You’re scrolling through LinkedIn, on a Wednesday, in a café, coffee in hand, and suddenly you’re drowning in posts about AIO, GEO, and AEO. Someone’s bragging about their AI-powered SEO workflow. Another one is declaring that traditional SEO is dead. Your chest tightens. You feel behind.

Welcome to SEO imposter syndrome.

The SEO industry is changing with the rise of AI search engines, large language models, and generative AI platforms. But here’s what some experts (and maybe we can call some gatekeepers) don’t want you to know: underneath all the new acronyms and buzzwords, it’s still just SEO.

You’re not falling behind. You’re not an imposter. You’re a professional navigating a natural evolution in your field, and the skills you already have are more valuable than ever.

Understanding SEO Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is the psychological pattern where you doubt your accomplishments and fear being exposed as a fraud, despite clear evidence of your competence. In SEO, this can manifest as scrolling through industry LinkedIn posts and thinking everyone else has mastered AI optimization while you’re still figuring out the basics.

SEO professionals and other digital marketers are particularly vulnerable right now because we’re dealing with rapid shifts that feel like it’s survival of the Swiftest… I mean fittest. The introduction of ChatGPT Search, Google’s AI Overviews, Atlas, and other AI-powered platforms has created a perfect storm of insecurities. Every week brings new tools claiming to be “essential” and new experts declaring old methods are obsolete.

But here’s what we don’t see: the senior SEO director who’s been in the industry for 22+ years and now questions whether their experience still matters. The mid-level SEO specialist who sees junior colleagues confidently discussing AI prompts and wonders if they’ve been left behind. The agency owner who’s afraid to admit they don’t fully understand the difference between AEO and GEO.

Experience doesn’t protect you from self-doubt. Sometimes it amplifies it, because you feel like you should know everything.

Let’s be honest about what’s making SEO feel so overwhelming right now. These changes being driven by AI aren’t just minor updates. They represent fundamental shifts in how people search for information. But understanding why it feels intimidating can help you recognize that these feelings are normal responses to change, not evidence of inability.

Common triggers for SEO imposter syndrome

• The pace of change: ChatGPT launched in November 2022. Google’s Search Generative Experience rolled out in 2024. Perplexity gained a bunch of users. OpenAI then released SearchGPT. Trying to keep up feels like running on a treadmill that keeps speeding up.
• Jargon overload: Suddenly, everyone’s talking about “semantic search optimization,” “entity-based SEO,” “AI content detection,” “prompt engineering for search,” and “citation optimization for LLMs.”
• Gatekeeping language: Some industry leaders (intentionally or not) make these changes sound more complex than they actually are. When an expert casually mentions “optimizing entity graphs for generative retrieval systems”, they might just mean “make your content clear about who and what you’re talking about”.
• Tool proliferation: Every day seems to bring another AI-powered SEO tool you “can’t live without.” There are AI content optimizers, AI-driven keyword research platforms, AI crawlers, AI rank trackers, and AI-everything else. The implicit message is that if you’re not using all of them, you’re doing SEO wrong.
• Conflicting advice: One expert says traditional link building is dead. Another says it’s more important than ever. Someone declares that keyword research is obsolete. Someone else shares their keyword strategy that drove massive results. The contradictions are exhausting and can make you question your own judgment.
• Social media pressure: LinkedIn and Twitter are highlight reels. You see carefully curated success stories about how someone 10x’d their traffic using AI optimization, but you don’t see the months of testing, the failed experiments, or the advantages they might have had. You’re comparing your behind-the-scenes struggle to everyone else’s successes.

Humans can only process so much new information at once. When you’re learning a fundamentally new technology while trying to maintain your current work, feeling overwhelmed is the expected outcome. Your brain isn’t broken. The pace is genuinely intense.

But, here’s the good news: while the surface of SEO looks different, the majority of core SEO principles all remain unchanged. The fundamentals that made you good at SEO five years ago, like how to understand user intent, create valuable content, and solve technical problems, are still valuable today.

Before we dive deeper, let’s get crystal clear on something:

Every tactic you’re being told you need to master is still fundamentally SEO work.

