Local SEO For Service Area Businesses: Targeting Your Coverage via @sejournal, @JRiddall

For small, mobile, local businesses operating without a fixed storefront, navigating the world of local SEO can feel like charting uncharted territory.

Service area businesses (SABs) – think plumbers, electricians, mobile pet groomers, and the like – face unique challenges in establishing a strong online presence.

However, by understanding the nuances of local SEO for service area businesses and implementing the right strategies, you can effectively target your service areas and reach more customers than ever before.

This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of local SEO for SABs, providing valuable insights, strategies, and best practices to help you effectively target your coverage area and maximize your online visibility to drive more local traffic and business.

Understanding Service Area Businesses

Service area businesses are those which travel to their customers’ locations to provide services.

Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, SABs don’t rely on foot traffic or a fixed storefront. Instead, their service area boundaries define their primary markets.

Common examples of SABs include:

• Plumbers.
• Electricians.
• HVAC technicians.
• Roofer.
• Mobile pet groomers.
• House cleaning services.
• Mobile paramedical services.
• Landscapers.

Challenges And Opportunities For SABs In Local SEO

SABs face unique challenges in local SEO due to the absence of a physical address to promote and establish authority for.

All local businesses have the challenge of establishing their localness and E-E-A-T, as found in Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines, and without a clearly defined base of operations, this can become a little more difficult.

However, this also presents opportunities to expand the business’ reach beyond a single location.

Challenges

• No storefront to attract local foot traffic: SABs can’t rely on traditional local SEO tactics like optimizing a Google Business Profile listing with a physical address pinned to a Google Map, thereby more naturally appearing in searches “near me,” which has become a very common local consumer query. However, read on, as GBP optimizations are still possible and highly recommended.
• Competition from businesses with storefronts: SABs often compete with both established businesses with a physical presence and other SABs in a local market.
• Clearly defining, targeting, and establishing authority within the desired service area: Accurately defining and targeting the service area is crucial for SABs to reach the right customers. However, this means having to prove to Google your business is effectively able to reach customers across a potentially wide service area, which may cross into the “territory” of multiple other service area businesses.

Opportunities:

• Wider reach: SABs can naturally target a broader geographic area compared to businesses with a fixed location.
• Flexibility: SABs can adjust their service areas based on customer demand and expanding business goals.
• Cost-effectiveness: SABs can typically operate with lower overhead costs compared to businesses with physical storefronts.

Read More: Local SEO For Non-Physical Businesses: Overcoming The Challenges

Key Strategies For Local SEO For SABs

To overcome the stated challenges and capitalize on the opportunities, SABs need to implement effective local SEO strategies.

This means ensuring they are incorporating and optimizing content in the areas where customers are searching.

According to a 2023 Brightlocal study, the top five most trusted platforms consumers use to find information about local businesses are Google (66%), Google Maps (45%), business websites (36%), Facebook (32%), and Yelp (32%). We’ll review if and how to address each as a key organic channel.

Here are some key strategies to consider:

1. You Can And Must Still Optimize Your Google Business Profile

For many businesses, a GBP is as, if not more, important than their corporate website.

A Think with Google study from 2019 points out “60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results (e.g., “click to call” option)” and this has no doubt only continued to increase.

Screenshot from Google Business Profile, November 2024

While SABs don’t have a physical storefront, they can still leverage GBP to enhance online visibility. Here’s how:

Create A GBP Profile

Even without a storefront, you must create a GBP profile and select the “service-area business” option.

Under this option, you will add but hide your address and then select up to 20 service areas you cover based on city or postal code.

Important note from Google Help:

“The boundaries of your overall area should not extend farther than about 2 hours of driving time from where your business is based.”

If your service area does extend beyond two hours of driving time, you would be well advised to consider setting up another GBP with a primary address closer than two hours away.

Choose Only Relevant Categories

Select primary and secondary categories from those provided in GBP that most accurately reflect the services you offer.

Do not select a subcategory if you do not offer the service, but would like to be found by people searching for the service.

This is a common mistake many businesses make, which can backfire by diluting their authority.

Complete Your Entire Profile

Fill out all of the relevant sections of your GBP profile, including your business name, phone number, website, service areas, hours of operation, social links, payment options, accessibility, amenities, languages supported, and photos (i.e., logo, interior, exterior, product, etc).

Keep in mind that you are trying to provide your audience with every possible detail regarding your business and don’t want to exclude anyone by leaving out key information.

You may also find you are able to gain business by indicating you belong to or service a particular demographic.

Encourage And Promptly Respond To Customer Reviews

Google Business Profile reviews are a powerful ranking signal.

Positive reviews or even prompt and effective responses to negative reviews can significantly boost your local ranking and build trust with potential customers.

For service-area businesses needing to “prove” their coverage, it is important to gain reviews from customers across the defined service area.

So, if you’ve included 10 specific areas you service within a two-hour driving distance, you should be looking to obtain reviews from satisfied customers in each of those areas.

This will help to establish the “localness” described above.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask customers to provide Google reviews that reference the specific service they received and the location where they received it. For example, “We were so pleased ABC Roofing Company was able to repair our roof in [location] on time and on budget!”

Post Content Regularly

GBP provides all businesses the opportunity to easily post content regarding their services, promotions, and links to external content like blog posts, events, etc., which is quite often underutilized.

This feature enables businesses to demonstrate engagement with their customers and authority on the topics they want to be found for.

If you are a local business creating content on a regular basis to share to social channels or via an email newsletter, sharing this content via GBP as well is a must.

