16 Ways to be Successful with Google My Business (GMB)

Joy Hawkins Google My Business Top Contributor

1. Start with a Competitor Analysis• You need to know what you’re up against

• You need to know which categories to use (super important)

• Note: Categories are not always public – check MapMaker

Tool to Use: http://www.brightlocal.com/google-plus-local-wizard/

Ranking Killer!

Why Use MapMaker? http://imprezziomarketing.com/seo-blog/google-places/best-ways-to-find-duplicate-google-placesplus-listings-post-pigeon/

• And always use MapMaker

2. Always Check for Dupes

3. Use “Select a Place” on MapMaker• See what other businesses

are using the same address as you

Hmmm….that’s a lot of businesses to

shove in one suite!

Oh, that’s why…

4. Visit the GMBL Dashboard

What the heck was updated?

How it looks in GMBL

Ah…Google is changing my Primary Category:

5. Always Check the Live Listing• You’d think what’s listed in your dashboard is

what shows up on Google...Wrong!

Dashboard – RightKnowledge Graph – Right

MapMaker – WrongG+ Listing – Wrong

Get URLs to the different views in the Edit screen of the Dashboard:

6. Check the Owner Accounts for Alerts• Google is now emailing out review alerts

• Only goes to page owner, not managers

• If a page gets suspended the owner account would see the message, the manager would not

More Reading: http://www.joyannehawkins.com/2-things-wont-see-google-plus-local-page-manager/

7. Embed Reviews on your Website

Instructions: http://imprezziomarketing.com/seo-blog/reviews/make-the-most-out-of-your-facebook-google-plus-reviews/

• If you are going to duplicate make sure you link back to G+ to avoid getting filtered.

8. Check Your # of Calls under Insights

Instructions: http://localu.org/blog/export-data-google-business-dashboard-insights-report/

• If there is no data for 4 weeks, check 12 weeks

• Copy and paste the data into Excel to see a better overview (per link below)

• No one does this!

• Great visibility, leads to more exposure

• Google loves G+

9. Write B2B Reviews

Instructions: http://imprezziomarketing.com/seo-blog/reviews/how-to-leave-b2b-reviews-on-google-plus/

10. Take ScreenshotsWhat on earth is happening here?

Regular Results Including Filtered Results (add &filter=0 to the URL)

Filtered!

11. Make the Google World a Less Spammy Place

Instructions: http://www.localsearchforum.com/google-map-maker/26870-tips-reporting-spam-mapmaker.html

• What real law firm would call themselves “Minneapolis Personal Injury and Accident Lawyer”?

Instructions: http://www.localsearchforum.com/google-map-maker/26870-tips-reporting-spam-mapmaker.html

• Everywhere else lists them as “Carlson Meyers”

• They have 3 listings on MapMaker – with different addresses• 3 Sparrow Lane is a house!

MapMaker Team“Business owners are spammers!”

GMB Team“Business owners are always right!”

The Truth

• Use MM (or Maps) to report spam

• Use the GMB Dashboard for your own listing

• Remember their rules are different!

• Be nice & polite to the MM RERs and TCs, even if you disagree with them

Instructions: http://www.localsearchforum.com/google-map-maker/26870-tips-reporting-spam-mapmaker.html

• MapMaker has been closed for edits now for about a week due to massive spamming

• You can Report a Problem (RAP) for businesses in Google Maps

• Responses might be slower than usual (2 weeks)

• If longer than 2 weeks – post in GMB forum

12. Use RAP while MapMaker is Closed for Edits

13. Use YellowBot for NAP Diagnosis

• Search business phone # + city

• Open each listing that comes up

• Note: Only works in USA

Wrong Phone #

A Second Wrong Phone #

14. Use Factual for NAP Diagnosis

• Works Globally 2 Listings

Source of Problem

Helps Identify Duplicates

15. Keep Updated with Guideline Changes“If a practitioner is the sole public-facing one at this location and represents a branded organization, the practitioner page should not be separate from the organization’s page. Instead, create a single page, titled using the following format: [brand/company]: [practitioner name].”

Guidelines: https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en

“Adding unnecessary information to your name (e.g. "Google Inc. - Mountain View Corporate Headquarters" instead of "Google") by including marketing taglines, store codes, special characters, hours or closed/open status, phone numbers, website URLs, service/product information, location/address or directions, or containment information (e.g. "Chase ATM in Duane Reade") is not permitted.”

Not Allowed

Guidelines: https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en

16. Use Pure Local Searches for Diagnosing

• See how close you are to ranking on the first page

• Figure out if it’s a local issue or organic issue• Ex: a business that is not in the 7-pack ranks

5th organically but 30th locally – their issue is local (NAP, Duplicates, etc.)

• Make sure your business actually shows up in this list

• Look for closed listings that rank

URL: https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&tbm=lcl&gl=us

Connect with Me

twitter.com/JoyanneHawkins

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joy@imprezziomarketing.com

1-866-430-0457 x 301