It’s not separate. It’s not a different profession. It’s SEO adapting to how people actually search for and discover information. The channels have multiplied, but the core discipline remains the same: making valuable content discoverable to people who need it.

Let’s talk about what SEO actually is. At its core, SEO has always been about helping people find valuable information when they’re looking for it. Whether that information appears in Google’s blue links, in an AI Overview, or as a ChatGPT response doesn’t change the fundamental job.

The medium may be evolving. The mission hasn’t.

When mobile search became a thing, we didn’t invent “Mobile Engine Optimization” as a separate profession. We adapted SEO practices to include mobile-first indexing, responsive design, and mobile page speed. When voice search grew, we didn’t create “Voice Search Professionals” as an entirely separate career. We incorporated conversational keywords and featured snippet optimization into existing SEO workflows.

AI search is the same story. It’s an expansion of your toolkit, not a replacement of your profession. Most of the AI search tactics SEOs talk about on LinkedIn, being a “completely separate game,” are all convoluted ways of describing the current SEO best practices.

How traditional SEO Principles apply in the AI era

Quality content for users Quality content for users and AI systems

You’ve always created content that answers questions clearly and provides genuine value. That hasn’t changed. Now you’re just making sure AI systems can also understand and cite that content. The same qualities that make content good for humans, like clarity, structure, accuracy, and comprehensiveness, make it good for AI.

Keyword research Intent research (keywords + entity matching)

You’ve always researched what people are searching for and what they actually want to find. You’re still doing that. But now you’re also thinking about the broader context of queries. What related questions might someone have? What entities (people, places, things) are connected to a topic? How do AI platforms “fan out” from one query to related ones?

Link building Authority building (links + brand mentions + citations)

You’ve always worked to build your brand or site’s authority and trustworthiness. Links are still important. Now you’re also paying attention to whether AI platforms mention your brand, whether you’re cited as a source, and whether your content appears in AI-generated answers. Brand visibility and clear positioning have always been relevant to overall visibility in both search and now AI.

Technical optimization Technical optimization (still the same)

You’ve always ensured sites are crawlable, fast, and properly structured. That hasn’t changed. LLMs can extract data based on clarity, consistency, and formatting, so your content must be clean, structured, and highly contextual. But the technical skills you use to fix robots.txt issues, improve core web vitals, and implement structured data? Those are the exact same skills, only now, maybe AI can help you out of a troubleshooting tight spot.

User experience User experience (still just as important as it always was)

You’ve always focused on making websites helpful, usable, and satisfying for visitors. Google’s algorithms have always prioritized user experience, and AI search platforms do the same. Whether you’re found through a Google search or from a linked citation in an LLM, your site should deliver a seamless experience to help drive conversions.

When measuring performance, does hearing the phrase “measure your brand’s AI visibility” make you spiral? You’re not alone. It’s not just sharing that your organic traffic is, in fact, turning into real business. As SEOs, we need to adapt and find ways to show that traffic from AI tools is valuable (or that you even show up at all).

However, most AI-visibility tools only tell you whether the prompt you chose to track produced a citation in that one answer. Helpful for a few priority questions? Sure. A full picture of how people actually find you? Not even close.

Here’s a better way to measure without dropping huge amounts of budget on yet another tool:

1) Start with customer reality, not tool output. Talk to customers. Ask what they searched for, which tools they used (Google, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Reddit, etc.), and what they typed. Turn this into a short list of ideas and make note of the questions people actually ask.

2) Keep “AI visibility checks” in their place. Use trackers for a handful of high-stakes questions where you know demand exists (you should have historical SEO traffic/conversions for them). Treat results as spot checks, not a KPI. Visibility does not equal impact.

3) Measure what AI traffic does (not just if it “saw” you). You can’t reliably track every AI mention, but you can track behaviour once people hit your site. You can build a segment for sessions from AI Tools in GA4. Then, in the Explore tab, build a Page Path Exploration to look at the top landing pages and next steps for that segment. Spot patterns: “AI visitors read X, bounce on Y, never convert after Z.” That’s your conversion rate optimization list of to-dos right there!