2. Build A Solid, Mobile-Friendly Web Presence With Local SEO In Mind

While GBP is a primary landing place for many local searchers, a local business website still serves an important role as an online storefront and information resource.

When it comes to SABs and local SEO, here are a few specific considerations:

Create Location-Specific Pages

If you serve multiple areas, create dedicated pages for each location with unique, relevant content, contact information, and locally oriented keywords.

For example, if you offer specific services in different areas or have specific mobile technicians dedicated to specific service areas, be sure to call this out.

Another good tactic is to embed a Google map of the specific service area into its dedicated location page.

Be careful not to simply duplicate content across your location pages by incorporating something unique into each.

Locally Optimize Your Website Pages And Content

Use relevant local keywords throughout your localized website pages, including in your page titles, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt tags.

Ensure Mobile-Friendliness

This should go without saying, but it’s essential today for all businesses to have a responsive website.

According to Statista, in 2023, 58.67% of all website traffic worldwide came from mobile phones.

Build Local Citations

In keeping with the need to prove “localness,” it is also important to list your business on relevant online directories and platforms, ensuring consistency in your NAP (name, address, phone number) information.

Much like reviews, for SABs, this means identifying and obtaining listings in relevant directories in each of the applicable service areas.

Again, the goal is to show Google the business operates in the area, so there should be an online presence in the area.

Pro Tip: When deciding which local directories you should appear in for free, or especially for a fee, conduct a few Google searches on the keywords you want to be found for and see if these directories appear. If they don’t, then they likely won’t add much value to you.

Alternatively, you can simply ask the directory to provide statistics on how much traffic/business you can expect to receive through them based on similar businesses they have worked with in the past.

3. Local Link Building

Building high-quality, relevant local backlinks can significantly improve your website’s authority and local search ranking. Here’s how:

• Reach out to local businesses: Partner with complementary businesses in each of your service areas for link exchange opportunities.
• Engage in community involvement: Sponsor local events, participate in community forums, and build relationships with local organizations to earn backlinks. Note: Links from your website (perhaps in a Local Events section) can also provide a signal to Google of your localness.

4. Leverage Service-Area Focused Content Marketing And Social Media

Modern SEO, beyond website structure and relevant backlinking, is very much about creating valuable and informative content to answer all of the questions your target audience has about your services, thereby establishing your business as a trusted resource in the eyes of your customers and search engines.

Here are a few local content marketing recommendations to further help build authority:

• Create local, topically relevant content: Publish blog posts, articles, and guides addressing local issues, events, or topics related to the services you offer and of interest to your target audience. Again, as a service area business, try to identify topics specific to the various areas serviced and link from this content to the specific location pages on the website. Some examples of this type of content may include:
  • Blog posts about local events or community initiatives.
  • Case studies featuring customers from your different service areas.
• Promote your content locally: Creating content is just half the battle. As noted above, content can be shared via your GBP, as well as via social media (provided you’ve established an online following), local online communities (e.g., Nextdoor, Facebook Groups), and email newsletters to reach the widest potential audience. Relevant, local, social SAB content may include:
  • Before-and-after photos of completed projects in different service areas.
  • Customer testimonials.
  • Behind-the-scenes glimpses of the business in action at different locations.

Read More: 9 Types Of Content That Will Help Your Local SEO

5. Monitor And Track Your Local SEO Performance

Regularly monitoring and tracking your local SEO performance is essential to understand which content and channels are working or not, to identify areas for improvement, and to measure the overall effectiveness of your strategies.

There are five primary areas a local SAB should focus on when considering performance.

• Analyze your GBP insights: Regularly review your GBP’s performance, including views, searches, clicks, messages, and calls, to understand how users find and engage with your profile.

Screenshot from Google Business Profile, November 2024

• Use Google Analytics: Track the sources of your website traffic, performance of your landing pages, user behavior, and conversions to understand how users find and interact with your content. Use this information to focus your SEO and content marketing efforts.
• Monitor your local rankings: Use rank tracking tools to monitor and optimize your website’s position in the local Map Pack and organic search results for relevant keywords.
• Track your social media reach and engagement: All social media networks offer tools to measure the reach and engagement of your presence and individual posts. Pay attention to who your most engaged followers are and be sure to engage with them.

Read More: 5 Common Lcoal SEO KPIs And How To Measure Them

Targeting Your Local Presence

Local SEO is critical for service area businesses looking to reach prospective customers within their target area.

By implementing the strategies outlined above, SABs can effectively target their coverage areas, attract local customers, and grow their businesses.

Remember to focus on:

• Optimizing and leveraging your GBP to share content and engage with your customers.
• Obtaining reviews from customers in the various areas you service, particularly if your reach is broad.
• Similarly obtaining backlinks from directories, partners, or other relevant websites across your service area.
• Maintaining a solid, consistent, mobile-friendly website.
• Creating and sharing relevant content to answer all of your customer’s questions.
• Monitoring your performance to see what’s working and what isn’t.

With all of this in mind, do not try to over-extend your reach, as it will be difficult to convince Google you are truly “local” if your service areas are beyond the two-hour driving time range.

More Resources:

Featured Image: BestForBest/Shutterstock

New Study Finds That Review Requests Should Be Treated Like Customer Service

Want to get rid of that sinking feeling of looking with envy at the high review volumes and star ratings of your top local competitors?

You already know that both review count and ratings are contributing to these brands’ dominance in Google’s Packs and Maps.

