Local SEO and Marketing Q&A Session January 14, 2022

Local Marketing Institute Podcast

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses … local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

Updates and Questions

• New manager waiting period for GBP.
• What are some tips for combating the Google vicinity update?
• If suggestion edits are handled by AI, why do they stay under review for days or weeks?
• What is the best practice for switching a business from a Google website to your own URL?
• My SAB has been verified but my address is not being hidden and I am unable to change it or leave it blank. What should I do?
• Are there issues with the proximity update for SAB profiles?
• Recently I’ve noticed newly created listings that are verified by pin code are immediately suspended, even though everything is within the guidelines. Is this a bug?
• Is there anything you can do if your SAB verified location is near the border and not the center of the service area?
• What is the process to quickly rebuild the search authority of a listing that has been marked as a duplicate?
• Why would Google mark a listing as a duplicate when it already has been verified from a past duplicate flagging issue?
• What are the circumstances that trigger a new 7 day wait and does posting regularly to GBP help much with ranking?
• What should I do if a verified address shows red?
• For a GBP verified listing with a slightly wrong address, how do I go about changing an error in the Google map before submitting the correct address?
• Can you boost your website/GBP ranking by using GBP category keywords in new location pages in cities outside of your GBP listing?
• What type of backlinks are producing the best results currently?
• For my GBP I am using a PO box address, but I’m not showing up on the map; any advice?
• What should you do about a business that has violated Google’s guidelines for the second time?
• Any suggestions for niche business categories when it fits under a primary category, but business does not want their profile to come up when people search for the general primary category?
• After submitting a reinstatement form for a suspended GBP, receiving a reply from Google and making changes, should I submit a new reinstatement form, or reply to the original response?
• Do profile clickthroughs to posts help with ranking?
• Any best practices to optimize pay per click campaigns for voice search?
• Is reporting competitors to Google a good strategy for an agency?
• What should you do if your mailing address doesn’t match the one on your GBP profile?

Links mentioned in this session are available on our website at https://localmarketinginstitute.com