I get asked a lot about how and why Google does what it does when it comes to local search rankings and showing on the map. Business people want to know what’s happening and what they can do about it.

While I don’t work for Google, I do study this stuff quite a bit. In the end, Google bases its local search rankings on the activity that businesses do, or don’t do, online. In this blog, we’ll discuss some of the things Google is looking for and how it is really grading us all, much like a teacher might grade a student.

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Getting Stars

When I was in elementary school, I had teachers that would recognize good work by sticking a gold star at the top of a homework assignment, quiz or test. If you did something exceptionally well, you might get two stars!

But there was power in that little, sticky star. When you saw it, you instantly knew that you had done a good job. More importantly, you also recognized that the gold star would be recorded in a grade book. If you got enough gold stars, you’d get rewarded with an “A” for the subject.

It’s the perfect analogy for how Google “grades” businesses. The search giant is looking for organizations to do certain behaviors online. When Google recognizes that a business did that action well, it records it with a metaphoric “gold star.” When you do most of or all the things Google is looking for, your stars are added up and you can be rewarded not with an ”A,” but with better search rankings.

So, what exactly is Google looking for businesses to do?

What Does Google Want?

Google listens for over 20 different signals that are generated by businesses when they perform certain behaviors online. These range from some very common things such as making social media posts, to some not-so-common items like ensuring your data is consistent around the internet.

Looking for businesses to do these actions is not just a random expectation on the search giant’s part. There is a reason Google looks for these things and it relates to credibility. Google wants to recommend, or show, businesses and organizations that are real and credible. It wants to offer good results to searchers so they keep returning to use the search engine.

Google, then, deems the companies that do these activities as being credible, and rewards them with better local search rankings.

4 Things to Make an Impact

While Google does listen for over 20 different signals, there are a few things you can start doing in the short term that will help make a difference in your Local Search rankings.

    Reviews

Having a high star-rating and good reviews positively impacts your local search rankings. If Google wants proof that you are a credible business, there is no better proof than your reviews. Since you are looking to rank higher on the Google platform, only Google reviews play a role here.

It’s not just having good reviews, either. It’s also about having current reviews. Google wants to see that you add reviews on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb is if you see 15 to 20 new clients each week, try to get 1 new review.

When you get those reviews, make sure you respond to them in a positive way, as well. Yes, you should even respond to the negative ones. In that situation, a good response might be, “I’m sorry to read that you had a bad experience. Let’s take this offline and see if we can correct it.”

Once you’ve made the customer happy, you can ask for the review to be changed.

    Blogging

Finally, and this requirement has been around for over a decade, the search giant wants to see long-form content on your site, or blogs. Because of recent updates to the search algorithm, Google wants to see helpful content that is written for humans, by humans. A.I. generated content does not meet this standard and your site will probably be penalized for having it.

    Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is the home of a company on that platform. Also known as a Knowledge Panel, it exists to feed Google information about that business. It’s a place where you can identify 17 different pieces of information about the organization.

When you fill out your GBP fully, and post Updates and photos to it regularly, Google will give you “gold stars” for your efforts.

    Social Media

Another way to earn “stars” is to post to your social media accounts regularly. At a minimum, small businesses should be posting once per week. When you post, talk about some aspect of your business and include a link back to your website.

Being relevant, frequent and consistent with your social media will get you a “gold star.”

Other Factors

Managing your reviews, business information, GBP and posting on social media are all tasks that businesses with a marketing person or team could handle in-house. But if you want to appear in the local search rankings, you need to earn your “stars.” There are other factors you need to do. But because of their complexity, you may need outside help to do them.

    Your Business Information on Directory Sites

Another factor that Google considers is how your business information appears in 60 or more directory sites around the internet. These are sites such as Facebook, ChamberofCommerce.com or Citysearch. They have large databases full of businesses. When the name, address, phone number and website of a business are the same across all these sites, Google sees this as a sign of credibility.

    Paid Advertising

The search giant wants to see that you are a viable, credible business and such businesses advertise. Specifically, and because it is a business itself, Google wants you to advertise on its platform. It is also listening for signals that indicate you are running ads on your social media channels, as well.

        Optimized Website

Google also expects certain things from your website, such as having mobile-first landing pages. To help you show in local search rankings, be sure to include your community or city in the page’s title tag and make use of distinct keywords on each of your pages.

Final Thoughts on Local Search Rankings

Showing as one of the top three businesses in the local search rankings isn’t automatic. Especially if you are in an area where you have a high number of competitors. But working on the factors above will begin to get Google’s attention and more importantly, earn you some “stars” with the search giant.

Now, go earn yourself some “stars.”

Related Resources

Google Wants Useful Content

Optimizing Your Google Business Profile Posts for Engagement and Conversions

What Kind of Businesses Need Local SEO the Most?

How To Do Local SEO for Multiple Locations in 2024

What Are Local Directories in SEO, and How Can They Help Your Local Business?

10 Common Local Search SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Unlocking Local Search Success: Steps to Get Your Business Noticed on Google Maps

Need More Help?

Need help understanding how to get your Cincinnati business listed in Local Search? Need someone to help you earn some “stars” with Google? Just contact Signal Digital Marketing at 513-237-5530 for a free, no-obligation conversation.

You can also learn more about our Local SEO, Website SEO, Social Media and Content Creation services at our blog.