Google’s Local SEO Update – November 2019
Early this month Google made a major update to it’s Local search, which effects how people find your business via Google Maps. There are two major changes you need to be aware of and take action on.
If you have not done so already, go over and get your business registerd at Google My Business. Fill out the information to the best of your ability, all sections, all fields, provide as much information as possible.
First: Services have been expanded
For a long time Google allowed one Category to list your business under. This was tough for a lot of people because if you’re a lawyer who works in Worker’s Comp but also as a Patent Litigator, you had to pick one. Google heavily weighted your choice and you’d never come up or anything else.
That has all changed. Now you are able to add mulitple Categories for your business as well as detailed sub-categories. This is a game changer for businesses that provide multiple types of services and products. Search engine customers will have a much easier time finding you… you just need to fill out your Services section completely and thoroughly.
Second: Service Area
There has been a vast reduction in the radius in which your business will appear on Google Maps in relation to the location of your customer. Before if you were a few miles away and searched Pizza shops you’d get businesses all over the county. Now? Potential customers are only going to see results from a mile or two at most. It’s all about location of where the search was performed.
So, we need to stop relying on the business address as the sole form of location data Google uses. Under INFO, click on Service Area and start listing all the little towns and townships around you. Keep doing this until you have a reasonable service area mapped out. This way you’ll appear in searches, even if a customer is five miles away.
For the complete story, head on over to SearchEngineLand.com and see the data for yourself.