GOOGLE MY BUSINESS SEO 2023 - The Fastest Way to Rank N#1 on Google Maps

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to ranking high on Google Maps using Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business. It emphasizes the importance of optimizing your primary business category, leveraging the power of keywords in your business name, and gathering positive reviews. The script also highlights the impact of local backlinks and the use of the GMB Everywhere extension for competitive analysis. By following these SEO tactics, viewers can boost their visibility and potentially rank first on Google Maps.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Google My Business has rebranded to Google Business Profile, but the old name is still commonly used in searches.
• 📈 The video's title uses 'Google My Business' to leverage higher search volumes and improve YouTube ranking.
• 📝 Local SEO advice varies, but the script emphasizes tactics backed by the annual Search Ranking Factor Report.
• 🛠️ The GMB Everywhere Google Chrome extension is recommended for gaining insights on competitors' Google Business listings.
• 🏆 The primary business category is the top factor influencing Google Maps ranking and should align with your page content.
• 🔑 Choosing the right primary category can affect search visibility; use GMB Everywhere to spy on competitors' categories.
• 📝 Secondary categories also influence rankings and should be considered for addition to your listing.
• 📖 Ensure your business name includes targeted keywords, but adhere to Google's guidelines to avoid penalties.
• 💬 Google reviews are crucial for reputation and ranking, influencing the overall rating, keyword inclusion, and review volume.
• ✉️ Encourage customers to leave reviews with relevant keywords and provide a direct link for ease of access.
• 🤝 Engage with the local community to acquire local backlinks, which are beneficial for Google Maps ranking.
• 📊 Regularly check your ranking progress using tools like GMB Everywhere's 'Teleport' feature or other SEO tools.

Q & A

What is the current name of Google My Business?

Google My Business has changed its name to Google Business Profile.

Why is the term 'Google My Business' still used in the video title despite the name change?

The term is used because more people search for 'Google My Business' than 'Google Business Profile,' which helps the video rank higher on YouTube.

What is the significance of the title in SEO for YouTube videos?

The title of a video is a crucial ranking factor on YouTube, influencing how well the video appears in search results.

What is the recommended Google Chrome extension for improving Google Business Profile SEO?

The recommended extension is called 'GMB Everywhere,' which provides valuable information about competitors.

How does GMB Everywhere help in improving Google Business Profile rankings?

GMB Everywhere overlays information on all the listings in Google Maps search results, helping you understand what factors contribute to their rankings.

What are the top 20 local ranking factors mentioned in the script?

The script does not detail all 20 factors but emphasizes the importance of the primary business category, business name, and reviews.

Why is the primary business category the most influential factor in Google Maps rankings?

The primary business category is crucial because it determines how Google categorizes and ranks your listing in search results.

How can you determine the best primary business category for your listing?

You can use keyword research and the GMB Everywhere extension to spy on competitors and see which categories they use, especially the primary ones.

What role does the business name play in Google Maps SEO?

The business name is a significant ranking factor, and including targeted keywords in the name can help improve rankings.

Why are customer reviews important for Google Maps rankings?

Reviews are important because they contribute to the overall reputation of a business and are a key factor in how well a business listing ranks on Google Maps.

How can you encourage customers to leave reviews with relevant keywords?

You can contact customers and ask for reviews, providing a direct link to your listing and subtly suggesting they include relevant keywords in their reviews.

What is the importance of local backlinks in Google Maps SEO?

Local backlinks from relevant local websites signal to Google that your business is an important part of the community, which can improve your listing's ranking.

How can you use the GMB Everywhere extension to check your competitors' reviews and keywords?

You can use the GMB Everywhere extension to run a review audit on a listing, which shows the keywords used by customers and the overall strategy used by competitors.

What new functionality has GMB Everywhere launched to help with SEO?

GMB Everywhere has launched a feature called 'Teleport,' which simulates a search from a nearby location to check your listing's ranking for a specific keyword.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Google Business Profile SEO Basics

The video script introduces the change from Google My Business to Google Business Profile and emphasizes the importance of SEO for high rankings on Google Maps. It mentions the use of the term 'Google My Business' in the video title for better search engine optimization (SEO). The speaker highlights the pitfalls of self-proclaimed local SEO experts and instead recommends relying on the annual Search Ranking Factor Report for proven tactics. The script introduces a Google Chrome extension called 'GMB Everywhere' for competitive analysis and discusses the significance of the primary business category for local SEO, suggesting the use of keyword research and competitor analysis to make an informed choice.