Bottom line, don’t let “AI visibility” dashboards fuel imposter syndrome. A clean GA4 setup can tell you what matters: are AI-influenced visitors converting, and how can we help them do it more?

Not everyone in the SEO industry has an incentive to make things feel accessible. Some of the complexity is real, but some is manufactured.

When you’re selling premium consulting services, courses, or software, there’s a business advantage to positioning yourself as the expert who understands the “complex” new landscape while everyone else is lost. This is still a new enough area that currently there is no agreed-upon taxonomy; so agencies, publishers, marketers, and SEO specialists have adopted a bunch of different acronyms to describe the same trend (e.g. AEO, GEO, etc.).

The confusion isn’t accidental. It’s a symptom of an industry trying to establish thought leadership by creating new or proprietary terminology. But let’s avoid that and make this shift feel more accessible:

• You don’t need to be a data scientist to optimize for AI search. Most “AI SEO” is about making your content clear, well-structured, and genuinely helpful. All things you already know how to do!
• You don’t need to understand transformer models, neural networks, or natural language processing architectures to succeed. Understanding what LLMs do (process and synthesize information) is enough. You don’t need to completely understand how they do it.
• You don’t need expensive certifications in machine learning. The actual optimization work involves writing better content, improving site structure, and building authority. Literally, your existing skillset.

If you’ve been in the industry long enough, think about when Google introduced rich snippets using structured data. The technical documentation was (and still can be) intimidating. JSON-LD looked like programming. But once you implemented schema markup a few times, you realized it’s just a way to label information so search engines understand it better. The concept is simple. The technical implementation just takes practice.

The pressure you’re feeling isn’t just about learning new AI tools. It’s about the fundamental expansion of what “SEO” is expected to encompass.

A decade ago, SEOs could focus primarily on technical optimization, keyword research, and link building. You could recommend that clients “work with social media” or “create video content” and hand that off to specialists.

But now, the expectations have shifted.

Why does the SEO role feel so broad now?

Search happens everywhere now. People don’t just type queries into Google. They ask ChatGPT questions. They search on TikTok for product reviews. They use Instagram search for local businesses. They listen to podcast recommendations. They trust Reddit threads. Each platform has its own way of generating results, its own optimization requirements, and its own best practices.

Clients expect you to understand all of it because it all affects discoverability.

You can’t just recommend, you have to deliver. When you tell a client, “you should be active on social media to build authority for AI search,” they expect a complete strategy. What should we post? How often? What topics? How does this tie to ROI? You can’t just say “hire a social media manager,” you need to understand how social signals, brand mentions, and engagement impact search visibility.

The ROI pressure is also growing. Executives want to know: if I invest in TikTok content, what’s the SEO impact? If I optimize for ChatGPT citations, how does that affect Google traffic? If I build a podcast, how long until I see ranking improvements? You’re expected to quantify the value of strategies that may take months to show results across multiple platforms.

It’s no wonder you feel like an imposter when the job description has quietly expanded from “search engine optimization” to “omniscient digital marketing strategist who understands every platform where people might discover content.”

But you don’t need to be an expert in every platform. You do need to be strategic about how different channels support your core SEO strategy. You need to understand enough about each channel to:

• Recognize opportunities and threats
• Ask the right questions of specialists
• Prioritize what actually moves the needle
• Explain connections between tactics and outcomes

That’s different from being a social media expert, video production specialist, and podcast strategist all at once.

When you’re trying to balance traditional SEO with AI optimization, social media for authority building, video content, and everything else clients expect, how do you decide where to focus?

Here’s a prioritization framework for SEO professionals who feel overwhelmed by the expanding scope of “search.”

