Tag: Ranking

5Apr By Adam HeitzmanNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Why Dynamic GBP Profiles Are The New Local Ranking Factor

You probably set up your Google Business Profile a while back, filled in your address, picked your categories, maybe chased down a few reviews, and then called it done. Totally understandable. That was enough, once. But here’s what’s changed: If you haven’t meaningfully touched that profile in months, you’re losing visibility to competitors who figured out something you haven’t yet. Google transformed GBP from a directory listing into a live engagement surface, and businesses that treat it like the former are quietly bleeding map pack rankings they don’t even know they’ve lost. This applies to every local business. Retailers, yes, but also law firms, dental practices, restaurants, gyms, plumbers, and salons. If your GBP isn’t actively signaling to Google that you’re open for business and e...

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8Nov By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, sem, SEO, seo services

10 Great Comments from the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey

The 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey is as full of insights as ever.  It was published yesterday, over at Whitespark.  (As always, a big thanks to Darren for organizing it and herding the cats.) If you do nothing else today to improve your understanding of local SEO and ability to get more visible in local search, pour yourself a mug of your finest moonshine and read through the survey or watch the video recap.  There’s a ton of useful info, whether you like to get into the details or just want a quick gut check. In case you don’t have time to read the full survey, at least you’ll want to skim through the comments.  That’s always been my favorite part of it anyway.  Sometimes you find gold nuggets in there. Even the comments section is a long read, though, which is why I’ve rounde...

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16Dec By Kristi HinesNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Confirms Business ‘Openness’ As Local Ranking Factor

Recent findings by SEO professionals suggest that Google has recalibrated its local search algorithm, placing more emphasis on a business’s listed hours of operation as a key ranking signal. According to Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky, the trend became noticeable after the November 2023 core update, leading to businesses that appear as closed being significantly less visible in local search results. 😱Well the news is out, the new ranking factor we are seeing that has a massive impact on ranking is HOURS. We're seeing that businesses literally vanish in the local pack when they are not open. We started seeing this with the November 2023 core update. This is also making… pic.twitter.com/kDzfrbNmB5 — Joy Hawkins (@JoyanneHawkins) December 7, 2023 Business Hours Confirmed As ‘Stronger’ ...

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30May By Andrew ShotlandNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, On-page SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Strategy For Ranking Local Search Terms

Location landing pages don’t get enough respect. You set them up with your name, address, phone number & hours. Maybe you embed a Google Map for driving directions. Perhaps you write some copy that no one will read, and if you have multiple locations, you repeat the same copy on each page and just change the location name. If you’re feeling cocky, you put a call to action on it – maybe. You set it, then you forget it. And guess what? That actually works pretty well for local SEO. I mean, what more does a potential customer want from a location page? Maybe an appointment scheduler? But who cares about the customer? We smug SEO types all know Google is our #1 customer. So, what does Google want from a location page? Let’s start with the basics. 1. What Is The Purpose Of A Location Page?...

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24Dec By Andrew HutchinsonNo Comments

Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing, tiktok, twitter, youtube

Twitter Rolls Out Priority Tweet Ranking, Longer Video Uploads to Blue Subscribers

Twitter’s updated Twitter Blue subscription package is slowly rounding into shape, with two more elements now live for paying subscribers, including prioritized ranking of subscriber tweets. Twitter re-launched its $8 subscription package two weeks back, after addressing flaws in its initial roll-out of the option. The main lure of the updated Twitter Blue remains the blue checkmark for paying subscribers, so that they can appear just as important as ‘legacy’ checkmark holders in the app, but in addition to this, Twitter has also promised to incorporate other enticements for your monthly payment. Now, two of those three additional elements are available to Blue subscribers, with Blue users now able to upload videos up to 60 minutes long, in 1080p, and subscribers also getting ‘priority ra...

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7Sep By Kristian BannisterNo Comments

Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Unlock 6x More Ranking Insights in Local Search Grid

We’ve upgraded Local Search Grid to give you more ranking insights than ever. Since we launched last year, Local Search Grid has become a valuable and popular addition for our customers. They use it to: See the real-world picture of how a business is ranking based on where customers are searching Understand which businesses they’re really competing against in local search and how to overtake them Show clients ranking improvements in an easy-to-understand and compelling way Generate visually engaging reports for prospecting and pitching potential clients Up until now, each Local Search Grid report was limited to five keywords, so you’d need to be selective about what you wanted to track and analyze. But that’s changed! Now, you can track up to 30 keywords in each report so you can: Get a b...