05:02

🔍 Leveraging Business Name and Reviews for SEO

This paragraph delves into the impact of a business's name on its Google Maps ranking, suggesting that incorporating targeted keywords into the business name can significantly boost rankings. It warns against violating Google's guidelines by including unnecessary information. The paragraph also underscores the importance of customer reviews, which are a critical factor in local SEO. The speaker advises businesses to actively solicit reviews with relevant keywords and provide a direct link to make the process easier for customers. Additionally, the use of the 'GMB Everywhere' extension is suggested for conducting a review audit to understand competitors' strategies and the keywords used by their customers.

10:02

🌐 The Power of Local Backlinks for Google Maps Ranking

The final paragraph of the script discusses the role of backlinks in improving a business's ranking on Google Maps. It explains that local backlinks, such as those from community websites, bloggers, and local institutions, are particularly influential. The speaker encourages businesses to engage with their local community to acquire these valuable links. The paragraph also introduces a new feature of the 'GMB Everywhere' extension called 'Teleport,' which allows businesses to simulate searches from different locations to check their rankings. The script concludes with a recommendation to regularly monitor progress using tools like 'Bright Local' and ends with a prompt for viewers to like the video and stay tuned for more marketing insights.

Keywords

💡Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business, is the platform businesses use to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. This change in name is crucial for local SEO, as understanding and utilizing the correct terminology ensures businesses can optimize their listings effectively.

💡SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which involves enhancing a website's visibility in search engine results. In the video, SEO is discussed in the context of optimizing a Google Business Profile to rank higher on Google Maps, highlighting the importance of keywords and business categories.

💡Primary Business Category

The Primary Business Category is the main classification that defines a business on Google Maps. Choosing the correct category is vital as it influences the ranking of the business. For example, a nail salon should consider whether 'Beauty Salon' or 'Nail Salon' as the primary category will yield better search results.

💡GMB Everywhere

GMB Everywhere is a Google Chrome extension that provides valuable insights into competitors' Google Business Profiles. This tool overlays information on listings in Google Maps search results, helping businesses identify and adopt effective strategies to improve their own rankings.

💡Local Ranking Factors

Local Ranking Factors are the criteria Google uses to determine the placement of businesses in Google Maps search results. The video highlights 20 key factors, with an emphasis on those that can quickly and efficiently boost a business's ranking, such as primary business categories and customer reviews.

💡Keyword Research

Keyword Research involves identifying the most relevant and frequently searched terms related to a business. In the video, this process helps determine the best primary business category by comparing the search volume and competition for terms like 'Beauty Salon' versus 'Nail Salon.'

💡Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews are critical feedback left by clients about their experiences with a business. These reviews influence a business’s ranking on Google Maps and serve as a trust signal to potential customers. Positive reviews with relevant keywords can significantly boost a business’s visibility.

💡Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to a business’s website. These are important for SEO as they signal to Google that the business is reputable and relevant. Local backlinks from community sites, like a local chamber of commerce, can enhance a business’s Google Maps ranking.

💡Local Community Engagement

Local Community Engagement refers to a business's active involvement with its local area, such as partnerships with local websites and organizations. This engagement can generate valuable local backlinks, improving the business's relevance and ranking in Google Maps.

💡Teleport Functionality

Teleport Functionality is a feature in the GMB Everywhere extension that simulates searches from specific locations. This helps businesses understand how their listings rank in different areas, providing insights for targeted local SEO strategies to improve visibility in specific regions.

Highlights

Google My Business has been rebranded to Google Business Profile.

The importance of using the term 'Google My Business' in video titles for SEO purposes.

The prevalence of misleading advice from self-proclaimed local SEO experts.

The use of the annual Search Ranking Factor Report as a reliable source for local SEO tactics.

Introduction of the Google Chrome extension 'GMB Everywhere' for competitive analysis.

The significance of the primary business category in Google Maps ranking.

The strategy of choosing the right business category based on keyword research.

