Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways Consistent, simple GBP updates signal trust and relevance to Google faster than most SEO tactics.
Active profiles win: fresh photos, complete info and real reviews drive local visibility quickly.
At my marketing agency, there are a lot of things we are testing and collecting data on regarding SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how to improve the ranking and exposure of businesses to their ideal clients.
There are dozens of things we work on, and some make a bigger difference than others, but today I wanted to highlight 3 specific things that any small business can do for free to start improving their rankings within days.
This will work for any small local business that has a verified Google Business Profile set up and hasn’t been actively optimizing or updating it.
Related: This One Google Feature Is Eating Away at Your Online Traffic — Here’s How to Fight Back
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) and how Google uses signals from it
Google’s algorithm has one main goal, and that’s to show searchers the best and most relevant sources and information available. Hundreds of signals go into how Google’s algorithm determines “the most relevant” sources and information, and Google doesn’t disclose what those are.
That makes improving your rankings and exposure nothing but a guessing game. They do disclose “best practices” and the ways they encourage webmasters and business owners to behave, but again, there are no concrete steps or actions here.
... continue reading