Google's Video Verification is THE WORST 🤢

Well, did you know you might be able to skip it?

Here are my theories on how you may be able to sidestep the dreaded Video Verification process 🧵

#localseo #seo To increase the chances that you'll get email verification or even the rare and magical instant verification, try the following before verifying:

I was recently asked how to make an awesome multi-location landing page.

Here's my answer, and my take on how to make great location pages that RANK 🧵 If your business has multiple locations, you need a dedicated location page for every one of them.

The goal of these pages for a multi-location business is to differentiate them from the other location pages on your site AND the location pages of your competition.

Removing negative reviews is difficult, but you can make the most of them by responding properly. Here's how:

1️⃣ Empathize with the customer.

2️⃣ Thank the customer for their feedback.

3️⃣ Take the convo offline & offer a solution.

Let's take a closer look 🧵

#seo #localseo 1️⃣ Take a moment to say sorry.

It is important to empathize and let your customers know that you genuinely care about their experiences.

Remember, you're not only writing this response for the person that left the review, but also for potential customers reading your reviews.

The master of link building @joncooperatx just dropped a clinic on how to get awesome local links 👀

Here are the main takeaways from his article 🧵

#localseo #seo #linkbuilding #links 1. Find out who's dominating your industry in the big cities.

Businesses that rank well organically in big cities are great to study because they have a LOT of competition.

Therefore, they have good links for you to analyze and learn from.

The call data in your GBP Performance section is wrong.

Google only records calls when people tap the call button on mobile. Desktop calls aren't captured.

Solve this problem by using a call tracking number on your GBP.

Here's what you need to know 🧵

#localseo #seo A call tracking number is a unique phone number that you can use on your GBP (or on any marketing campaigns).

It lets you see various metrics:
🔸 source (GBP, Ads, website, etc.)
🔸 caller's location
🔸 time of the call
🔸 duration of the call

Everyone knows that title tags are important for SEO, but I still see so many people doing them wrong.

Here are my tips for crafting the perfect title tag for local SEO 🧵

One of them is particularly controversial 🧐

#localseo #seo Just in case you're not sure, title tags are the blue, clickable links that appear in the search results.

They are not the same as your headings. They are defined in the HTML source code of your website.

Most website platforms allow you to edit them for SEO.

Google doesn't let you add or change the social media links on your Google Business Profile, but there are some sneaky ways to make it happen.

Here's how to do it 🧵

#localseo #seo 1. Add your socials to your website 🌐

The number one place that Google looks to make these connections is your website, so place the links in either the header or the footer.

🔥Tip: If you're linking with icons, add descriptive text to the alt attribute of the image ⬇️

Here's an incredibly powerful local SEO strategy that can get you local rankings around your entire city for your most valuable keyword 💥

It's a major competitive advantage because hardly anyone is doing this.

I'll break it down for you 🧵

#localseo #seo I found a business that was ranking very well for "Invisalign" in a wide radius (see map in previous tweet), even though their Google Business Profile was hot garbage.

🔸 No reviews
🔸 Wrong primary category
🔸 No additional categories
🔸 No services
🔸 No keywords in biz name

Many people think that citations are not important for local SEO anymore. They're wrong.

Here's how citations can increase your online visibility and bring you more business 🧵

#localseo #seo It's hard to measure the value of citations because:

🔸Citations take anywhere from 1 week to 1 year to get reviewed & go live
🔸Google can take 6-12 months to identify & index citations
🔸Other SEO work is done during this time, so it's hard to tell which gains come from where.

"Quantity of Reviews on Industry-Specific Sites" is a powerful but often overlooked factor from the 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors.

Here's why it deserves your attention and how to action it 🧵

#localseo #seo Industry-specific sites often rank well for your primary keywords, so being prominent on them and having good reviews on them can drive direct leads.

@w2scott famously called this "Barnacle SEO".