Utilizing the GMB Everywhere extension to spy on competitors' categories.

The impact of secondary business categories on local ranking factors.

Aligning the primary business category with the linked page's content.

The role of the business name in Google Maps ranking and the potential for keyword inclusion.

The caution against violating Google's guidelines with business name modifications.

The critical role of customer reviews in business reputation and Google Maps ranking.

Strategies for collecting positive reviews with relevant keywords.

The importance of responding to reviews to improve customer engagement and SEO.

The value of local backlinks in improving Google Maps ranking.

Engaging with the local community to acquire valuable local backlinks.

The use of the 'Teleport' feature in GMB Everywhere for checking search rankings from different locations.

Recommendation to monitor results regularly for effective SEO strategy adjustment.

Transcripts

first things first unless you didn't

know google my business changed its name

a few months ago and it's now called

google business profile the only reason

i use the term google my business in the

title of this video is because the

number of people searching for google my

business seo is way higher than the

number of people using google business

profile seo since the title of a video

is a very important ranking factor on

youtube it was a much wiser choice if i

wanted my video to rank high and attract

more viewers and this is your very first

seo lesson if you want to rank high on

google maps it's important you

understand what truly works sadly the

internet is not short of self-proclaimed

local seo experts saying they know what

works but provide poor advice and

so-called shortcuts that will likely

result in a total waste of your time and

disappointment the google business

profile seo tactics i'm going to share

with you today have been researched

tried and tested across hundreds of

google business listings by the top

experts in local search who share their

findings in the annual search ranking

factor report

this is the bible for anyone wanting to

rank number one on google maps which i

have been using year after year to

consistently get my clients into the

google maps top spots using this report

along with a simple google chrome

extension i'm going to show you the

fastest way to rank your own google

business profile number one on google

maps if you're ready let's get going

with our first step

for efficiency purposes and to speed up

the process i recommend you install a

google chrome extension called gmb

everywhere gmb everywhere is a simple

tool you can add to your google chrome

browser that will provide valuable

information about your competitors which

you can use to your advantage

to download the extension click on the

link in the description below once

you've downloaded the extension go to

google maps when conducting a search gmp

everywhere will overlay information on

all the listings in the results

we'll be using this information to help

boost your rankings more on this in just

a few seconds

before let's look at the local ranking

factor report to see what matters the

most

as you can see from the report they are

really only 20 local ranking factors you

should consider if you want to increase

your position on google maps rapidly

since this video is all about helping

you rank as fast as possible we're going

to go through the ones that will have

the biggest impact in a shortest period

of time with minimum effort starting

with your primary business category

your primary business category is the

number one influential factor google

will take into consideration when

ranking your listing in google maps

results

although choosing the right business

category may seem to be a

straightforward exercise at first it may

not be as simple as you think

let's say you run a nail and beauty

salon like this business should you

choose beauty salon or nail salon as a

primary category since both options are

available

this listing's information shows they've

picked beauty salon as a primary

category but when i do some keyword

research it would appear that nail salon

could be a much better option it has

more monthly searches and is nowhere

near as hard to rank for

if you're not sure which primary

category you should choose spy on your

competitors using the gmb everywhere

extension search for a keyword you want

to rank for then look at the categories

your competitors are using which will be

highlighted here

the primary one is the one with a star

next to it the other categories listed

are secondary categories which gmb

everywhere will also reveal

if some of them are relevant to your

business i would suggest you add them to

your listing too since secondary

categories are listed as the fifth most

influential factor in a local ranking

factor report finally whichever primary

category you decide to choose make sure

it is in line with the content of the

page your listing links to

for example if you're a dentist and deal

mainly with dental implants pick dental

implants as a primary category and make

the content of your page about dental

implants specifically the title and the

header of the page which are

respectively factors 11 and 20 on the

list of the report

to change or add categories to your

listing sign into the google account

associated with your business profile

search for your business name click on

edit profile then on business

information you should see a section

called business category click on the

pencil icon to edit it

let's move on to the next ranking factor

i've mentioned this time and time again

in previous videos your business name

plays a significant part in the ranking

of your listing on google maps as it

stands it is number two on the most

influential ranking factor in the report

having the keywords you are targeting in

your business name will help you a great