Today, I’ll share some good news that could help the local businesses you market catch up and compete.

A major report just published from GatherUp has studied 23,000 locations, and from this, I have three key actionable highlights for you.

My favorite overall takeaway from this interesting study is that improving your review volume, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and ratings may involve a slight adjustment in how your local business thinks about reputation management.

The data indicates that this powerful user-generated content (UGC) in the form of reviews actually belongs in the customer service/customer experience department of your operations.

Read on to see why.

Review Volume As A Customer Service KPI

In the real world, your local business has to invest maximum resources into providing the best customer service in town if you want your reputation to deliver optimum profits.

Everything you can do to provide convenient, memorable, neighborly customer experiences will impact both the offline word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews you receive.

GatherUp’s new report takes this work ethic a step further, surfacing a striking correlation between your customers’ convenience and your review acquisition success.

Consider the following data:

1. Customers Appreciate Being Invited To Review Your Local Business

Image from GatherUp, September 2024

Key Takeaway: businesses that actively ask customers for reviews have, on average, 122 reviews per location versus just 53 for locations where review requests are absent.

Across multiple industries, the impact of inviting customers to share their sentiments is powerful.

According to the study, 30% of all customers will act on a well-crafted review request.

Just as you greet every person who visits your premises or phones you, it’s time to extend your customer service policy to welcome all patrons to review you.

In this context, your review volume can be seen as a key performance indicator (KPI) of whether your efforts to engage your community are succeeding or need refinement to yield a better rate of response per request.

2. Customers Respond To Your Care For Their Convenience

Image from GatherUp, September 2024

Key Takeaway: Only 6% of surveyed businesses use the magic combination of both SMS + email to request reviews.

A massive opportunity to increase review volume is being left on the table when your customer service policy overlooks the nicety of requesting reviews via customers’ preferred methodologies.

While email remains an excellent choice for communicating more detailed review requests to a wider audience, 48% of customers now prefer text-based review invitations. Texts have the added bonus of open rates as high as 98%.

On average, an email-only methodology delivers 15 reviews per 100 requests, SMS-only delivers 20 reviews per 100 requests, but a combined approach delivers 26 reviews per 100 requests.

These numbers quickly add up, and detailed findings by industry are available in the report.

Just as many local businesses offer indoor versus outdoor dining or in-store shopping versus delivery, you can improve customer experience, convenience, and responsiveness by diversifying your acquisition platforms.

3. Actively Engaged Customers Can Have A Higher Opinion Of Your Local Brand

Image from GatherUp, September 2024

Key Takeaway: Businesses that invest in reputation management software have, on average, a 50% higher NPS than industry peers.

Your NPS is a calculation of how likely it is that existing customers will recommend your local business to others.

Likewise, four of the six industries surveyed experienced a higher average star rating simply because they took the time to engage customers with a review request.

Your overall average Google star rating is widely believed to be a local search ranking factor, and any gains you can make in this regard should positively impact your visibility in Google’s Local Packs, local finders, and Maps.

Merchants have known since the dawn of commerce how engaging a customer underpins sales. In this scenario, the goal of your outreach is earning sentiment rather than transactions, but the principle remains the same.

If your customer service policy is based on ensuring that customers feel recognized, valued, and respected, you have only to extend this mindset to review requests to pursue referrals and review star growth.

Customer Service As The Nexus Of Local Business Success

I recently did an informal study of how the public rushed to the defense of the Ace Hardware franchise when someone criticized it on X (Twitter) for allegedly having higher prices than larger competitors like Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Nearly 4,000 accounts responded, with the overall sentiment of their comments being that they choose to shop at their local Ace branch because of the exceptionally high quality of its customer service.

Every local brand has options when seeking a competitive difference-maker that will help them become a memorable and trusted resource in the community.

Some common considerations include:

• Location – like locales with high foot traffic.
• Inventory – like a larger or more unusual selection of products.
• Price – like lower prices or bulk-buying options.
• Guarantees – like a no-questions-asked returns policy.
• Deals – like annual sales or bundling offers.
• Loyalty programs – like a referral program or birthday club.
• Expertise – like the Ace hardware example of having highly knowledgeable staff.
• Gimmicks – like an ad campaign that startles or amuses the public.
• Convenience – like offering home delivery or curbside pickup.
• Mission – like having a business story that strongly resonates with the public.

Each of these elements can contribute to a brand becoming known in a particular locale, but unless such factors are paired with excellent customer service, the business will struggle to earn local loyalty and optimum profits.

For example, warehouse-style brands can have an enormous inventory, but if there isn’t enough staff to help customers navigate the aisles, they can feel lost instead of assisted.

In another example, a business may be well-staffed with experts, but if they are not friendly, customers may feel belittled instead of supported.

Meanwhile, a publicity stunt like the owner of an auto dealership parachuting from a plane may momentarily grab attention on local TV, but if the customer experience feels gimmicky when a potential buyer comes to look at cars, the chance to build a strong reputation for the brand may be lost.

Monopolies lack the motivation to focus on customer care and often force the public to put up with unpleasant experiences like long hold times, long lines, or low-quality offerings.

Most small to medium local brands don’t have monopoly status. While some of the items on my bulleted list can be features of a great small brand, it’s only when they’re paired with exceptional customer experiences that these companies begin to achieve “household name” status.

