Answering a common GBP verification question

and more local SEO content from last week

October 01, 2024

Hello!

Here’s some local SEO content you might have missed 👇️

1. How text on your GBP photos might help you rank

Before you panic — no, I’m not suggesting you add keywords to the file name/metadata of your images. This is a common local SEO myth and has been disproven a thousand times.

Scroll through this carousel to learn what you need to do instead 👇️ 

Or click here to see it on LinkedIn.

2. How to stop scammers from messing with your GBP

Your Google Business Profile belongs to Google. Unfortunately, Google lets anyone make changes to your business information.

This approach gets abused by scammers who are set on ruining your business’s rankings and conversions, which is why it’s vital to protect your Profile against them.

Last week’s Whitespark article from Miriam Ellis explains the ways scammers can mess with your GBP and shares useful tactics and tools for keeping your Profile safe.

Read it here 👇️

3. How to complete your GBP video verification if you’re on the 31st floor

Spoiler: You don’t have to run 🏃

Google Business Profile Product Expert Sam Knight suggested that Google just needs to verify your location, which doesn’t automatically mean you need to start your verification video from the street in front of your office.

He says that if there are other businesses on the same floor that are listed on Google, you could start your verification from there.

Showing neighboring businesses that are visible on Google Maps can verify your location to Google in the same way a street pan does.

Learn about this whole verification process in this carousel 👇️

Or find it on Instagram.

4. A seasonal reminder to update your Google Business Profile

Four GBP considerations as the seasons change:

  1. Does it make sense to change your primary category? The classic example is in HVAC where they switch between air conditioning repair and furnace repair (because nobody is Googling “HVAC contractor”).

  2. Do your hours change seasonally? Update them!

  3. Do you have any special hours coming up? Thanksgiving, extended hours for Black Friday, Boxing day, etc. Add them to your GBP!

  4. Is your business seasonal (lawn cutting in Canada for example)? Mark your business as Temporarily Closed for the season.

So, go get yourself a pumpkin spice latte and update your GBP!

Btw, I post about local SEO on Facebook, too. Click here to see this post on Facebook.

5. How to report your competitors for spammy GBP names

Here's what you need to do if your competitor is spamming their Google Business Profile name ⬇️

@darrenshawseo

Here's what you need to do if your competitor is spamming their Google Business Profile name. #seo #localseo #googlebusinessprofile #googl... See more

As per usual, follow me on LinkedIn, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok so you don’t miss out on the daily local SEO action.

Darren

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