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14May By Kristian BannisterNo Comments

Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Understand Ranking Performance at a Glance with Average Google Position

It’s a big day here at Brightlocal! We have three new updates to Local Search Rank Checker. 1. Local Search Rank Checker is now called Local Rank Tracker It’s probably best we tackle this one first so it’s easier for you to follow this launch post! Local Search Rank Checker is a name we chose over 10 years ago, and since then we’ve outgrown it. ‘Checker’ suggests it checks rankings once, or on an ad hoc basis, but that’s not how our customers use it. They use it to track rankings over time so they can measure the impact of their local SEO efforts. This new name makes it easier to understand what the product does and the value it brings. This name change is reflected in the BrightLocal platform, on our website, and in our supporting content. So if you’re looking for guides in the Help Cente...

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23Apr By John VuongNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Internet marketing, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

4 Top Factors Affecting Search Engine Ranking

What does it really take to get Google’s attention in search engine ranking? We write often about search engine optimization (SEO) and how to execute it, but sometimes it’s helpful to know why you’re doing certain things. To find out, let’s look at four of the top factors that affect search engine rankings in Google’s algorithm, along with how to improve them through SEO. If you want to rank more highly, keep reading! High-Quality Content First and foremost, Google wants to meet the needs of searchers. As Google’s John Mueller shared in late 2021, the thing all websites need to rank well is “awesomeness”.  That’s not a very concrete goal, but we know that having high-quality content that meets the needs of your users is an important part of awesomeness. When there are blog posts and other...

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30Mar By Kevin RoweNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Top 25 Local Search Ranking Signals You Need to Know

Getting a local business to rank is challenging for three reasons: An uptick in mobile uses because more people are using their phones to find businesses near them. A surge of businesses recognizing the value of local SEO are making results more competitive. Google Local Pack, which was once the top seven, is now just the top three. So, what does it take to appear at the top of these competitive local results, to get you in front of the people searching for products and services like yours? Here, you’ll learn about 25 specific local ranking signals you need to understand and optimize for in order to perform as well as possible in local search. First, let’s take a look at how these changes with Google’s Map Pack/Local Pack are a game-changer for businesses. Recent Map Pack Changes You Need...

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17Jan By Miranda MillerNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Are Local Citations (NAP) A Google Ranking Factor?

In local SEO, a citation is a mention of key business information – your name, address, and phone number (NAP) – anywhere else on the web.Local citations might appear in directories, on social networking or review sites, in apps, and on all kinds of other websites.Clearly, these are an important part of a searcher’s experience; NAP info is how a local consumer will find their way to your store or give you a call.But do citations help you rank higher in Google Search results?The Claim: Local Citations As A Ranking FactorSome citations allow only for the location’s name, address, and phone number.However, you may be able to add a website link, business description, photos, and more, depending on the directory or platform.The idea here is that each of these optimizations will help you rank hi...

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5Oct By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Does Adding Photos in Google My Business Increase Ranking? [Case Study]

Posted Oct 4, 2021 by Joy Hawkins I often see posts come up in Facebook groups that recommend adding photos constantly to your Google My Business listing because this helps a business rank higher in the local pack results.  Most people say it’s because Google likes “fresh” or “recent” content. TLDR; According to this case study: Adding photos to a Google My Business listing had no measurable impact on ranking in the local pack search results. The search results didn’t show the photos we added and often defaulted to the cover photo. Adding photos to the GMB landing page (the business website) did impact ranking due to the alt-text on the photo. The Case Study For this test, we took 4 different Goo...

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20Sep By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, Strategy

Do Images Impact Ranking on Google? [Case Study]

Posted Sep 20, 2021 by Joy Hawkins We have been doing a lot of testing around images in the last year at Sterling Sky.  You can read about the tests we did on geotagging photos and the cover photo you select in Google My Business.  For this test, we wanted to measure how the photos you use on your website impact your organic ranking on Google. TLDR; According to this case study: Larger/better quality photos are better for ranking Having a photo that matches what Google is looking for can have a positive impact on ranking.  Having a photo that doesn’t match can have a negative impact. How much images contribute to ranking likely varies based on the query or industry. The Case Study There was a pag...