Some of the traditional hallmarks of good customer service include:

• Friendliness – the staff is welcoming and possesses good communication skills.
• Adequate staffing – there are sufficient team members to prevent customers from having to wait to be helped.
• Trustworthiness – all business practices and pricing are transparent.
• Accountability – all staff are trained to resolve complaints with fairness.
• Accessibility – the business is open during stated hours and offers some form of after-hours support.
• Authoritativeness – the staff is well-versed in the offerings and policies of the business.

All of the above factors have mattered to the consumer public for centuries, but a bigger spotlight has been focused on them since the emergence of online local business reviews just a couple of decades ago.

Reviewers As The Authors Of Your Local Business Story

The quality of your customer service matters so much because it can strongly influence all of the following:

• The average star rating of your Google Business Profile.
• The individual star ratings customers leave on your Google Business Profile.
• Your ratings on other review platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor.
• The sentiments customers share about your business in reviews across the web.
• The offline word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations you receive.
• Your reputation in the local business community and potential B2B and cross-promotional relationships that may result from it.

Not only will each of these points impact your profitability, but your online reviews will also form a major component of both your local SEO and local search marketing strategies.

Whitespark conducts the longest-running annual local search ranking factors survey.

Review-related factors have historically ranked among the 20 greatest influences on your visibility within Google’s local search results.

The most recent survey placed all of the following factors in the top 20:

• High numerical Google ratings.
• Quantity of native Google reviews (with text).
• Sustained influx of reviews over time.
• Recency of reviews.

GatherUp’s study highlights the importance of actively asking for reviews. If you are getting customer service right at your place of business, you will get the most benefit from the ranking factors because the ratings and sentiment you receive will be largely positive.

In addition to conceptualizing ratings and reviews as major aids to your local SEO efforts, it turns out that user-generated content (UGC) is some of your most valuable local search marketing material.

A 2023 survey from Ipsos finds that consumers trust reviews from sites like Yelp more than they trust information published by brands.

In this context, it is the reviews that end up authoring the most influential narrative for your local business. Searchers trust online peers to tell them:

• What a great experience feels like at your place of business.
• How your business solves problems for customers when things go wrong.
• What the best aspects are of your business.
• Where your business needs to improve.

As SEM has matured, storytelling has emerged as a key differentiator between brands that harness its power and those who overlook it.

In the local business sector, requesting reviews is both the best and easiest way to turn customers into influential storytellers who are eager to contribute to the success of your business with their voluntary sentiments.

It can help to think of star ratings as a shorthand title for each customer review.

It’s a symbology that immediately signals a volume of information to the viewer, and in Google’s system, much of your UGC may consist only of ratings.

When you can inspire full reviews, however, a much more intriguing and interesting narrative will be at the disposal of every potential customer considering your business.

This dynamic brings us full circle back to the centrality of customer service.

I’ve been reading local business reviews for fun (and as part of my work) since their online debut, and have noticed a consistent phenomenon: Brands that go the extra mile to delight patrons get praised for it in review content.

It might be that part of your customer service policy includes offering random acts of kindness.

Your staff might be empowered to give away little perks like free desserts, really good coupons, or passes to an event.

You might have a pet watering station on your premises, dog treats at your counter, or free collar charms for the holidays.

Details like these regularly get mentioned in reviews, and are great storytelling for your local brand.

Summing Up

GatherUp’s formal report includes a wealth of industry-specific data and practical tips for pleasing potential reviewers.

The overall lesson I’ve learned from absorbing these valuable statistics should come as good tidings to local business owners in competitive markets: Your hard-earned skills at delivering exceptional customer service could be doing more to contribute to your brand’s success.

Demonstrating genuine care for the convenience and opinions of your patrons creates customer experiences that can dramatically impact reputation-oriented KPIs.

A separate large-scale review survey (which I conducted a few years ago at Moz) reached the same conclusion as the survey run by Ipsos: The public trusts what the public says about businesses more than what any business can say about itself.

Online local business reviews have become an incredibly influential sales force, and their value is an added reason to treat every customer with graciousness.

The concern you demonstrate for patrons’ preferences while asking for feedback can result in you achieving a competitive review volume, average star rating, and NPS.

It may require an expansion of your definition of customer service and some strategic planning to improve your review request processes, but your reputation is certainly worth the investment!

Read the full report from GatherUp: Maximizing Your Online Reputation.

More resources: 

Featured Image: RoBird/Shutterstock

Google Business Profile Video Verification Best Practices via @sejournal, @sherrybonelli

Google Business Profiles (GBP) are one of the best ways for a local merchant to get online exposure.

But before your GBP becomes visible to the public, you must verify it by clicking on the Get Verified link.

Screenshot from Google Business Profile, June 2024

When a business sets up a Google Business Profile, Google offers a method (or sometimes several ways) to verify the profile.

This verification process helps Google ensure that the business is a real and legitimate business that is eligible for a GBP and meets Google’s guidelines for representing your business on Google.

In an ideal world, Google would visit each location with a GBP to ensure that the business is real and meets all guidelines.

But that is not possible.

One of the ways Google can verify a business is through video verification. Video verification is the next best thing to visiting a business.

It’s almost like a “digital in-person” check-in on the business.

The video allows Google to actually see the company and more details about the business.

Google’s video verification method tries to authenticate and confirm legitimate businesses and (hopefully) weed out spammy and fake listings that could inundate the Local Pack, Local Finder, and Google Maps and confuse or hurt consumers.

Why Video Verification?

With video verification, Google is trying to ensure that the GBPs set up are legitimate businesses meeting Google’s guidelines.

