Category Archives: Local SEO

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The traditional form of Local SEO for garage door installation companies is obsolete in 2024.

Mass-producing generic service pages or city pages won’t help your business stand out on Search.

Google does not care about word count or total number of pages.

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They care primarily about one thing: E-E-A-T.

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What is E-E-A-T for Garage Door Installation Companies?

E-E-A-T is experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

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Experience: First-hand involvement in garage door installations

Expertise: Vast knowledge of the nuances of garage door installations

Authoritativeness: Respect and acknowledgment from residents and industry peers

Trustworthiness: Credible and reliable when providing garage door information

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Read Google’s Document on E-E-A-T

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How to Demonstrate E-E-A-T for Garage Door Installation Companies

To demonstrate E-E-A-T, you need a software tool called DataPins.

This software app was built for E-E-A-T.

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DataPins takes your jobs and converts them into E-E-A-T signals, including:

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• Geo-coordinates
• Schema markup
• Unique images
• Unique captions
• Mini-Maps

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DataPins allows you to showcase recent jobs with relevant digital signaling.

None of your private information is publicized; it is only information that helps market your business and showcase E-E-A-T.

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Why SEO Doesn’t Work for Garage Door Installation Businesses

SEO doesn’t work unless you rank on Google Maps and Google Search for service-based keywords.

Most blog posts about garage door installation don’t rank, and the ones that rank don’t convert.

In fact, 96.5% of blog posts get zero traffic.

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SEO strategies that rely on blog traffic don’t build businesses or drive results.

When a local garage SEO campaign fails, an over-emphasis on blogging is typically the culprit.

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Local Keywords for Garage Door Companies

A “keyword” is merely something a real person types into Google.

Keyword tools are based on obsolete data and are more of an estimate than a full-proof measurement.

That’s why Google Search Console doesn’t recognize over 50% of queries for local contractor websites.

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They are for terms that Google doesn’t have in their system, which means they are hidden or long-tail terms.

Everyone is different, just like your customers.

Don’t rely on estimated keyword volume to inform your local targeting.

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Link Building for Garage Door Installers

Backlinks have always been a point of contention in the SEO industry for various reasons.

While professionals can argue over the impact of link building, we will simply provide you with objective facts.

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First of all, most links violate Google’s guidelines.

Secondly, most links don’t work.

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Here are some link strategies that will help your SEO campaign.

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1. Submit your company to local directories.
2. Wait for people to link to your brand.

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Organic links are helpful for rankings, but they require taking a long-term view of your online presence.

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The SEO Foundation

The only essential element of SEO is to get your website crawled.

If Google cannot crawl your website, you cannot appear in search.

Luckily, Google is really good at crawling websites.

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Make sure your pages are indexed before moving on to other SEO tasks

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Google Business Profile

For local SEO, your Google Business Profile is essential.

Why? Google Business Profiles are needed to rank on Google Maps.

Google Maps is where over 50% of your traffic will come from.

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Let me cut to the chase: Create a Google Business Profile (if you haven’t already)

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Google Reviews

Another SEO essential of Google Business Profiles is Google Reviews.

Most customers will only call a business with at least ten reviews.

So start getting more Google Reviews.

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Use DataPins to send automated requests to your customers.

If somebody leaves a negative review, who cares?

The goal is to get so many reviews that a few bad ones don’t matter.

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You can always respond to a bad review (but stay professional) – as other prospective customers will read your response.

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Content Strategy is Misleading

Content for local garage door companies is really about building trust.

You cannot build trust with a boring blog post.

As we noted earlier, 96.5% of blog posts get zero traffic.

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The best way to build trust is to showcase recent jobs and reviews.

This way, visitors can see like-minded customers who’ve experienced your services first-hand.

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Local City Pages for SEO

Mass-producing city pages that proudly violate Google’s public guidelines.

The last thing the internet needs is more cookie-cutter, near-duplicate content that serves as nothing more than doorway pages to mislead visitors.

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Conversely, DataPins users show evidence of real jobs they did for real customers.

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The Purpose of Garage Door Installation Websites for SEO

In 2024, a website aims to demonstrate E-E-A-T and power your Google Maps rankings via your Google Business Profile.

Your website is not an Encyclopedia Britannica; nobody wants to read boring blog posts.

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When you show visitors that you can install their garage door, they send better user signals.

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Guide Conclusion

As a garage door installation company, you want to get new customers.

You can get new customers with E-E-A-T and a Google Business Profile.

While using old-school tactics like blogging and links is tempting, demonstrating E-E-A-T works best.

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The DataPins app allows businesses to showcase recent jobs and gather customer reviews on Google and other platforms.

By consolidating these user signals into prominent SEO information, DataPins helps your website stand out.

Call us today to learn how DataPins can power your garage door installation company.

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The traditional methods of Local SEO for Service Area Businesses have become obsolete.

SABs have been grappling with the daunting task of ranking in cities beyond their main address, a notably challenging feat on Google Maps.

Because SABs don’t have a storefront, they travel to different service areas for their jobs.

Regrettably, their challenges were exacerbated by despicable marketers who constructed 100-page websites of no value for their company.

Google doesn’t care about your blog post, backlinks, or word count.

The only thing Google cares about is a concept called E-E-A-T.

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What is E-E-A-T for Service Area Businesses?

E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

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Experience: First-hand involvement in your trade (HVAC, plumbing, etc.)

Expertise: Unique knowledge of the nuances of your trade

Authoritativeness: Credibility from residents and industry peers

Trustworthiness: Reliable information and sources

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It’s really a simple concept for SABs because it’s about building credibility as a business.

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Read Google’s Document on E-E-A-T

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How SABs Can Show E-E-A-T

Service Area Businesses can demonstrate E-E-A-T with a software tool called DataPins.

When your business uses DataPins to showcase recent work, the appropriate data is converted into pins.

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Pins consolidate the following E-E-A-T signals:

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• Geo-coordinates
• Schema markup
• Unique images
• Unique captions
• Mini-Maps

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Of course, DataPins does not use private or privileged information in pins; it only uses information that can be shared with the public.

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Ranking Outside Your Main City With Local SEO

Marketing gurus have tried every method to trick Google into ranking SABs in multiple cities.

For example, mass-producing city pages on SAB websites is a common tactic for old-school marketers.

This method violates Google’s guidelines on doorway pages.

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The tactic also doesn’t work well because the conversion rate of these pages is low, as visitors notice the spam-like qualities of the page.

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New Solution?

The most responsible way to rank cities outside of your service area is with Datapins.

Pins contain geo-coordinates from your jobs, which are then published on your website.

While you won’t outrank businesses on Google Maps with a verified address in those surrounding cities, you can overtake companies without an address.

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Best of all, you can convert website visitors with unique photos of real jobs in those areas.

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A Superior Local SEO Alternative

For most Local SEO agencies, the answer to every problem is more pages, content, links, and listings.

As you’ve probably noticed, each item comes with a price, often a monthly recurring one.

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Spending Less, Ranking More

You now have E-E-A-T prominently displayed on your website, outranking competitors with 500-page websites.

Their service page, “Central AC Repair in Evergreen, CO,” is drowned out by thousands of other websites and does not rank in Google’s Map 3-Pack.

You are ranking in both because you show E-E-A-T.

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And you are doing it at a much cheaper price.

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Local Link Building Dangers

In most cases, building local links violates Google’s guidelines on link spam.

The exceptions are nofollow links from directories and social media pages when you submit your business citation.

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1. Think about directories like Yelp, Angi, and BBB.
2. Think about social media profiles like Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin.

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These links are all safe to build for service area businesses.

However, any link that requires an “agreement,” whether for money or not, violates Google’s guidelines.

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The Problem With Large Local Websites

Large local websites won’t work well in 2024.

For example, a 500-page plumbing company website undoubtedly features spam.

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Unfortunately, the joke is on them as Google has grown more intelligent.

Google’s Helpful Content Update targets contractor websites with this kind of spam.

One-page websites demonstrating E-E-A-T are the best option for SABs in 2024.

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Local SEO Strategies That Still Work in 2024

While most Local SEO tactics are obsolete, a few remain essential.

These are Google Business Profiles (GMB) and Google Reviews.

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Google Business Profiles

Google Business Profiles remain an essential component of Local SEO.

As a service area business, Google Business Profiles can be frustrating.

However, you must create a Google Business Profile to appear on Google Maps or Google Maps 3-Pack.

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SABs tend to rank lower than listings that show their address.

You can solve this by listing your address publicly (as long as it’s an actual address with signage).

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Google Reviews

Accumulating Google Reviews also remains an essential Local SEO component in 2024.

The DataPins tool allows you to send automated review requests through text and email.

Reviews are a direct ranking factor on Google Maps and increase conversions.

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In addition, Google Reviews can be showcased on your website to convert visitors.

You might occasionally receive a negative review, but most customers expect a few bad ones.

The goal is to acquire as many legitimate reviews as possible to increase your E-E-A-T.

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Guide Conclusion

Local SEO for service area businesses can be frustrating when using old-school strategies that no longer generate leads in today’s digital landscape.

While tactics like optimizing Google Business Profiles and acquiring Google Reviews remain essential to ranking locally, most methods, such as mass-producing city pages, increasing word count, and building local links, don’t work.

The answer in 2024 is E-E-A-T, which you can demonstrate with a software app called Datapins.

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It’s no secret that Florida businesses can benefit from search engine optimization in 2024.