People stuff keywords in all the wrong places 🤦

Here are 6 places where adding keywords can help your local rankings...

... and 5 places where it will not 🧵

h/t @keyserholiday for this glorious example

#localseo #seo ✅ Keywords in the following sections DO impact rankings:

1. GBP Business Name ™️

Though it's against the rules to use anything other than your official business name, Google rarely suspends businesses that do 🙄

This is the most powerful GBP section you can add keywords to.

I tested adding predefined services to my Google Business Profile, and WOW!

You will not believe these ranking results!

This is a 1 minute SEO tweak.

Here's what I did and what you can do too... 🧵

#localseo #seo 🧪 I made sure this SEO test was CLEAN.

🔸 Website not updated in past 6 years, had a 1-sentence homepage, and had no other pages
🔸 No new reviews in 6 years
🔸 No new links
🔸 No updates to GBP

Thus, the ONLY variable in my test were the predefined services.

The Q&A section of your Google Business Profile is more powerful than you realize.

Here's how to turn your Q&A section into a high-value, conversion-driving powerhouse. 🧵

#localseo #seo Sadly, the Q&A section gets neglected by most businesses, but it’s a huge opportunity to drive leads and conversions.

You don't want it to look like the top example. You want it to look like the bottom.

🚨 Big news in local SEO: the Services section of your Google Business Profile now impacts your rankings 🤯

New research from @SterlingSkyInc shows that selecting Google's predefined services can improve rankings.

Here's how to make the most of GBP Services 🧵

#localseo #seo Until now, services have NOT been a ranking factor ❌

In fact, they were the #4 local SEO myth in the 2021 Local Search Ranking Factors survey.

But, Services were still valuable because they drove more conversions and they triggered eye-catching justifications 👀

❓ Is Google not approving your images even though they follow the guidelines?

Here are 6 reasons why Google might reject your photos and how to fix the problem. 🧵

These tips are from @mblumenthal's helpful comments in the Google Business Profile help forum.

#localseo #seo 1. Google has a bug where photos show as rejected, but if you wait 24-48 hours, they actually publish. 🤦🏻‍♂️

So, as @mblumenthal likes to say, “drink 4 beers and come back on Monday.” It’s likely that the issue will fix itself.

Most businesses are doing Google Posts WRONG ❌

They treat their Google Business Profile like a social media profile, but it is NOT social media.

Here's how to write Google Posts that drive clicks, conversions, and SALES 🧵

#seo #localseo Google Posts are different from social media.

People on social media want to be entertained, learn new things, or see what's happening with their friends. They generally are NOT looking to buy things.

In contrast, people visiting your GBP are actively looking to BUY.

GBP Justifications. What are they? Why are they important? How do you get them?

The incredible @clairecarlile spoke about Justifications at the @whitespark 2021 Local Search Summit, where she shared a ton of useful knowledge. Here's what you need to know 🧵

#localseo #seo What is a Justification?

A local Justification is an extra snippet of text that Google displays on Google Business Profiles in the Local Pack, Local Finder and Google Maps.

It signals to the searcher that a feature of the business SPECIFICALLY matches their search.

Add videos to your Google Business Profile, and you will capture searchers’ attention, increase engagement on your Profile, and drive more business. 🚀

They now play automatically when scrolling the Maps app!

Here are 7 ideas for your next GBP video 🧵

#seo #localseo 1. Why choose your company?

Get on camera! Showing the face(s) behind your company is a powerful tactic to help prospective customers connect with your businesses and choose it over another.

Businesses with photos on their GBP get 42% more requests for directions than those without. Photos = conversions.

Additionally, Google’s AI can analyze photos and use this information to influence rankings.

Here are 7 essential photos every profile needs 🧵

#seo #localseo 1. Brand identity images

People like familiar brands. Even if your brand is not yet recognizable, your GBP is the perfect place to start building that brand identity.

Make your business stand out by using a strong logo badge and cover image (don't you DARE use stock photos).