With the video verification process, Google is trying to get the following information:

• Existence: Is this a genuine/real business? Does it exist?
• Geographic location: Is the business located where the Business Profile says it is located? (It isn’t easy to film a video of a bookstore in New York City and pretend that it’s a bookstore in London.)
• User integrity: Is this an authentic company? Is it a real merchant? Google is trying to determine if someone is attempting to commit fraud.
• Affiliation: Is this merchant actually associated with the business? Do they have the authority to represent the business?

When businesses submit video evidence that proves and shows these things, Google operators can review the video to determine if the evidence presented is strong enough to verify that the business is located where it says it is, performs the work it claims it does, and more.

To go through the video verification process, you’ll need a mobile device with a camera.

If you get this verification option, it’s important that you understand the rationale for the video verification.

You should understand what needs to be included in the video so that the Google operator reviewing it is convinced that your company exists and does what it says it does. The operator must also be convinced that the person taking the video is associated with the business.

They will also want to verify that the geographical location matches the location of the business as listed in its GBP.

It’s also important to follow the on-screen instructions and plan everything out before you start recording the video. Since the video must be done in one continuous shot, planning ahead is crucial!

In the video verification process, Google asks the business owner (or someone with authority to represent the business) to create a short, continuous video that provides evidence that the business is an actual, legitimate business.

The video should be short (approximately two minutes) and to the point.

Each video is manually reviewed by a Google employee and is meant to simulate an in-person visit to the business.

Google doesn’t ask you to share anything sensitive – like people’s faces or documents that contain confidential information.

These videos are kept private and are only used for verification purposes.

Don’t worry; It will never be published and can be deleted anytime.

Screenshot by author, June 2024

Planning Your Video For Business Profile Video Verification

Before you shoot your video, you should plan out what you will show in the video, who will be in it, and who will record it.

Next, you’ll want to ensure you cover the items necessary to convince Google that your business is legitimate.

Here are the types of things you want to be sure to show in your video.

Keep in mind that these items do not have to be shown in any particular order – they just must be shown in the video to prove that your business is real. Google does want you to show the outside first and then go inside the building, however.

Screenshot by author, June 2024

Show That Your Business Exists

For this part of the video, you need to show proof that your business exists, where it is located geographically, and other items that prove it’s a legitimate business.

It’s important to show the exterior of your business first and then go into the interior of your company’s building in the video.

If you’re a storefront business, you must show the outside of the building, as well as the permanent signage on the exterior and any signage/branding inside the building.

Also include the location, relevant street signs, and other nearby businesses, so Google can get an idea of where you’re geographically located.

Don’t show unmarked roads or land – that will not help Google establish your location.

Showing your outdoor signage is a must if you have a storefront location (i.e., a storefront location is when local customers visit your place of business, you have permanent signage, and you must have employees staffed at the business location during stated business hours.)

Permanent signage is a requirement for storefront businesses. Vinyl banners or other temporary signs do not count as permanent signage.

If you do not have permanent signage, you do not qualify as a storefront.

Pan your video next door and across the street to show the businesses nearby so Google can double-check with Google Maps and Streetview to ensure that your business is located where you claim it is.

Image from author, August 2022

It’s also vital to walk into your building and show the inside of your company so Google sees that it’s a legitimate business – and not just empty rooms.

Any time you can show your company’s branding on the walls – like in the lobby or entryway – it’s great to show those types of things in the video.

If you work in an office building with multiple floors and many businesses, be sure to show the office building’s business directory pointing out your company’s listing and suite number.

If you have any professional tools that you use, marketing materials, or company branding, be sure to show those in the video as well.

If you’re a Service Area Business (SAB), you will need to show any tools of the trade that you use to perform your work for clients in the video.

For instance, if you are a solar company, you should show the solar panels you install, any installation equipment you use, branded trucks, ladders, any heavy equipment you use, tools of the trade that you have stored, etc.

Are you a lawn care company? Show all your lawnmowing equipment, trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. (The average Joe at home won’t have 10 commercial lawnmowers, for instance – but you do!)

It’s also vital to show your service vehicles with the branding on them. (A video showing a plain white van will not be acceptable.)

So, ensure that your service vehicles are branded with your company name and logo and are seen clearly in the video.

Show Geographic Location

Google wants to know that your business is located where your GBP says it is located. The Google operator needs to be convinced that the company in the video is in the same geographical location as in Google Maps.

If you’re a storefront business, you can show street signs near your business, pan over, and show adjacent companies near your company. However, showing Google a vacant lot where your business should be will not instill confidence that you are a legitimate business.

Image by author, August 2022

If you operate your SAB out of your home, show the street signs, your home with your street number on it, your mailbox, and any other things that prove your address.

Show User Integrity: Prove You’re A Real Business

One way to prove you have a real business is by showing items in the video that only a real business like yours would have.

For example, showing a generic software application on your computer screen will not convince Google that you’re a legitimate business.

Image by author, August 2022

If your company uses specific software to operate your business, then showing that software on your computer screen and your audio/video setup in the video would help prove to Google that you are legit. For example:

• You’re an accountant and you use professional accounting software.
• You’re a veterinarian and you use software specifically developed for vets’ offices.
• You’re a digital marketer or design firm that creates videos or podcasts for clients using a specialized tool.

If you’re a Service Area Business, showing your work van with equipment in the back of the truck in the video is very helpful for the Google operator as they review your video to determine the legitimacy of your company.

Affiliation: Is The Merchant Real?