However, a hyper-local focus on specific cities and regions within Florida is what separates good marketing campaigns from great marketing campaigns.

At DataPins, we don’t expect you to take our word for this, which is why we will provide insightful data on the power of Local SEO for Florda-based businesses.

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Google implemented the Pigeon update in 2014. Over the past ten years, how search engine optimization tactics work has shifted.

The update allows local businesses to reach more consumers in their immediate area. However, small companies have been slow to take advantage of it.

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Business owners should reference these local SEO statistics in Florida when allocating their marketing budget.

This post aims to impress Florida business owners with the importance of local SEO and how it can benefit your bottom line. 

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1) 78% of local searches lead to purchases

According to at least one study, 78% of local searches (searches wherein the user specifies a geographic location) lead to purchases. Likewise, someone looking for a service or business near them on their computer or mobile device will purchase with that business 78% of the time. 

Local searches commonly have purchasing intent, which is why local SEO is so powerful. You are essentially putting your business in front of pre-qualified leads who are ready to purchase. All you have to do is be available to them. 

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2) Only 22% of zip code queries register search volume

Marketing agencies have long been testing and promoting various Local SEO theories to attract new clients. One long-standing claim is that inserting zip codes within an SEO title increases its performance.

Unfortunately, a study found that only 22% of zip code + service queries register any search volume in keyword research tools.

While this doesn’t tell the full story – since over half of all search queries come from hidden terms – it casts doubt on the impact of zip codes within SEO titles.

While zip codes are more of a spam-like technique, using branded digital signaling like geo-coordinates from your recent Florida-based jobs is a great way to increase the local relevance of your web pages.

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3) Local queries have increased 34 times since 2011

One of the most common phrases for local searches is “near me.” People are constantly using this phrase to find local businesses and services.

For example, someone might search for “pizza places near me” or “mechanics near me.” And according to Google, the frequency of “near me” searches has ballooned over the past few years. 

Many people use “near me” searches to find local businesses and services. You have probably done one yourself!

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4) Over 50% of “Near Me” Searchers Visit The Location

It’s all well and good to have your business visible online. But what percent of people who see your business on a local search will come in and visit your physical location?

Well, according to Florida local SEO statistics, more than 50%. So, over half of the people who find your business through a local search will visit your brick-and-mortar location. 

Getting people’s foot in the door is essential for most businesses. This statistic shows that local SEO can help. 

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5) 62% of consumers disregard businesses with no online presence

What can happen if you don’t have an online presence or don’t optimize your site for local searches? According to one survey, 62% of consumers won’t even give a business the time of day if they cannot find information online. 

The fact of the matter is that the internet is the way that people do consumer research. Suppose a consumer can’t get the answers to their questions about your business by looking it up online.

In that case, they will likely purchase with one of your local competitors. 

Essentially, if you don’t optimize your site for local searches, you aren’t going to be visible to local consumers. 

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6) 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

Part of optimizing for local searches is getting reviews for your business. Here at Datapins, we provide an accessible software suite that helps you get more reviews and leverage your existing reviews to get more leads. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The main point is that 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as in-person references. 

More than that, most consumers need to read at least one online review before making a purchase decision. Online reviews are an essential part of your off-site optimization – meaning there are ways to get more web traffic outside your website. Getting reviews and managing them will generate more leads. 

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7) 86% of consumers report using Google Maps to find local businesses

Have you ever opened up the Google Maps app and typed in a category like restaurants, malls, or gas stations? We’re going to assume you answered “yes” to that question.

We’re confident in that assumption because 86% of consumers use Google Maps to find local businesses. 

When you search for anything in Google Maps, it will show you the closest matching results. And with so many consumers using the app to perform these kinds of searches, it’s clear to see how important local SEO is.

For business owners, it’s a valuable tool that allows you to gain more leads through a service that people already use. 

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8) 46% of all Google searches include location

Google is a top global resource for information ranging from news to entertainment. However, despite its wide-ranging coverage, nearly half of all Google searches contain location information.

As a result, the number of local searches that occur on Google is revealing for Florida businesses.

When Florida consumers need services from a roofing company or HVAC contractor, they primarily go to Google to find them. Whether it’s the Local Map 3-Pack or traditional organic results, the companies ranking in these spots will generate the most business.

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How To Use These Local SEO Statistics

The statistics outlined in this post reveal how Local SEO is one of the best investments a business owner can make. Whether operating from a large city like Orlando or a smaller town like Altamonte Springs, Local SEO for Floridians can be a game-changer for your small business.

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Check out DataPins: The Map-Ranking App to automate your Florida Local SEO strategy.

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Map Pack SEO is critical for local businesses in 2024. The Map Pack appears on top of search results for most local queries, making it prime digital real estate for companies looking to generate local leads online. 

