly on the Google search results, which in turn could potentially boost rankings significantly. There has been no decision, however, if Google will ever allow these cards to be used on a larger scale.

If Google does decide to make this feature available to the masses, there are immense benefits that could potentially be reaped for Google, businesses, and users alike. Google stands to gain a new space for ad revenue. Businesses can provide their audience with additional content and possibly find themselves rising in rankings on the engine. And users benefit from a new and engaging form of content that they just can’t get enough of. It seems that it would be a wise move for Google to implement this new feature across the board as it provides the aforementioned benefits while integrating a new level of dynamics and allure through custom content and the use of GIFs. The resulting decisions remain to be seen, but odds are there’s a new SEO content in town, and that’s cause for celebration.

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The New Rules of Local SEO

 

 

As Smartphone technology continues to become omnipresent in modern society, local SEO is becoming more important than ever. According to Google, four out of every five searches that take place are aimed at finding local solutions. For this reason, distribution of yellow pages continue to diminish as mobile devices become the premier method of conducting searches.
Now the game becomes about optimizing your online presence and business listings to effectively capture the potential customers in your area. Without certain elements present, your competition will rule the roost for your niche and local market.


To help you get your digital existence up to snuff and highly prosperous for 2016, here are five tips and tricks to dominate the local SERPs:

1. Set Up Your Google My Business Page
Some state that Google+ is dead, but this simply isn’t true. When Google displays local search results with a map for locations, the information presented is not coming from the business’ website; it is harvested from Google+ Local business pages.

To optimize Google My Business to its fullest, a few steps must be taken. First, be sure to include as much relevant information possible on the products or services that your business provides. This will help Google determine relevance for any given query. Additionally, you need to verify all contact information — such as your website, e-mail, hours of operation, address and phone number — is up-to-date. This will help to establish authority as well as ensure your business is listed correctly in Google Maps. It is also helpful to claim a customer URL to make your page easier to find.
It is imperative to include relevant categories to your business so your listing will be displayed accordingly. The more you select the better. Just make sure that all of your choices are compatible with your business, otherwise, it will do more harm than good. Lastly, be sure to include high-quality images for your business; visuals are becoming quite powerful in the world of SEO too.

2. Be Responsive
A mobile responsive design has become a pivotal factor to SEO overall — Google’s algorithm updates see to it that websites that are not mobile-friendly are penalized accordingly. It has been stated time and time again: if your site is not optimized for mobile interactions, you are missing out on massive amounts of opportunity; especially with mobile-only Internet users surpassing desktop-only users. Sites like MobileTest.me can help you see if your website renders properly or is still in need of some work. If you are a bit unclear on the core tenants of responsive designs, there is a plethora of information available online to help get your site in the mobile game.

3. Acquire Local Citations
Gaining citations is a critical factor to local SEO. To help build authority, get your website listed on as many reputable directory or local citation sites like Yelp and Zagat as possible; here is a list of 50 to help save some time hunting these down. This list is only a sliver of such sites on the Web, so be sure to put in the leg work to gain additional listings. The more trustworthy citations you have pointing toward your site, the more authority you will gain. Additionally, tools like Synup, which is local-SEO focused, can help you accomplish this task in no time.

4. Build Online Reviews
Online reviews have become so powerful, they can truly make or break a business. When it comes to your reviews, this will largely determine how much new business you will receive because 88 percent of consumers read reviews to determine the quality of a local business; and with these critiques appearing on Yelp, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, and tons of other sites, you had better be sure that yours look great.

The most beneficial thing you can do in this area is to be proactive about the reviews you have. Engage with those who have left comments about your business to show the community that you pay attention and care about their experience. If you come across a negative posting, it is especially important to respond to these folks. By offering superior customer service, you can turn that unfortunate evaluation into a positive encounter.

To help earn reviews from customers, you can always remind your patrons to provide feedback on Google, which is actually encouraged by the search engine. You can also promote in-store offers in exchange for an honest evaluation on one of your pages.

5. Create Stellar Content
No matter how you look at it, outstanding content is the cornerstone of SEO. This will help drive visitors to your page, support your keyword strategy, and ultimately boost rankings and visibility. If you fail to incorporate content into your SEO blueprint, you are simply giving you competitors an opening to take cash out of your pocket.

Create and share valuable content about your services, niche and local community through your blog, social profiles, and wherever else you can get it posted.
Local SEO can be a challenging undertaking, but all of the information and tools you need are at your disposal. Take the time to optimize your Google pages, social profiles, and mobile website, and your business will be poised for a bountiful 2016.

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