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9Sep By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Does Geotagging Photos Influence Ranking?

Posted Sep 8, 2021 by Joy Hawkins When people talk about what strategies they utilize in Local SEO to get their client’s ranking, I often hear references to geotagging images. TLDR Adding geotags to images in Google My Business (GMB) listings had no measurable impact on rankings in the local pack.  Similarly, adding geotags to the photos on the business website had no measurable impact on organic or local pack rankings. What is geotagging? Geotagging photos is the process of adding latitude/longditude tags to an image so that where the photo was taken can be identified.The Exif format has standard tags for location information. As of 2014, many cameras and mobile phones have a built-in GPS receiver...

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27Jul By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Do Google Posts Impact Ranking?

Posted Jul 26, 2021 by Joy Hawkins One of the most frequent questions I get asked related to Google posts is if they impact where a business ranks in the local pack.  To answer this question, we did a test recently on a few inactive Google My Business listings. TLDR Adding Google posts to Google My Business (GMB) listings had no measurable impact on rankings in the local pack. The Methodology: To test this, we picked 3 different Google My Business (GMB) listings that we started adding Google posts to.  These 3 listings had no SEO efforts whatsoever (no content, reputation, or link building efforts) and were in small towns.  2 of them were for marketing companies that were set up as service-area bus...

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25Jul By Jamie PitmanNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Now Shows ‘Ranking Factors Box’ in SERPs to Explain Results

Want to find out why your competitor’s page is No. 1 in Google organic SERPs? Well, now you can! (To the extent that Google is willing to tell you, anyway.) That’s because Google yesterday announced a feature that shows a selection of reasons for ranking individual pages in SERPs, bringing some much-needed transparency to search. via GIPHY Source: Google This feature is a section called ‘Your search & this result’ but it doesn’t have a catchy name yet, so we’re calling it the ‘Ranking Factors Box’, simply because, well, it’s a box that displays ranking factors! The Ranking Factors Box is an extension of the ‘About this result’ box, which is accessible by clicking the ‘three vertical dots’ at the end of a search result and was originally launched back in February of this year. Where is...

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11Jun By Jill CarenNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing, Technical SEO

How to Effectively Disavow Links & Protect Organic Ranking

If you're confused about when, why, and how to disavow links — you aren't alone. (more…)

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27Apr By Colan NielsenNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, New Feature, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Strategy, Tips

Do Google My Business Identity Attributes Impact Ranking? SterlingSky.ca

Posted Apr 27, 2021 by Colan Nielsen Last October, Joy covered 4 Google My Business Fileds That Impact Ranking on a Whiteboard Friday. The four fields Joy covered were: Business Name Categories Website Reviews Up until recently, those were the only features inside the GMB dashboard that had a direct impact on ranking. As of this month, we discovered a fifth feature that has a direct impact on ranking in the 3-pack and Google Maps – Identity Attributes. Key Takeaway: GMB Identity Attributes have a strong impact on ranking for keywords related to the attribute. What are Identity Attributes? If you log in to your GMB dashboard, navigate to the “Info” tab, and select the edit button beside “From the ...

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21Dec By Barry SchwartzNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Alan Rabinowitz’s Google ranking & online reputation management tips

Video: Alan Rabinowitz's Google ranking & online reputation management tips Your privacy means the world to us. We share your personal information only when you give us explicit permission to do so, and confirm we have your permission each time. Learn more by viewing our privacy policy.Ok

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21Dec By Darren ShawNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Presentation

2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Presentation - Whitespark The 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor survey results are in! I just presented the top highlights and takeaways at Whitespark’s Local Search Summit, and the slide deck is available below. Stay tuned for our upcoming blog post and resource with the complete analysis. Made wit...

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20Dec By Darren ShawNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

The 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey Analysis

Back in September I presented the results of the 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors at Whitespark’s inaugural Local Search Summit, and today, finally, I am pleased to release the written analysis and full survey results. Sorry for the long delay! It has been a couple of years since I published the last Local Search Ranking Factors Survey results, and much has changed since then. Google continues to add new features to GMB, tactics and strategies are shifting, and Google is getting serious about monetizing local. Before I dive into my analysis, here’s the iconic pie chart that you’ve all been waiting for. This is how the local search experts think local pack/finder rankings are weighted in 2020: Side note: Particularly observant readers may have noticed that social signals have b...

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