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However, most people don’t know that Map Pack SEO is based on a separate Google algorithm. Therefore, improving your position on Google Maps requires different strategies than you would use for a website.

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Here are seven tips to boost Map Pack rankings:

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1) Optimize Your Google Business Profile

The first and most important thing you must do is get listed on Google Business Profile. If you don’t, you have no chance of ranking in the Google Map Pack.

Getting set up is free, though you will have to go through a verification process, which you can get started here. 

Once you are listed, start loading up your profile with a concise description of your business, the areas you service, the services you offer, your hours of operation, and accurate contact information.

Don’t forget to include a link to your main website. 

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Bonus Tip: Stay Consistent with GBP Updates

Once you have everything set up, don’t just leave your profile idle. Instead, try to update it as often as possible. For example, if your company just started servicing a new area, add it to your profile.

In addition, people will be able to leave reviews of your business on your Google Business Profile, so be sure to respond to those reviews as much as possible. 

Keep in mind that Google loves fresh content, so keep your Business Profile up to date as much as possible. You can add Google Posts automatically using the DataPins Local SEO tool.

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2) Add Local Content to Your Website

Standard SEO overlaps with Map Pack SEO via local website content. However, to utilize this method, you must include your website URL within your Google Business Profile under the website field.

Once you’ve connected your website to your Google Business Profile, it can begin influencing your Map Pack rankings via web content.

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Bonus Tip: Connect a Local Landing Page to Your Business Listing

For example, adding a local landing page or a service page can increase your rankings on Google Maps for related queries.

This is because Google associates your website’s content with your Google Business Profile.

For example, let’s say you run a plumbing business in Akron, Ohio.

Whenever someone searches for plumbers in Akron, Google will crawl websites associated with nearby map listings, searching for plumbing-related information.

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3) Submit Citation Listings

Your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is like a digital ID for your local business. Citations help verify and disseminate that identification.

Directories like Yelp and Angi and social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn create NAP citations for your local business.

Off-page citations are any mention of your business or website anywhere other than your own website. The more of these citations you have, the more signs you have pointing to your website.

As a result, Google trusts your business listing and may rank it higher on the Map Pack.

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4) Install DataPins

DataPins is a Local SEO tool that increases Map Pack rankings with schema markup, geo-coordinates, and user-generated content.

In addition, DataPins publishes social proof on your local business website, which contributes to your Google Business Profile rankings.

The best part about DataPins is that it auto-generates local web content based on your job and location.

So once you take a photo of your job and write a short caption via the mobile app, the software does the rest by publishing the pin to the correct page.

Each time you submit a pin, another geo-coordinate and mini-map appear on one of your pages, and your Map Pack rankings have a chance to increase.

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5) Publish City Pages

City pages are another way to boost Map Pack rankings in 2024. One of the most challenging things to do is rank on Google Maps outside your primary service area.

Using local landing pages combined with DataPins, you give yourself a chance.

Let’s say you operate a roofing company in Fort Worth, Texas. Showing up on the Map Pack in Fort Worth is relatively straightforward.

However, showing up in nearby cities like Southlake and Grapevine requires publishing individual city pages.

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Bonus Tip: Ensure Unique Content for Location Pages

The key to creating successful city pages is writing unique and locally-driven content.

Unfortunately, most websites use duplicate content for their city pages and swap out the city name.

Google’s algorithm is far too sophisticated to provide you credit for duplicate content pages.

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6) Build Local Links

Local links also influence Map Pack rankings for local businesses. As a result, many companies wonder whether they should build links to their Google Business Profile or their website.

Of course, the answer is your website.

We’ve already outlined how Google can associate your website URL with your Google Business Listing. As a result, the links pointing to your website will also influence your Google Maps rankings. 

Aside from the apparent SEO benefit, building links to your website ensures that you own the digital property.

For example, if you were to build links to your profile that were suspended, those links would be rendered useless.

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7) Be Aware of Your Map Marker

The most overlooked Map Pack SEO ranking factor is your map marker. Spoiler alert, Google Maps is an actual interactive map with markers for every business listing.

Even service area businesses with hidden addresses have a map marker on Google Maps’ internal mapping system.

As a result, your physical location will directly influence your rankings.

If your office address is in a prime location of a central metropolitan area, your listing will receive many more impressions than a business located on the outskirts.

Google’s proximity ranking factor is very significant.

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Bonus Tip: Consider Moving Your Business Location

While you can’t manipulate your map marker, you always have the option to move your office to a better location.

Once you re-verify your business via postcard, Google will move your map marker to your new location. 

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8) Get More Google Reviews

Last but not least, get as many Google reviews as possible. Use a tool like DataPins to automate review requests through SMS and email reminders.

In addition, ask all of your customers personally after finishing a job. The majority of consumers will submit feedback if requested multiple times.

The number of reviews on your profile absolutely influences rankings.

For example, searching for seattle hvac company will show you that nobody with fewer than 100 reviews ranks on the Map 3-Pack.

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Bonus Tip: Respond to Reviews

While review frequency is important, always make sure the feedback is legitimate.

You will get a few negative reviews on Google as you gather more customer reviews. When you notice a negative comment, reply professionally and attempt to resolve the issue offline.

Customers will often remove the review or change it to a positive one.

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Next Steps for Map-Pack SEO

The DataPins app was designed to rank your local business in Google’s Local Map 3-Pack.

As a result, installing the software on your website will give you an immediate chance to increase your rankings.

Meanwhile, there are several things you can do to continue to expand your presence on Maps.

For example, ask your customers for reviews in person, in addition to the automated email request from the DataPins app.

You can also build partnerships with other local organizations to improve your backlink profile.

Combining DataPins with these additional steps turns your local business into a Map-Pack SEO powerhouse.

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The following post outlines how to optimize your Google My Business cover photo. Remember that Google My Bsuiness is now called Google Business Profile, but the same steps apply. Most local businesses understand the importance of an optimized Google Business Profile listing and want to take every step to enhance their profile in 2023. A strong cover photo can help achieve this.

Why are Google Business Cover Photos Important?

The quality, size, and message that your Google Business Profile cover photo sends will impact how many people click on your business profile. Google Business Profile listings appear on the local map pack. The map pack is typically the top result people see when searching for a local business, product, or service.

Steps to Optimize Your GBP Cover Photo

It’s not so much that your cover photo is crucial as it is your Google Business Profile is essential. Your GBP listing is hugely important to your search engine rankings because Google will prioritize its own services as often as possible. 

As a result, a Google Maps listing will appear on the first page of a Search Engine Result Page(s) (SERP). The Google Map Pack is the most frequently indexed SERP feature, as it appears on the first page of 30% of all SERPs. Furthermore, Map-Packs appear above regular organic listings.

Below, we outline ways to optimize your Google My Business cover photo.

Image Dimensions

First thing first: you must have a good image size for your photo. It used to be that Google would require a 16:9 aspect ratio image for your Google Business Profile cover photo. While that is not the case anymore, and they offer more leeway, they implemented that requirement for a reason: it’s a good size aspect ratio for the sizes of images displayed on GBP listings. 

If you want to know the ideal image size for your GBP cover photo, it’s 1024 x 576. While you can upload other sizes like 854 x 480, 1024 x 576 is a good size because it’s small enough not to slow down your listing loading time but not too small to be a poor resolution. 

Remember that the searcher will see only a small image when your listing comes up, so choose a good one while remembering that they can see more photos if they click through. While you will probably need to play around with the dimensions of your picture to land on the perfect size, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Load Time Affects Rankings: You never want your image to slow down your listing’s loading time. Remember that Google recommends a load time of 3 seconds or faster, so make sure your picture is not so big that it loads slowly.
• Quality Matters: You should always have an HD image as your Google My Business cover photo. Poor quality, blurry, fuzzy, or off-center images speak of unprofessionalism or carelessness. 
• Storefront Images: If you have a storefront business, it may be helpful to make your storefront your cover photo as it will quickly let people know what your storefront looks like if they are physically searching for it. 

File Format

Google also gives you a choice of which format or file type of image to upload. For example, you can choose between PNG or JPG. Here is a brief breakdown of the pros and cons of both:

• PNG: PNG images tend to be a higher resolution, but their file sizes are larger. The bigger size makes them look good but can cause them to load slowly. 
• JPG: JPG images can be compressed, so the file sizes tend to be smaller and load quicker. 

The quality of a JPG can be compromised by compression. However, by and large, they still offer an adequate resolution for a Google Business Profile cover photo, so our overall recommendation would be JPG. 

File Size

You will need to stay within the file size parameters of 10kb and 5MB, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you stay within the 480 x 270 and 2120 x 1192 resolution range.

Image Guidelines

Also, you should ensure that your Google Business Profile cover photo is devoid of filters that drastically alter the appearance of your image. Google doesn’t like business owners misrepresenting their stores, products, or services with doctored photos. 

Of course, it can be tricky to know how much photo alteration is too much, but as a general rule of thumb, you should stick to only tweaking saturation levels and brightness. 

If you go overboard with the doctoring or upload an image that doesn’t comply with Google’s requirements, they may replace your image with their own selection.

By using DataPins, you can consistently upload new unique photos to your GBP listing.

Google Maps SEO can be confusing for local businesses since it’s based on a separate algorithm from Google’s organic search results. The Google Maps algorithm uses three primary ranking factors: proximity, relevance, and prominence. In the following guide, DataPins will outline Google Maps ranking factors and showcase a Local SEO tool that can increase your rankings, impressions, and click-through rate.