For this part of the video, you need to prove that the company is real and that the merchant is actually affiliated with the company and has the authority to represent the business.

That’s why it’s so important that the person in the video is either the owner or manager.

If you have a storefront business, in the video, you need to show that you have access to employee-only locations or sections of the business.

For instance, show you opening the store/business using a key, operating the cash register, using the POS system, going into an area of the business where customers or the general public aren’t allowed, etc.

This part of the video aims to show that the person is either the owner or an authorized person who has authority over the location.

Showing the person unlocking the business door is a very important item to show in the video.

Image by author, August 2022

You also want to go to places in your business where the general public is not allowed.

For instance, if you own a restaurant, customers are not allowed to be behind the counter near the cash register or take out food. Showing this in the video is a great proof of management.

If you have a business license, liquor license, or any other official/legal document hanging on the wall, zoom in on it. This is especially important if the document shows your business name and address as shown on your Google Business Profile. (Ideally, everything should match!)

If you operate a Service Area Business, you will need to show access to any industry-specific software, open up your branded vehicle and show the equipment or tools you use to perform the jobs you do.

Image by author, August 2022

You can also show close-ups of any business licenses, Secretary of State documents, LLC or incorporation docs, or any other official documents that prove your company’s name and address.

Just zoom in on the documents so Google can see them. Again, the business name and address must match what’s on your Google Business Profile.

Note: If you get the video verification option and are not ready to do the video at that moment, no worries! You can complete the verification step when you’re able to – like in a day or so after you’ve had time to plan out what you’ll show in the video.

Completing The Video Verification Process

When you’re taking the video, it’s okay to put these items in whichever order makes sense for your particular situation – just make sure you cover all of the necessary requirements.

Remember, the video must be one continuous video. It cannot be recorded somewhere else and then uploaded.

The video must be created using the Google Business Profile video verification process.

If you started creating your Google Business Profile on a desktop computer, when you get to the video verification step, you will see a QR code that you can scan with your mobile device.

This allows you to continue the video verification process on your mobile device. Just make sure you’re signed in with your Google Business Profile email address on your mobile device.

Screenshot from Google Business Profile, July 2022

When you’re ready to start recording your video, tap Start Recording.

Screenshot from Google Business Profile, July 2022

And then, follow the steps to record your video.

After you have recorded the video, tap Stop Recording. The merchant can then choose to finish onboarding on a desktop or your mobile device. (Finishing on your mobile device is probably the simplest choice.)

Click the “Upload Video” button.

Since the video is all created in the app, you don’t have to worry about how large the video file size is. (Whew!)

Then click Done.

After you submit your video, it can take up to five days for the Google Business Profile support team to review your video. Do not delete the video until it’s been reviewed and you’ve received the notification that your Business Profile has been verified.

If, for some reason, the video verification method didn’t work, you will see the “Get Verified” button in your Google Business Profile. You will then need to re-do your video. Try to provide more proof in your video.

Once you’re done with your video, you can delete the video if you want to.

To delete the video, follow these steps:

• On Google Search, go to your Business Profile. Learn how to find your profile.
• At the top right, click More (the three dots) Advanced settings > Video uploads > Delete videos.

Then you’re done! You’re now able to continue optimizing your Google Business Profile and engage with your potential customers!

Help Videos

Google has created some help videos that walk you through the video verification process. These videos are meant to assist you in learning what’s needed in video verification.

It’s worth watching these videos before you start your video verification:

How To Get Video Verification Support

What do you do if you’re still having problems with video verification? If you need help with your video verification you need to go through the verification status tool. Here’s the process for getting Google Business Profile Support using the verification status tool.

You will be asked to verify that the email address you’re using is the correct one. Make sure you’re logged into the correct email address that is attached to the Google Business Profile you’re trying to verify.

Next, select the Business Profile that you’re having issues with.

Screenshot by author, June 2024

Depending on your status, you may be sent back to the Google Business Profile dashboard, but if you go back to the Verification Status tool you will see the option to contact support. Choose Yes and click Continue.

Screenshot by author, June 2024

Then click on the “Get in touch with our support team” link.

Screenshot by author, June 2024

In the “What is your issue?” section, choose “My business profile is not verified.”

Make sure you select “Yes” next to the radio button that asks if you have tried uploading a verification video. (Note: choosing “Yes” is very important!)

Screenshot by author, June 2024

Then, continue to fill out the rest of the form completely. You’ll be asked to upload proof that you have a legitimate business. Be sure to upload this information.

It’s very important that you provide Google with all the necessary information about your business when you complete this form.

Video Verification: A Better Way

Even though video verification may seem more cumbersome, it’s a much better way for Google to see whether or not a business is real – or not.

This will hopefully cut down on the spam profiles we see on Google.

What are your thoughts on Google Business Profile Video Verification?

More resources:

Featured Image: BestForBest/Shutterstock

Organic Vs. Paid Search And Social Media: A Guide For Local Business Owners via @sejournal, @JRiddall

Local business owners consistently face a familiar digital marketing conundrum.

With a myriad of options available and seemingly growing daily, including the recent introductions of AI into the mix, how do you determine the best and most effective approach for your business?

To begin, most local businesses have two (or technically four) primary paths to consider: Organic and paid strategies for both search and social media.

In this guide, we’ll explore the nuances of each option, weigh the pros and cons, and offer actionable insights to help make informed decisions on where to invest your valuable time, resources, and funds.