1. Start with foundational SEO best practices. If your technical SEO isn’t solid, if pages aren’t indexing properly, if site speed is poor, if mobile experience is broken, fix that before worrying about ChatGPT optimization. AI systems have the same access limitations as traditional crawlers.
2. Prioritize high-impact tactics that work everywhere. Clear, well-structured content with direct answers helps traditional search, AI search, and user experience simultaneously.
3. Build authority strategically, not everywhere. You don’t need to be on every social platform. Pick one to two (to start even!) where your audience actually engages, and be consistent there. Quality over quantity always wins.
4. Approach multi-channel presence with an SEO lens. When you create social content, think about brand mentions and authority building. When you do create videos, optimize for YouTube search. Every channel should tie back to your core SEO objectives.
5. Test AI-specific tactics iteratively. Try restructuring a few articles with chunk-level optimization. Implement FAQ schema on high-priority pages. Monitor what gets cited and scale what works.

Then, start experimenting after you’ve handled the essentials. New platforms and tools are interesting, but don’t let experimentation distract from tactics that consistently drive results.

Real-World Applications

• For client work: Use this matrix to push back on scope creep. “We can absolutely explore TikTok, but we need to fix these foundational technical issues first because they’re limiting everything else.” Give clients realistic timelines and explain how tactics build on each other.
• For your own learning: Focus your professional development on high-impact tactics first. Master clear content structure and E-E-A-T before diving deep into experimental AI tools.
• For reporting: Show how different tactics support each other. “The LinkedIn content we published built authority that led to real visits from AI tools and increased our direct traffic.” Help stakeholders understand the interconnected nature of modern search.

Remember, you can’t do everything, and that’s okay. Strategic SEO is about understanding how different tactics connect, prioritizing what creates the most leverage, and being honest about timelines and resource requirements.

Enough about what’s overwhelming. Let’s talk about what you can actually do to expand your skillset without falling down the imposter syndrome rabbit hole.

1. Start with one new tool or concept at a time

The biggest mistake you can make is trying to master everything simultaneously. Pick one AI-related element that addresses your current biggest pain point, then spend time with just that.

If you’re struggling with content briefs, experiment with using ChatGPT to help research topics (while fact-checking everything!). If you want to understand how AI platforms see your content, try asking ChatGPT or Perplexity questions about your industry and see which sources they cite. If you’re curious about optimization, pick one article and restructure it with clearer headings and more direct answers to questions.

Give yourself permission to explore for 30 minutes without the pressure to immediately implement everything.

2. Focus on principles, not tactics

Understand why changes are happening, not just what to do about them.

• Why are AI search platforms growing? Because people want faster, more direct answers without clicking through multiple pages. What does that tell you about optimization? That your content needs to answer questions clearly and concisely early on.
• Why do LLMs cite certain sources? Because those sources are authoritative, well-structured, and provide clear, verifiable information. What does that tell you? That the same qualities that make content citation-worthy for experts or journalists, might make it citation-worthy for AI.

When you understand the strategic thinking behind new approaches, the implementation becomes intuitive.

3. Experiment in safe spaces

Test new strategies on personal projects first, where there’s no client pressure or risks.

• Create a blog about a hobby and practice optimizing it for AI search. This is similar advice I’d give to someone learning SEO for the first time.
• Ask ChatGPT questions about your own content and see how it performs.
• Join communities where you can ask “basic” questions without judgment. Communities like Women In Tech SEO, for example, have members at all skill levels and are very welcoming and supportive!

Remember, everyone is figuring this out together. The experts you admire are experimenting, failing, and learning just like you.

4. Reframe AI as an assistant, not a replacement

One of the biggest sources of anxiety is thinking AI will replace your job. But consider what’s actually happening. AI tools are speeding up research, automating repetitive tasks, and helping generate first drafts.

Use AI to help you be better at your job, not to do your job for you. Your human judgment and your ability to assess quality, understand context, recognize when something doesn’t make sense, and make strategic decisions are your most valuable assets in SEO.

AI is just a tool that makes you more effective at using your own judgment and skill.

5. Document your learning journey

Here’s a powerful strategy for combating imposter syndrome:

Share what you’re learning as you learn it. When you figure out something about AI search optimization, write about it. When you test a new tool, share your experience. When you’re confused about something, ask publicly (something that I still struggle with)! Sharing reinforces learning. Explaining a concept to others solidifies your own understanding. Plus, you’ll contribute to breaking down gatekeeping by more openly talking about these topics.