Google Maps Search Engine Optimization Basics

You must take care of some basic things before you even have a chance to rank on Google Maps. For example, you must claim and verify your Google Business Profile so that Google acknowledges your business as legitimate and allows you to manage a live business listing on their platform. Let’s take a look at the Google Maps SEO basics below:

Google Business Profile

To rank on Google Maps, you need a Google Business Profile. You may know GBP by its former name (Google My Business). Setting up a Google Business Profile is easy and free if you have an actual office address.

You can verify your GBP through a postcard that Google mails to your listed address. Once verified, you can begin to optimize your listing to improve its ranking on Google Maps. 

Google Business Profile optimization is a direct ranking factor for Google Maps. So the first thing you have to do is register your business on Google. Already have a listing? Great! Here are some tips to optimize it:

• Get more Google reviews for your business
• Upload high-quality images relevant to your business
• Expand your listed service areas
• Update contact information, location listing, and business hours
• Describe your business in detail
• Links to your company website

Google Reviews

The most tangible currency for Google Maps SEO is Google Reviews. You can generate Google Reviews using automated software like DataPins, which requests reviews from customers via text and email. 

But, of course, you can also acquire reviews the old-fashion way by asking your customers in person. As a local business owner, you can train your technicians to request a review after completing their job.

The best strategy is to ask people in person and send automated requests. Applying both techniques simultaneously increases your chances of feedback by 147%. Here are some tips to generate reviews:

• Use DataPins to send automated review requests
• Ask customers in-person
• Train technicians to ask customers after completing jobs
• Add your Google Review link to your email signature
• Add your Google Review link to your website’s header

Google Maps Ranking Factors

We mentioned the three Google Maps ranking factors: proximity, relevance, and prominence. Of course, within these three factors are sub-factors that require a more in-depth understanding of Local SEO mechanics. Nevertheless, focusing on these three primary ranking factors is the fastest way to improve search visibility on Google Maps in 2022.

Proximity

The proximity factor considers the distance between the searcher and your listed (or hidden) business address. As a local business, you can’t do much to influence proximity unless you’re willing to move your location specifically for SEO purposes. 

In such cases, target the middle of a high-population city. Remember, Google Maps is literally an interactive map to accurately approximate your businesses’ distance to their online searchers. People in San Jose, CA, will see results within the corresponding map radius.

Relevance

The relevance factor considers your business’s relevance to the user’s search. For example, if you are a pool cleaner in Seattle, WA, the name of your company, domain name, and business type all influence relevance. 

In this example, a company named Joe’s Pool Cleaning Services with a domain name joespoolcleaning.com and a business type of pool cleaning service will meet every relevant factor that Google considers.

Prominence

Google reviews most directly impact the prominence ranking factor. However, other factors also contribute to a business’s prominence. For example, Google considers offline factors like brand recognition.

In addition to offline (real-world) factors, Google also looks at your reputation from across the web. For example, do a lot of people search for your brand name in general? Is your website visited regularly? These all contribute.

Google Maps SEO Tips for 2022

It’s easy to explain the three primary Google Maps ranking factors and ignore the subtle nuances that impact them. However, at DataPins, we believe in going the extra mile. Since most businesses already know about the three ranking factors, it’s important to dive deeper into the sub-factors that can increase your position in the Google Map 3-Pack for relevant local searches. Check out some Google Maps SEO tips below:

Target Local Intent

Local intent searches are among the most important driving forces behind Google Maps SEO. So what are local intent searches? A local intent search is any search engine query specifying a specific geographic location. 

For example, “bakery in Barstow,” “mechanic on St. Cloud,” or “computer repair near me.”  

You have probably searched with local intent. Local intent means looking for a business, service, or anything in a specific area. So why is local intent so important? It’s crucial because people doing searches with local intent are usually ready to purchase. 

They know what they want and are ready to find it and pay for it. It’s also important because 46% of queries entered into the Google search engine have local intent. That’s nearly half of the billions of people using Google every day.

Build Google Maps Backlinks

Building links to your company website or Google Business Profile can improve ranking. In general, you should start with local business directories. Maybe a local chamber of commerce, union, or professional network would be willing to link to your business’s site on theirs. 

You can also register on the Better Business Bureau and on social media sites like Facebook. You can also network with businesses that complement yours but don’t compete with them. For example, reach out to other companies like real estate agencies, renovation contractors, and property management companies if you own a window washing company. 

Ask if you can provide a guest post that provides value to their readers while inserting a link back to your website. Another option is sponsoring local community events, sports teams, and other regional endeavors.

