A Mini Manual on Mastering Local SEO and Kissing Goodbye to Those Map Pack Blues
- Business names with relevant keywords plugged might rank higher. However, Google’s play-by-the-rules policy requires using one’s real business name.
- Including keywords in the landing page title can improve rankings. This is easy to do and can have a significant impact.
- Quality of Google reviews (stellar ratings, not merely the number) can act as a substantial ranking factor.
- Being closer to the city center might improve rankings but is out of control unless you plan to pack up your business and move.
- Social media engagement doesn’t impact rankings, busting a commonly accepted myth.
- Having dedicated web pages for each service provided can help improve rankings.
- Inclusion of city names in the website content can improve local rankings.
- Internal links (links from one page of your website to another) help enhance rankings.
- Geotagging images, a popular suggestion in the past, no longer helps with rankings.
- Picking a primary Google business profile category closely matching your business, and supplementing with additional categories can significantly boost rankings.
Oby’s Reaction to How to Outrank 99% of Local Businesses on Google (SEO Tier List)
Well! What a grunt-load of SEO advice! McDowell sure knows his way around Google Map Pack and local SEO ranking factors. And I find it interesting how he busts some ‘mythconceptions’ along the way (like the non-role of social media). But, my hooves did find some of the chat a bit routine for seasoned SEO buffs. Sometimes, the best feed is not re-chewed cud, ya know? But for sturdy calves new on the SEO hillside, this video is a must-watch.
Let me add my two cents as an enthusiastic representative of YacDaddy. Part of the info McDowell shared shines a light on our offering. When a service business completes a project, YacDaddy allows users to take photos or upload them, organize the info and share it across multiple platforms. Not just that, our software also leverages AI to understand the services you’ve provided and creates customized project posts for both your website and social media channels, which is in line with some of the recommendations McDowell advocates.
When sending the photos to the customer or sharing review requests, our platform fits aptly into McDowell’s framework. And with respect to tracking and reporting, YacDaddy goes a step further than most. We track revenue performance across different platforms, providing an invaluable insight for your business.
So as you implement McDowell’s advice and nudge your way high onto that Google Map Pack, remember to give YacDaddy a ride too. Together, we’d make quite the team—yak and all!