Understanding Organic And Paid Strategies

Let’s start by defining the fundamental difference between organic and paid strategies:

• Organic: Focuses on building long-term brand awareness, trust, and authority via the creation and distribution of consistent, high-quality, optimized content and community engagement. This strategy requires the careful cultivation of a loyal customer base, which naturally takes time and effort.
• Paid: Involves investing in often online advertising campaigns to achieve immediate visibility and reach a broader audience quickly. A paid strategy offers a shortcut but requires balancing cost vs. lead volume and quality.

And so, with both search and social media, local business owners are faced with organic and paid options, each of which has unique time, resource, and cost considerations in terms of initial implementation and results.

Below, we’ll review the best practices required for success, along with the pros and cons of each strategy.

While not listed as a best practice, assume all strategies require ongoing monitoring and optimization based on desired outcomes and results – a must for all digital marketing efforts.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

The term search engine marketing is sometimes equated with paid strategies only, but it should really be considered the umbrella for both organic search (local SEO) and paid search (PPC).

Organic Local SEO

The goal of local SEO is for your business to appear prominently in the Local Map Pack and/or organic search results when your customers are looking for services or products you offer.

Screenshot from search for [barrie plumbers], Google, May 2024

Local SEO is much like traditional SEO but requires a few additional steps to be taken.

Best Practices

• Keyword research: Identify keywords tied to your business’s services/products, location and competition, which potential customers will be searching for.
• Website/on-page optimization: Build a mobile-friendly, responsive, locally-focused website. Optimize your website’s title tags, headings, internal/external links, meta descriptions, and content with relevant keywords.
• Local listings: Create a comprehensive and active Google Business Profile (GBP) and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) is consistent across online directories.
• Reviews: Positive, authentic customer reviews, particularly those on GBP, which have been responded to quickly, will go a long way towards establishing local dominance.
• Backlinks: Identify relevant local and industry-specific sources to obtain inbound links from to boost authority.
• Content marketing: Consistently produce and share high-quality, locally relevant content that answers your audience’s questions and provides consistent value.

Pros

• Cost-effective: While SEO requires time and effort to conduct research, identify opportunities or gaps, implement best practice solutions, and monitor results, the overall cost (depending on several factors) tends to be lower than paid search.
• Credibility: Organic search results are generally perceived as more trustworthy by users.
• Long-term benefits: A well-optimized web presence (e.g., an optimized website, Google Business Profile, high-quality shared content, and relevant backlinks) can consistently attract organic traffic over time.

Cons

• Delayed results: As noted, establishing authority and trust is a long-term game. It can take several months to see significant results from SEO activities.
• Algorithmic and AI dependency: Search engine algorithms and now LLMs feeding AI-generated results (see Google AI overviews) are constantly evolving, which necessitates ongoing optimization.
• Competitive: Establishing authority and visibility for popular keywords can be quite challenging, especially for local businesses in highly populated areas.

Some, including yours truly, will argue that establishing local authority and visibility is very much tied to running a solid business, delivering exceptional services, and engaging with your community.

Well-run local businesses are effectively engaged in local SEO and have an opportunity to be found by their customers via organic search.

Local Paid Search (PPC)

Paid search involves creating and distributing engaging text, image, or video (YouTube) ads on Google or Bing’s search or display networks linked to conversion-focused standalone or website landing pages.

At a local level, service businesses have the option of purchasing Google Local Services Ads, which require qualified businesses to go through a verification process.

Screenshot from search for [barrie plumbers], Google Maps, May 2024

Best Practices

• Keyword bidding: Choose relevant keywords with relatively high search volumes and low competition.
• Ad copy optimization: Write compelling ad copy highlighting your unique value proposition.
• Landing page optimization: Create landing pages aligned with your ad copy and encourage conversions.
• Remarketing: Target users who previously visited your website with ads tailored to products or services they may have interacted with.

Pros

• Immediate visibility: Ads tied to keyword searches appear near the top of search results immediately.
• Targeted reach: Ads can be precisely targeted to specific demographics and locations.
• Easily measured results: Track impressions, clicks, and conversions to analyze campaign performance and adjust ad spend accordingly.

Cons

• Costly: PPC advertising can be expensive, especially for competitive keywords, such as “plumbers in New York.” A Wordstream study found the average CTR across all industries in Google Ads is 1.91% on the search network and 0.35% on the display network. This means you need to pay for a lot of impressions in order to get clicks.
• Quantity over quality: Lots of PPC traffic does not typically translate into lots of conversions.
• Click fraud: Many clicks may come from bots or your competitions, thereby wasting a portion of your allotted budget.
• Temporary results: Once you stop paying, your ads and traffic will disappear.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

I don’t need to tell you about social media’s pervasiveness in our modern world. However, many local businesses still aren’t quite sure how or if it fits into their marketing mix.

The answers to these questions often lie in the nature of your business and the behaviors and preferences of your audience. In other words, do you have or can you create content that lends itself to social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok?

Do you expect your audience will go to these channels or other social channels in search of this content?

Most local businesses certainly can benefit from a social media strategy as it’s effectively an extension of their community online.

Organic Social Media

Organic social refers to posting text, images, audio, video, and/or links to any social media channel.

In order for this content to be seen and engaged with, it’s necessary to build and nurture a social following (which is sometimes a missed step in the social media marketing process.)