Generate Consistent Reviews

We noted Google Reviews as an essential element of SEO for Google Maps. However, getting one or two reviews is not enough. The highest-ranking profiles generate a consistent stream of customer reviews.

The more reviews you have, the better. They don’t all have to be golden, either. Don’t worry about a few bad reviews if you maintain an aggregate rating between 4.2 and 4.5 stars. 

Anything higher seems suspicious, and anything lower makes your business look bad. The important thing is volume, so make sure you often ask for reviews, not just on Google but elsewhere.

The #1 Google Maps SEO Tool 

Various factors contribute to Google Maps SEO, but one tool simultaneously solves all of your problems. DataPins is a Google Maps SEO tool that provides an all-in-one solution for small businesses across the country.

DataPins serves as both a Local SEO tool and a Reputation Management platform. For Local SEO, DataPins produces schema pins each time a technician completes a job and tags it with the DataPins web app.

Each tagged job is automatically published on your corresponding website page, whether location or service. As a result, pins validate your service areas and services to Google. 

After connecting your website to your Google Business Profile, you distribute these validations to your GBP and improve your rankings. Furthermore, you can connect reviews to pins for more social proof.

Learn more about DataPins today to improve Local SEO on Google Maps.

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Multi-location website design presents various hurdles that require unique solutions. Businesses with multiple office locations often face extraneous challenges with their website, SEO, and digital marketing campaigns.

As a result, DataPins produced a guide to help you maximize your efforts.

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As a business owner, you already know that scaling comes with serious challenges. 

Not least of these challenges is coming up with an excellent multi-location website design. In the following guide, DataPins arms you with vital information to create a fantastic multiple-location website.

You have to keep in mind certain aspects of your business to design an excellent multi-location website. You also have to keep your business goals at the forefront of your mind.

So read along as we break down some of the most essential principles for multi-location website design.

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Components of Multi-Location Web Design

When developing a multi-location website, it is critical to maintain a hyper-local approach. Several tenants of local SEO apply more significantly to multi-location businesses.

Using these strategies virtually guarantees more tremendous success than otherwise possible.

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Location Pages

You need a location page for each city you service and each of your office addresses. Frequently, these two things overlap, and you can put your corresponding office address on the appropriate city page.

Still, you may also service nearby cities where you don’t have an office. In these cases, you still need to publish location pages to get business from those consumers.

For example, if your office is in Orlando, FL, you can create an individual city page for Altamonte Springs, FL, and assign pins to the location.

Be careful when publishing hundreds of city pages with similar content, as it may trigger an algorithmic filter that dilutes your website’s overall rankings.

Instead, the best strategy is to make each page as unique as possible.

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DataPins

You might wonder how to diversify your location pages to satisfy search engines and their users. The answer is DataPins: a local SEO tool for contractors. 

DataPins allows contractors to drop pins at each job they perform and automatically publish them to the corresponding location page. The tool also sends review requests through email and text messages.

You’ll find that DataPins automates unique content by making sure only location-specific content appears on the appropriate pages.

The tool serves as a curator of user-generated content, social proof, and reputation.

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Google Business Profile

While your Google Business Profile listing is separate from your website, they are connected to your online marketing strategy. The highest-ranking business listings have a complete website with content for each location.

Each office address should have its own Google Business Profile listing, which you can verify via postcard. You should connect your main website to each one of your listings in the GBP website tab.

Include images of offices, information on which areas you service, operation hours, and services offered.

It is also essential to keep this information accurate and updated. NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) information must remain consistent between your multi-location website and your Google Business Profile.

Having inaccurate or inconsistent NAP info hurts your rankings. Also, Google prefers to display recently updated content when it’s available, so update your Google My Business listing often. 

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Multi-Location Website Principles

Aside from hyper-local strategies, your website must follow general best practices to increase conversions and appeal to visitors.

As you know, SEO is influenced by the user behavior on your website. Make an extra effort to present an ideal user experience to your target consumers.

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Brand Consistency 

Multi-location website design requires a strong brand. Focus on consistent logos, color schemes, and slogans for every page on your website, even different location pages. 

The customer wants to feel that some effort went into the page about their location, like the homepage. In other words, copying and pasting text and images from one location page to another is never a good idea.

Instead, the content should be personalized but still brand-consistent. 

One way to achieve this personalization is by including background images of local landmarks. You can also have a personalized quote from the regional office manager or a message to the specific community in question. 

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Navigation

A good multi-location website design makes it easy for consumers to navigate the area pages quickly and easily.

However, consider that not all of your visitors will be directed to the specific area page. Instead, organic traffic will land on your home page or a blog post.

For this reason, developing an overview page is a good idea. Think of an overview page like a transit hub where multiple people can get to where they need to go via a central location.

Therefore, your overview page should have clear and prominent tabs for each area you serve. 