Celebrate small wins publicly. “Today I successfully implemented FAQ schema for the first time” is worth sharing. “I spent an hour analyzing how Perplexity cites sources in my industry” is valuable documentation.

Build your own reference library. When you read a helpful article, bookmark it with notes about what you learned. When you figure out how to do something, document the process for your future self (or others at your workplace!). Over time, you’ll create a personal knowledge base that proves your growth.

Let’s bring this home with the most important message: you belong ~~with me~~ in SEO, and your skills matter more than ever. Imposter syndrome is a feeling, not a reality. Curiosity and willingness to learn will always win over knowing everything.

If you’re just starting out in the SEO universe and feeling overwhelmed by everything there is to know about SEO and AI, remember:

the SEO professionals who succeed in the long term aren’t those who knew about every algorithm update first or adopted every new tool the fastest. They’re the ones who stayed curious, adapted thoughtfully, and focused on the fundamentals that drive results.

If you’re a seasoned SEO, remember: your experience matters. Those years of SEO work taught you how to diagnose technical issues, understand user behavior, create content that ranks, and interpret data. Those skills don’t expire because LLMs exist. They become more valuable because you have the foundation to understand how new platforms fit into the larger search ecosystem.

So, here’s your call to action:

Share one thing you want to learn about AI search optimization, or one fear that you’re choosing to let go. Be specific. Be honest. What you share might be exactly what someone else needs to read today.

Share this article with another SEO professional who’s feeling overwhelmed. Send it to a professional friend who says “I’m not technical enough for this,” because it’s okay to be learning.

We’re in this together!

The basics are the high-level SEO tactics that have been proven to have a positive impact on the algorithm in the not-so-distant past—and are predicted to work for the foreseeable future!

Some of these tactics include:

• Optimize title tags to incorporate what the content on the page is about—yes, sometimes it can be that easy!
• Write strong, descriptive header tags that guide users and search engines through a page’s content.
• Implement internal linking between related, helpful content.
• Make sure a page is indexable and targets the correct keywords.

A solid SEO foundation helps you connect the dots between different tactics and understand why things work, not just how to do them. Without this core knowledge, everything starts to feel disjointed, like a pile of information with no clear structure. But when you take the time to build a sturdy base, every new skill or tactic you learn will make more sense, add value, and drive real results.

The deeper you go into the SEO Matrix the higher the chance you neglect the basics. We find this happens more often when working with the same site or business for a long time.

So, what can I do to make sure I’m not missing out on low-hanging fruit?

• Refresh yourself on organic (and local, if relevant) ranking factors—reminding yourself what moves the needle, and what doesn’t, helps to better prioritize tactics.
• Get familiar—and stay familiar—with search engine result pages (SERPs). The SERPs are constantly evolving and changing on a whim, focusing on targeting intent can help you withstand the test of time. Being familiar with what opportunities and challenges lie within these pages will help you find new ways to stand out.
• Take a few free SEO courses or attend webinars to remind yourself of some basic tactics or strategies and make sure you’re not skipping over any obvious opportunities (we listen and we don’t judge). The Analytics Playbook hosts webinars with top SEO experts every month—subscribe to our newsletter to get updated on our next webinar.
• Don’t ignore technical SEO. We’re serious, remember, if a search engine can’t find or crawl it, neither can users. If you’re looking for a place to start, Dana DiTomaso has a great Technical SEO course on LinkedIn Learning.

What are some local SEO low-hanging fruit I can capitalize on right now?

If you’re a fellow local search professional, welcome! Here are a few low-hanging fruit SEO opportunities you can get started with:

1. Review and optimize your Google Business Profile.

If you want to be found in Google Maps or appear in the local map pack, you need a well-optimized Google Business Profile (GBP). Some quick opportunities to help optimize your business profile include:

• Select the right primary category!
• Link to your related location’s landing page.
• Include pre-defined and custom services.
• Add real images of your physical location, team members, and products and services.

A well-optimized business profile is one thing, it’s another to track your GBP’s performance, so don’t sleep on including UTM parameters to URLs on your website link, appointment links, and any post links.

2. Create landing pages for your important services, locations, and service areas.

Imagine you run a local lawn care business offering everything from mowing to fertilizing. If homeowners are searching for weeding services in your area but you don’t have a dedicated page for weeding, you’re going to miss out on those potential customers.

It’s an easy oversight, especially when adding new services during busy seasons. To maximize visibility, create a service page optimized with:

• A local, keyword-rich title tag
• Clear, structured header tags
• A strong call-to-action guiding visitors to book or contact you

Don’t leave business on the table—make sure every service you offer has a well-optimized page to match local search intent.

3. Embed your Google Business Profile map onto your website.

It’s one thing to add a Google Map to your website to help users easily get directions, but you should make sure you’re embedding your business profile map specifically as it can make it easier for users to click through and interact with your business profile—like leaving a review!

This map should be placed on related location pages (if you have more than one physical location).

4. Start asking for reviews!

Building trust with potential customers starts with strong, consistent reviews across multiple platforms—not just Google. Reviews not only reinforce credibility but can also improve your local search rankings.

A good benchmark is to look at the businesses outranking you in the local map pack and aim to match or exceed their review count. But quantity alone isn’t enough—regularly earning detailed, positive reviews is key.

To maintain a steady flow, develop a review management strategy and train your team to confidently ask for reviews. A proactive approach ensures a continuous stream of fresh feedback, strengthening your reputation and search visibility over time.

So, you have the basics down, now it’s time to prioritize what you’re putting into practice. Carelessly implementing SEO tactics without tying them to your business goals is a recipe for wasted effort. To make an impact, every SEO decision must serve a clear purpose.

Not every SEO trend or tactic will be relevant for you or your client’s business—and that’s okay! Focus on tactics that make sense for your specific goals, are ethical, and drive revenue growth. Trends and algorithm updates will come and go, but sticking to relevant, helpful strategies ensures long-term success.

Implementing the right SEO strategy will help you (or your client):

• Be more visible for search queries that matter.
• Reach the right audience—the one that converts!
• Secure buy-in for SEO work from stakeholders by demonstrating the direct impact on revenue and success metrics.
• Prioritize your SEO work and different tactics to better reach your goals.

What can I do to make sure I’m spending time on SEO work that moves the needle?

Start by confirming the goals. Goals aren’t static, they often grow as a business grows. We recommend creating a goal charter to guide budget and other decisions, and updating it quarterly or yearly.

A goal charter doesn’t just include the “why” behind your work, but exactly what you’ll do to achieve and measure the success of each goal. This sets a strong foundation of communication and trust between you and all key stakeholders.

A goal charter empowers you to:

• Communicate the whys and hows to everyone on the team.
• Build a successful SEO strategy.
• Prioritize tactics as they relate to specific goals.
• Measure the outcome of your strategic work.

Important Reminder: Everyone involved on a website project or ongoing SEO work should be aligned on the goals and overall direction and have participated in developing the goal charter.

In today’s competitive SEO landscape, especially with the rise of AI-driven search tools and shifts in how users search across different platforms, visibility has become more challenging, particularly in competitive industries and local markets. This makes it crucial to focus your efforts on driving qualified leads, rather than wasting time on just ranking number one or hitting a specific traffic number.

“Rankings don’t pay the bills — we need to focus on what matters to stakeholders and what drives their business forward.” — Claire Carlile, LinkedIn

Ranking hacks and trends that promise to boost visibility are often ineffective if they don’t target an audience that is more likely to convert.

With the introduction of AI Overviews and generative search, SEOs find themselves overwhelmed by learning how to rank in a new space. Some experts, like Matthew Brown, remind us not to waste our time trying to rank with copycat formats. Instead, we should prioritize providing high-quality, valuable content that directly speaks to your audience and addresses their needs.

By targeting the right audience instead of just aiming for the top-ranking spot, your SEO efforts will drive more qualified leads and build trust with your clients.

How can I lean into driving qualified leads if my boss (or client) gets upset if we don’t meet traffic goals?

When you start focusing less on rankings and traffic and more on conversions, you’ll often see a drop in traffic. That’s because you’ll no longer be writing content for the sake of getting people to the site even if they don’t convert. Removing irrelevant or outdated content that was driving the wrong kind of traffic will also lead to a drop.

If you’ve previously been reporting on rankings and traffic volume, it can be hard for executives or clients to understand why traffic going down is a good thing. This is your opportunity to educate on the changes we’ve seen in search and explain that Google wants us to focus on building an audience and providing quality content. It is part of your job to explain to your stakeholders why the changes you are making will lead to you reaching more of your target audience and improving conversions. Having reports and dashboards that highlight conversions as the key metric instead of traffic will help solidify this shift in thinking as the right move.

How can I get more qualified leads?

A key step in shifting an organization’s focus from traffic to conversions is bringing in more qualified leads. To do this, it is necessary to evaluate your marketing funnel. Ask yourself:

• What content is driving traffic?
• Does this content align with my ideal audience?
• Am I addressing different stages of the customer journey (awareness, interest, desire, and action)?

If your low-level funnel content targeting users in the “action” stage—such as service or product pages—is already driving leads, but your overall online visibility is low, consider expanding into other stages of the marketing funnel. Optimize (or create) content that attracts users at the awareness stage and guides them through the rest of the journey. For example, prioritize content that educates, builds trust, and gently nudges users toward taking the next step.

How can I make sure those qualified leads convert?

Start by focusing on conversion rate optimization; look for opportunities to make it easier for people to do what you want them to do on your website. For example:

• Simplify forms to increase completions—don’t overcomplicate this process.
• Offer different conversion streams like online booking so you’re not just forcing users to call.
• Use clear calls to action so the path your audience should take is unmistakably clear.
• Optimize your content to make sure it answers important questions that help people make decisions.

Quality outweighs quantity—whether it’s writing new content, securing backlinks, or building citations. Ultimately, SEO isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters most.

Don’t churn out countless blog posts.
Create unique, helpful, and well-researched content that resonates with your target audience.

Stop building as many citations as possible.
Build important citations and ones relevant to your location or industry.

Don’t try to build as many backlinks as possible.
Find backlinks that are likely to attract potential clients or customers to your site, build your brand awareness, or highlight your expertise.

By prioritizing quality over quantity, you’ll save time by focusing on what truly moves the needle while also building trust through more accurate, useful information about whatever you are offering.

How do I know if my content is high-quality?

To know whether or not your content is high-quality, start by auditing your content to find out:

• What content is directly converting users?
• What content catches potential leads’ attention while they are exploring related topics—eventually encouraging them to return and become a qualified lead in the future?

Utilize Looker Studio to view sessions, key events, clicks, and impressions of your landing pages by blending your GA4 and Google Search Console data. Prioritize pages that convert well but don’t get a lot of traffic (sessions), clicks, or impressions. These pages have an opportunity to bring in more converting traffic—you don’t have to overcomplicate this process!

The goal at this stage is to optimize current content and/or get rid of content that is no longer relevant, doesn’t help build on E-E-A-T principles, and doesn’t drive the right kind of traffic. We’re in a “copy-paste” culture where content often lacks originality. Simply pumping out as much content as possible to rank for every possible query no longer works. Instead, focus on creating content that not only ranks but also drives qualified leads and contributes to business growth.

How can I start creating better content in 2025?

While you might be tempted to let an AI tool do all of this work for you, you need to resist. Instead, employ AI tools to help you find gaps, build solid outlines, and generate ideas for adding additional relevant elements to your work.

To stand out, your content needs to provide unique value. Avoid simply rehashing what’s already out there. Instead, ask yourself:

• What part of my goal charter does this content address?
• Will my target audience be able to take action on this content?
• Does this content directly target my audience at a specific stage in my customer journey?
• What knowledge gap am I trying to fill?
• What makes my content different from competitors?
• How can I add a fresh perspective or valuable insights?
• Can I present this information in a better way (e.g. video, visuals, checklists, etc)?
• Is there an opportunity to provide a helpful resource as a takeaway?