Screenshot of Superior Plumbing & Heating of Barrie Facebook page/post, May 2024

Best Practices

• Visually engaging content: Use high-quality images and videos to capture your consumer’s attention.
• Content calendar: Plan and schedule your social media posts in advance.
• Hashtags: Use relevant, keyword-rich hashtags to reach a wider audience who use them as a social search mechanism.
• Calls to action: Encourage viewers to click, visit or buy!
• Audience building: Follow, like, and share content from other relevant local businesses and content creators.
• Community engagement: Respond to all comments, messages, and mentions promptly.

Pros

• Cost-effective: Most social media platforms are generally free to use.
• Brand building: Foster customer relationships, build community, and showcase your brand’s personality.
• Customer engagement: Interact directly with customers, answer questions, and address their concerns.

Cons

• Limited reach: Even if you establish a following, which takes time, organic reach on social media is declining, making it harder to reach a significant audience.
• Social network dependency: Social media algorithms control the prioritization and display of content in user feeds, also limiting potential reach.
• Time-consuming: Creating engaging content and managing multiple social media accounts takes time.

Paid Social Media

Paid social, much like paid search, offers the options of text, image, or video ads distributed via the social network where you expect your audience to be engaged.

Screenshot of mobile Meta/Facebook Ad, May 2024

Best Practices

• Audience targeting: Create and target custom hyper-local audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors tracked and stored by the social networks.
• Ad format: Choose the right ad format for your campaign objectives (e.g. image ads, video ads, carousel ads).
• Ad copy: Write compelling ad copy highlighting your unique value proposition.
• Landing page optimization: Create landing pages aligned with your ad copy and encourage conversions.

Pros

• Targeted reach: The ability to reach very specific demographics, interests, and behaviors
• Increased visibility: The opportunity to boost your popular organic posts to reach a larger audience.
• Measurable results: Track clicks, impressions, and conversions to analyze and optimize campaign performance.

Cons

• Costly: As with PPC, paid social media advertising can be expensive, especially when competing in competitive industries or highly populated locations.
• Ad fatigue: Consumers may become annoyed or simply blind to excessive/intrusive advertising.
• Algorithm dependency: Social media algorithms also prioritize paid content, making it difficult for posts to gain traction.

Local Challenges

Regardless of the tactic chosen, there are some challenges local business owners need to acknowledge and address.

• Limited budgets: Local businesses often have smaller marketing budgets, making it difficult to compete with larger companies on paid search and social media platforms. Be strategic in your spending and focus on targeting the right audience with the right message.
• Local competition: Local businesses face stiff competition from other businesses in their area, both online and off. Standing out from the crowd can be challenging, especially in saturated markets. Look for opportunities to differentiate your business through unique value propositions, exceptional customer service, and targeted campaigns.
• Limited resources: Many local businesses have limited staff and digital marketing expertise. You may simply not have the time or knowledge to manage complex paid search and social media campaigns effectively. Consider outsourcing to a digital marketing agency or consultant, but do your homework and ask to see what results they have produced for other local businesses.
• Keeping up with trends: It can be overwhelming for local businesses to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. Partnering with a digital marketing expert can help them stay ahead of the curve.

Choosing The Right Strategy For Your Local Business

The most effective approach for your local business will depend on your specific goals, budget, and target audience. In assessing your options, consider the following factors:

• Goals: What are you trying to achieve? Increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or increase sales?
• Budget: How much are you willing to spend on marketing? Monthly, quarterly, or seasonally?
• Target audience: Who are the people you are trying to reach? What keywords do you think they are using when searching for your services or products? What social media platforms do they use?
• Timeframe: How quickly do you need to see results for a particular service or product offering?

A well-rounded digital marketing strategy often involves a combination of organic and paid tactics – not organic vs. paid, but organic and paid.

A common and effective approach is to identify organic keywords or topics on which your business has some level of authority and/or visibility, from which you are already receiving traffic and upon which you can build.

Perhaps this represents a unique product or service you offer or one that your customers particularly favor. This is where you focus your local SEO attention.

Concurrently, you may also identify high-value, low-competition keywords you are willing to pay for either via PPC or paid social ads, provided they deliver quick, meaningful results.

Another strategy involves using paid search or social as a test to understand which keywords or topics resonate with your audience and on which channels before you devote time and effort to building and rolling out a full organic content strategy.

If you do have the budget for a comprehensive approach, consider integrating both paid search and paid social into your digital marketing strategy.

Use paid search to capture high-intent users actively searching for your products or services and paid social to build brand awareness, nurture leads, and reach a wider audience.

A Few Words On Analytics

One reason digital marketing has gained so much prominence, besides increasing consumer demand for immediate gratification, is the power of data underlying all online interactions.

While sometimes overwhelming, all digital marketing can be tracked, analyzed, and optimized based on what’s working and what isn’t.

Website interactions and inbound channel traffic can be tracked via Google Analytics, PPC ads offer detailed impressions, click and conversion tracking via Google Adwords and Bing Ads, and virtually all paid social platforms include detailed tracking options.

For small businesses, this may be as simple as understanding how many leads or paying customers are being generated from online sources.

However, the more detailed information you can get about the channels responsible for delivering actual customers to your online or physical door, the better.

The Holy Grail is to be able to understand the return you are getting on your investment in each channel, but at least getting close will help validate your strategic decisions.

The Decisions Are Yours

Ultimately, which strategies fit your specific needs will be up to you and will certainly require some fine-tuning over time.

By understanding the true costs, pros, and cons of each approach, you can develop a balanced approach which will deliver tangible results.

More resources: 

Featured Image: chainarong06/Shutterstock