Consider embedding a map that displays all of your service locations. Include an option to click on each one and be directed to the corresponding page. 

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URLs

With your different location pages, you have a unique and golden opportunity to make the user experience smooth for your visitors and to optimize for local SEO. Each location-specific page should have unique URLs containing the name of the city they correspond to. 

Make the URL format as consistent as possible, too. This will make it easier for search engines to index your pages accurately on relevant searches. 

For instance, a remodeling contractor in Miami and Key West should have clean URLs like “/key-west” at the end instead of “/contractor-key-west.”

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Content 

Content for each of your location pages must be relevant and accurate. For example, one of your locations in Pagosa Springs may be running a promotion that your other locations aren’t.

So you have to ensure that the promotional content is only present on the relevant area page. 

Relevant content also extends to the unique location content that you publish on each page. For example, community events, messages, images, and services should be tailored to the appropriate location page. 

This will not only enhance the user experience for your website; it’s also good for SEO. Besides, no one likes finding out that a promotion they are excited about isn’t actually being offered in their area. 

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Final Thoughts on Multi-Location Business Websites

Multi-location business websites present challenges that complicate the digital marketing campaign process. However, with the right tools, companies can optimize their multi-location website for excellent results.

Using an experienced website designer, the DataPins tool, and a hyper-local content marketing strategy, your business website can reach all of your target customers throughout various towns and cities.

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Many SEO experts have examined the myth of GPS photo tags influencing Google Maps rankings. Here’s the reality: it doesn’t work. However, don’t confuse GPS photo tags with other kinds of SEO techniques, such as schema markup — which can, in fact, influence rankings.

Local businesses have been trying to gain an edge since SEO’s inception, and many myths, legends, and fairytales have come along for the ride.

Unfortunately, since Google doesn’t publicly release its algorithm, the industry has a history of guessing games, many of which lead people down a rabbit hole that wastes their time and resources.

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What is Image Geo-Tagging?

Geo-tagging, also referred to as GPS photo tags, is the insertion of location information into the file data of any given image. The actual tags are the location information of the photo. 

For instance, one might geotag a photo by inputting latitude, longitude, and altitude information into the EXIF data of a given image.

You can then add the geotagged photo to your Google Business Profile to feed Google more information about the picture and the physical location.

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SEO Alternatives To Geo-Tagging

While geotags don’t work for SEO, as Google strips the EXIF data from the image as soon as it’s uploaded, another SEO technique influences rankings.

Using schema markup for location-specific information can influence rankings.

Tools like DataPins automate this process by applying schema markup to “pins” that appear on your website.

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What are Schema Pins?

Schema pins are pieces of unique map data, in schema form, generated by the DataPins app.

Just like with GPS photo tags, the basic principle is to create unique, location-oriented content for your website – or, in the case of the emphasis of today’s post, your Google My Business page.

The difference is that Schema Pins influence rankings. 

With the DataPins app, you can take a picture of the worksite, enter the location information, and have unique image and map content published to the relevant sections of your Google My Business page.

Schema pins display pins on the map where the service took place. Unfortunately, some confusion remains regarding schema pins and their relationship to geotags (none).

However, misinformation is floating around on YouTube and other forums, contributing to the bewilderment surrounding this topic.

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GPS Photo Tagging Study

In one study conducted over one month, GPS photo tagging had a negligible effect on search engine rankings.

The study targeted 16 different keywords and involved 18 unique posts, each with its own geotagged image.

The study concluded that six keywords dropped in rankings (2 were actually displaced to the 51st position or lower), nine didn’t change at all, and only three improved rankings (likely unrelated).

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Does Geotagging Photos Influence Ranking?

Geotagging photos does not influence ranking.

GPS photo tags for Google Business Profile aren’t effective. They don’t work at all.

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Schema Pins Study

Schema Pins helped a local plumbing company reach an organic search discovery rate between 84% and 87%.

Customer reviews for the company also tripled across multiple platforms. Lastly, after a year of use, Schema Pins continually added fresh content to Molberg Plumbing LLC’s Google My Business page. 

While some still insist that GPS photo tags for Google My Business can help increase online exposure, there is no doubt that Schema Pins work. 

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Do Schema Pins Influence Rankings?

Yes, schema pins influence search rankings by adding relevant content to a business website and increasing the frequency of customer reviews, both of which are confirmed ranking factors.

With the DataPins app, once a pin is added, a text is automatically sent to the customer with a link to a page to leave a review.

This automated review request process was shown in the same study mentioned in the previous section to be more effective than other methods for getting customer reviews. 

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Get Started with DataPins

DataPins is all about sustainability and scalability. It can help expand your business by increasing its digital footprint.

The app is very user-friendly and automates many critical digital marketing processes. To learn more or get started with DataPins, give us a call or shoot us a message.

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