For years now, marketers and small businesses have used the keywords “near me” in their SEO efforts to give them a boost. Recent updates to Google though have changed the game, and this phrase no longer holds the power it used to. This week on the blog, we discussed this change and how you can adapt your SEO strategy to get more from your keyword optimization.
Essentially, Google has caught on to the popular SEO hack of including the phrase “near me” in your keywords. Since their goal is always to match their users with the best search results, and not just those who have the right keywords, they have shifted how these searches work. Now, when someone types in “_______ near me,” they get matched with the best local search results mainly by their proximity.
On top of this, Google has nearly destroyed the benefits of using “near me” as a keyword for maps. The words “near me” no longer matter here at all. It is purely providing matches based on physical proximity.
Using the phrases “near me” or “open now” can still help you if you know how to correctly optimize them, although it is still at a diminished capacity. On the blog, we are sharing practical steps you can take to optimize your business listing and keywords for these “near me” searches. The real trick here is to make sure your listing is strong from an SEO standpoint in every way possible, and not just for this specific type of search.
This week we also had an exciting new episode of our podcast, Marketing, and a Mic, drop! It goes well with our blog as it is all about Google Business Profile features you need to know about. As we talk about optimizing your listing, this is the perfect way to start doing that!
For those of you who might not know, Google Business Profile is the rebranded version of Google My Business. It is a free online listing through Google to help increase your visibility on Google through Maps, searches, and more. It is a phenomenal tool to reach new customers and provide valuable information about your business to them.
For your Google Business Profile listing to be effective, you need to make sure you thoroughly complete your listing and use it to its full potential. In this podcast episode, we are sharing 5 key elements to help you do just that:
- List your products and services.
- Add specific attributes.
- Use call to action buttons.
- Leverage Google’s messaging tools.
- Promote special offers and events through Google posts.
We take a deep dive into how to best do these things, where to find specific tools, and more in the podcast episode. It is incredibly practical, and you will be able to take simple and specific next steps to use your Google Business Profile effectively after listening to it. If you need further help after listening to it, our expert staff is here to help you!
Fusion One Marketing is a full-service digital marketing company headquartered in Birmingham, AL. Fusion One specializes in Local SEO, Social Media Marketing, Pay Per Click, and Website Designs. Fusion One Marketing was created in 2011 with its main focus to help small and medium businesses navigate the digital marketing world. Our goal for businesses is simple “More Calls –More Businesses.”
For any questions about this info or services we provide, please contact us for your Free Digital Consultation.
