New Google Local & Google Maps Features That Boost Marketing with Amanda Jordan - EP256

The key to local business success: Be the first to use Google's newest marketing features in your area.  Get more traffic in the door, get your business noticed faster, and outrank your competition.  Amanda Jordan, Director of Digital Strategy for RicketyRoo Inc., joined me to discuss the easiest ways to incorporate the new Google Local and Google Maps features into your local SEO strategy. The pandemic, changing search habits, and more people shopping locally have driven the need for local businesses to have a strong presence in the search results.  Google Business Profile and other local features are vital to adapting to these changes. In this podcast, you'll learn how to grow your local business with a few tweaks on Google Local, Google Maps, and Google Business Profile.   Local search ads are becoming a bigger part of the local SEO landscape and search results. You can see them pop up at the top of the page. They show up in the google maps app and mobile now. –Amanda Jordan, 25:33 Every time I've seen someone go from no Google business profile to a cool business profile, or even just adding anything like that, there's a huge amount of growth because essentially you've just made yourself visible to lots of people that didn't even know you existed before. –Amanda Jordan, 58:54 The more thorough and valuable your reviews are, the more of an impact it does have on your ability to rank. –Amanda Jordan, 19:55   [00:00] - A little about Amanda's background. [02:00] - The most impactful changes on Google Maps.  [07:45] - How often should you update your Google Business Profile? [10:44] - Does posting updates on Google Business Profile give you an advantage? [12:58] - Should you build a website within Google Business Profile? [14:48] - How to motivate customers to leave positive reviews on Google. [20:58] - The missed opportunity with social media and SEO. [25:28] - Ad opportunities in Google Local. [29:32] - Where Google Local is going in 2022. [36:50] - How to educate clients about local SEO changes and get buy-in. [44:00] - Should a local business use professional photos, and is video important? [48:42] - A recommended platform for UTM tracking for local. [50:17] - Where should local businesses build links? [51:30] - How to handle clients who insist on keyword stuffing their business profiles. [56:45] - Do you need a Google Business Profile if you don't have a brick-and-mortar location?   Resources Mentioned:  Claire's Guide to UTM Tagging: https://www.clairecarlilemarketing.com/resources/claires-complete-guide-to-utm-tagging-for-gmb/   It's good just to have something up there that's recent and current just because It'll help you stand out. –Amanda Jordan, 11:35 A lot of times, we see social media and SEO as two completely separate things, but they can inform each other. They both give you data about who your customers are, how they found you, why they like you, and what they're interested in. –Amanda Jordan, 22:01 A lot of times, especially with local SEO and the focus on reviews and things like that, we can forget about the technical elements or not be as confident in our ability to handle them. I think it's perfectly normal but I think that's a place where a lot of technical and local SEOs can grow. –Amanda Jordan, 40:40   For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer. Connect with Amanda Jordan:   Amanda has extensive experience designing campaigns, including web development and SEO, and is very talented and creative. She began her SEO career in 2011 and has enjoyed tackling complex problems for clients. Her specialty is local SEO for legal and enterprise companies. In her free time, Amanda enjoys playing with her dogs and beating her son at Mario Kart. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-jordan-96797686/ Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandatjordan   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker