Obenan / Blog / Post
Local SEO
Table of contents
Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Leverage Local SEO Best Practices
Collect and Respond to Reviews
Improve Your Location Signals
Post Regularly on Your Google Business Profile Using Google Posts
Create a FAQ Section
Google Doesn’t Sleep and You Shouldn’t Either
Lea Höller
2025-01-29
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If you own a local business or offer services in your area, ranking at the top of Google Maps can be a total game changer for your revenue. It’s where people turn first when searching for nearby places and services. Picture this: you’re out and about, feeling hungry, and looking for a local restaurant - what’s your first move? You check Google Maps! Being at the top means more visibility, more clicks, and, ultimately, more revenue because you will have more customers walking through your door! But how do you get there? Let’s break it down step by step.
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of your presence on Google Maps. If you haven’t claimed your profile yet, that’s step one - your starting point to getting noticed! There is absolutely no way around a GBP. Without it, your business will never show up on Google Maps!
Once you’ve claimed your profile, it’s time to optimize it so Google understands your core business and can suggest you to potential customers who are looking for exactly a business like yours. This is how you do it:
Now that we’ve covered the basics of your Google Business Profile (GBP), it’s time to dive into optimizing and fine-tuning for local SEO. This isn’t just about polishing your GBP - it’s about enhancing your entire online presence, including your website. By optimizing both your website and overall online presence, you’ll boost your performance on Google Maps.
We’ll focus on specific ranking factors - think of them as signals sent to Google - that help the search engine connect your business with the right search queries. With a strong online presence, when a potential customer searches for something like “restaurant near me” on Google Maps, your restaurant will be among the top results. So, how do you make that happen? Let’s break it down!
Let’s kick things off with on-page local SEO - optimizing your website to shine in local search results! Here are some key points to help Google understand your website better and recognize it as a positive signal for local SEO success:
Off-page local SEO focuses on improving your online visibility across the web, beyond your website (that’s what on-page local SEO is for, remember?). The goal is to build citations that consistently include your business details - name, address, and phone number (NAP) - and to earn high-quality backlinks to your website.
Reviews play a crucial role if you want to rank higher on Google Maps. They build trust and credibility while helping Google gauge your business’s relevance and how customers have experienced your services. If you search for popular keywords like “restaurant near me” on Google Maps and analyze what sets the top-ranked businesses apart, you’ll notice their reviews stand out. They likely have not only a high number of reviews but also an impressive overall rating!
Review Type | Example Response |
---|---|
Positive Review | “Thank you, [Name]! We’re thrilled you loved [specific service]. Hope to see you soon!” |
Negative Review | “We’re sorry to hear about your experience. Please contact us at [email] to resolve this.” |
Let’s face it - no one likes negative reviews. But here’s the twist: a few negative reviews can actually be beneficial. Yes, you read that right! They make your online reputation look more authentic - after all, nobody’s perfect. That said, an overall bad rating is definitely not the goal. So, how can you minimize negative reviews while still learning from constructive criticism?
If you’re using Obenan, you can set up a review collection campaign - like using a QR code - that leads customers to a landing page where they’re asked to rate their experience. If they give a positive rating, they’re directed to your Google Business Profile to leave a public review. If they choose a negative rating, they’re sent to a private survey instead. This approach gives you greater control over your online reputation while allowing you to collect valuable feedback to improve your services internally. Win-win! An improved overall rating also improves your chance to rank higher on Google Maps! And if you get a negative review on your GBP, don’t panic. Use it as a learning opportunity and address it properly! Responding to negative reviews is insanely important to de-escalate the situation and try to resolve any dispute with the disgruntled customer.
Check how many reviews you need to collect to improve your overall rating with our free Google Review Calculator.
Location signals help Google understand where your business operates and how relevant it is to local searchers. By optimizing these signals, you can boost your Google Maps ranking and attract more local customers. Here’s how you can make that happen effortlessly!
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) lets you create posts, which can boost both engagement and rankings. By sharing fresh, daily content with local keywords and eye-catching images, you signal to Google that your business is active while providing valuable context. This makes it easier for Google to match your business with relevant search queries. Plus, it enhances engagement with potential customers who visit your GBP, increasing the chances they’ll choose your business!
Promotions:
We understand that posting daily might not be realistic when your priority is running your business. That’s where Obenan comes in! With Obenan, you can automate the creation and posting of fresh, keyword-optimized Google Posts. This ensures regular updates to keep your profile active, boost engagement, and improve your rankings - all without adding to your workload. Let us handle the posts while you focus on what you do best!
Add FAQs to your Google Business Profile to address common customer questions. Often, customers will ask about details that might not be fully clear from your GBP or website. Regularly check this section and respond promptly - answers from the business owner are always more trustworthy than those from past customers. Plus, there’s a chance that a previous customer might answer incorrectly, which could lead to confusion. By actively managing this section, you can ensure accurate information, share your side of the story, and remove any doubts for potential new customers. Additionally, it can be helpful to ask and answer common questions yourself, creating a mini FAQ directly on your profile. This proactive approach ensures potential customers get the information they need right away, saving them the hassle of asking. It’s a simple way to build trust, improve clarity, and make your business more approachable.
Example questions:
While many of these questions are often addressed through the attributes on your profile, potential customers frequently skip over them and head straight to the Q&A section. That’s why it’s essential to provide as much information as possible at every step of the customer journey. By doing so, you ensure clarity and confidence, making it easier for potential customers to choose your business without hesitation.
Google frequently updates its algorithm, so it’s important to stay informed about new features and ranking factors. By following these steps, you’ll be on the fast track to ranking higher on Google Maps. Not only will this help you attract more customers, but it will also position your business as a local leader. Start implementing these strategies today, and watch your visibility grow!
That said, you don’t have to tackle all of this on your own - or manually! With Obenan, you can automate the essential tasks needed to succeed on Google Search and of course, climb to the top of Google Maps in your local area. Say goodbye to the daily grind of manual updates, and let Obenan handle it for you!