Case Study: Continuous GBP Management Pays Off

last week's local SEO highlights

June 26, 2024

People really loved some of my social posts last week! Here are the best ones in case you missed them 👇️

1. Why investing time and effort in active Google Business Profile management always pays off

This client has been with Whitespark for over a year, and we manage 4 of their Profiles. Compared to the previous year, we have seen a substantial increase in Local Search Actions across all Profiles:

  • 81% increase in Phone Calls

  • 51% increase in Total Actions

  • 50% increase in Website Clicks

  • 26% increase in Direction Requests

Those numbers are a direct result of actively keeping their Google Business Profiles managed and optimized.

Here’s how we achieved these results:

  1. We kept publishing weekly Google Posts with fresh content on the client’s Profiles.

  2. We uploaded new photos and videos regularly.

  3. We worked with the client on a review strategy to keep the reviews coming in.

  4. We responded to all new reviews promptly.

  5. We seeded their Q&A and continued to add questions as they came up.

  6. We monitored for changes to the Profiles and dealt with them immediately (thanks to our GBP Management software).

  7. We regularly scanned for and reported spammy Profiles that were unfairly ranking ahead of our client.

Here’s why this works:

When you actively manage your Google Business Profile, this sends the right signals to Google in two ways:

  1. It shows that your business cares about keeping your Profile up to date, which sets you apart from the 90% of your competitors that neglect this.

  2. Fresh and engaging content on your GBP encourages user interaction (we now know this for sure thanks to the recent Google algorithm leak). When people spend more time on your Profile clicking on things, that tells Google this is a result that people like, so your chance of ranking higher increases.

💡 Takeaway: Do not set and forget your Google Business Profile. Active management pays off big time!

People asked a lot of clarifying questions on this one. See my answers on LinkedIn!

2. This new scam will destroy your local rankings 👇

If someone moves your map pin, you’ll lose all your rankings in your actual location.

Google lets anyone move your pin (I know, WTF?). And if you try to move it back, GOOGLE MAY SUSPEND YOUR GBP (WTFx10!)

We've developed a solution 👇️

3. Why you should embed videos on your key landing pages

Thanks to the Google leak, we now know that user engagement signals like time-on-page can positively impact your rankings. Video embeds can also improve your conversions because they:

  • Tell stories about your work and why people should hire you

  • Provide engaging content for visitors

But it also matters which video hosting platform you use. It’s best to use YouTube (sorry Vimeo and Wistia). Click on the graph below to learn about the research behind this 👇️

Keep reading on LinkedIn and Twitter!

4. NEW: QR codes on Google Business Profiles

Google is testing QR codes on Google Business Profiles in Google Maps. They seem to be a replacement for the old “Send to phone” button.

Scroll through this carousel to learn more 👇️

See the full post on Instagram.

5. SEO conferences are not what they used to be

But there is one conference in particular that’s “not like other girls”.

More info here 👇️

@darrenshawseo

THIS is a new and improved approach to marketing conferences. SEO conferences are not what they used to be for me. I still love them, but ... See more

Don’t miss out on next week’s hot local SEO goss by following me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok!

Darren

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🤑 Refer to Whitespark and earn big!