deal to rank very high and very fast in

google maps for those keywords i was

able to rank listing number one in less

than 96 hours using this technique many

business owners are aware of it and

that's why it's not unusual to see

listings that have very similar names in

search results you can use this to your

advantage as long as you can

legitimately add keywords to your

business name word of caution google's

guidelines are very clear on this topic

including unnecessary information in

your business name is not permitted your

name should reflect your business's real

world name or your listing could end up

being suspended as a result but if done

carefully you can get away with it like

in this example for this business called

michigan auto law who use their strap

line in their business name auto

accident attorneys which i'm sure is

giving them a ranking advantage moving

on to the next tactic

if you're looking for a local business

on google maps what is the very first

thing you will be checking before

calling them reviews of course

a business lives or dies based on its

reputation this is the primary reason

why you must collect positive reviews

from your customers in the first place

the other critical reason is that google

reviews play a key part in how well your

business listing ranks on google maps if

i switch back to the local ranking

factor report you can see how

influential overall reviews play as they

are mentioned in three instances

first review ratings getting positive

reviews will give you a clear advantage

second if customers include relevant

keywords you are targeting in their

reviews it will also help you rank for

those words

third the number of reviews you are

getting is also important to capitalize

on reviews here is what i recommend you

do contact every customer you do

business with and ask them for a review

this is recommended by google by the way

so don't feel like you are begging

send your customers an email that will

encourage them to include relevant

keywords in their reviews i have put

together a template you can use to do

this in a very subtle way which is

downloadable from the description below

when you send your review requests make

sure you include a direct link to your

listing review pop-up so it makes it

easier for your customer to provide

feedback

to get the appropriate link sign in to

the google account associated with your

listing

search for your business name

click on the customer button and then on

reviews then click on get more reviews

copy the link and add it to the email

template you have downloaded then send

it to your customers make sure you

respond to all reviews positive and

negative and make them personal avoid

copied and pasted answers ideally you

want to outdo your competitors to get

the best chances of ranking above them

to check how well they are doing go to

google maps search for their listing and

use the gmb everywhere extension to run

a review audit on a listing

this will show you if they are

aggressively using reviews as a strategy

and what keywords their customers are

using to describe their services which i

think is pretty awesome

use this information to adapt your own

strategy gmb everywhere will allow you

to run five free audits a month

let's move on to our next point

ever since its creation google has

always used links to rank websites in

search results let's say you run a local

cafe for which you created a website and

one of your blogger friends wrote an

article on his blog in which he included

a link that points to your website this

would be considered as one backlink

since google uses backlinks as a strong

ranking signal the more backlinks your

website gets the higher it will rank

when it comes to ranking on google maps

the backlinks that will matter the most

are local backlinks that point to your

website for example links from your

local chamber of commerce websites local

bloggers

your local church or school website and

so on these links will clearly show

google your business is an important

part of the local community since there

is a strong correlation between your

google listing ranking on google maps

and the website it links to the more

local links you will get pointing to

your website the more relevant your

listing will become therefore the higher

it will rank the quickest way to get

local links is to engage with your local

community and ask website owners at

every opportunity if they'd be willing

to add a link on their website that

points to yours this will make a huge

difference to your listing visibility on

google maps as it stands at number eight

and 18 in the local ranking factor

report based on my experience i feel

confident these key recommendations are

the fastest route to rank number one on

google maps i also believe that most of

your competitors will not take the time

or be willing to do the work making your

life even easier to reach the top spot

on google maps the last thing i'd

recommend is to check your results

regularly to see if your efforts are

paying off gmb everywhere has just

launched a brand new functionality

called teleport which simulates a search

from a nearby location

all you need to do is bring up your

listing on google maps click on the

teleport option type the keyword you

want to check ranking for then click on

the location of the map where you want

to check if your listing ranks then

click on teleport me there

it will show where your listing ranks on

the maps when someone searches for this

keyword at that precise spot and who is

ranking above you

alternatively you can use more

sophisticated tools such as write local

which will measure your progress over

time and how far your business listing

reaches on google maps if you're

interested in finding out more

information about bright local and other

tools i suggest you watch the video

coming up next

please don't forget to like the video

and until next time happy marketing

[Music]

you