This shift requires being intentional and creative. Look for opportunities to offer something truly unique—whether it’s exploring niche topics, providing in-depth how-tos, or sharing firsthand experiences.

How do I know what citations I should be building?

This will depend on whether or not this is for a local business, but you’ll want to continue prioritizing the main citation sites below:

• Google My Business (if the business is eligible)
• Bing Places For Business
• Apple Maps
• LinkedIn
• Yelp
• Any relevant social media profiles

If you’re a local business, focus on optimizing citations that are relevant to your industry and locality to boost your visibility. For non-local businesses, keep an eye on both your own and your competitors’ branded search engine result pages, aiming to be present on sites that build trust and attract real users. Regardless of your business type, prioritize visibility on sites where your audience is active, where your competitors are listed, and those that frequently appear in searches related to your business—like getting featured on Yelp if “best of” lists for your industry if they often appear for relevant search results.

How will I know if a backlink is worth the investment?

To determine whether a backlink is worth your time and effort, ask yourself:

• Is the site or content relevant to my industry? You want backlinks from sites that align with your niche.
• Is the page or site linking to me locally relevant? Since the content on local business sites can be extremely similar, it could be that links are a helpful differentiator to see which local business is more well-known.
• Does it help strengthen my expertise or authority on a particular topic that’s important to my business? You want to prioritize building links that reinforce your credibility in your field.
• Is it likely to drive real users to my site? Links that bring actual traffic, and even better, converting traffic, are always a win!

Prioritizing a lower number of high-quality, relevant backlinks over a large quantity of mid backlinks will yield better results. While backlinks remain an important signal for search engines like Google, their value lies in the credibility, relevance, and potential business they bring. Focus on links that enhance your authority and have the potential to get you in front of additional audiences that are relevant to your business.

AI isn’t just taking up space in search with the introduction of AI Overviews and generative search, it’s becoming an important part of the SEO’s toolbox, offering new ways to save time and streamline workflows.

While tools like ChatGPT and Claude are widely used to generate ideas, find creative solutions, or even draft a wide array of content, they’re just the beginning. A growing number of AI tools can assist with a plethora of tasks, making your work faster and more efficient.

When used responsibly, it can set you up for success by handling repetitive tasks and giving you a head start—without compromising the human touch that makes your work stand out.

When used irresponsibly, you risk implementing tactics against Google’s Guidelines. For example, Barry Schwartz shared an example of where a company was using AI to create web pages and blog posts to get backlinks.

AI responses aren’t always 100% accurate, so it’s essential to review and refine its outputs carefully. Having AI pump out blog content or analyze thousands of rows of data without any human intervention is a recipe for disaster. An experienced SEO, digital marketer, or analyst is necessary to make sure you’re getting valuable outputs that aren’t repetitive content or inaccurate nonsense.

How can I start using AI more responsibly in 2025?

Here are a few tips for the new year on how to utilize AI as a strategic tool:

• Craft better prompts: The quality of AI-generated content depends heavily on the prompts you provide. Frame your queries to focus on actionable insights and takeaways that align with your goals.
• Optimize your workload: List your current responsibilities to identify time-consuming or repetitive tasks that could benefit from AI assistance, such as data analysis, drafting outlines, or copywriting.
• Explore specialized tools: Beyond general-purpose tools like ChatGPT, explore other AI platforms tailored to your needs. For example, SEO tools that analyze keywords or suggest content gaps, writing assistants for creating content frameworks, and data tools that streamline reporting or data analysis.
• Double check AI results: Analyze AI-generated insights critically to confirm their accuracy and relevance.

Andy Crestodina has an abundance of helpful resources on utilizing AI for content, workflows, data analysis, and more—check it out if you want for even more specific how-tos.

What if my boss or client believes they no longer need SEO work because they can just use AI?

Have you ever asked “Why can’t AI just do my job for me?” Or, has a boss or client asked “Why do I need to hire an SEO if I have AI?” If you have, you’re not alone.

The simple answer is that AI isn’t perfect, there’s a lot of nuance and skill required to use it effectively. An experienced SEO will know what to use AI for, what prompts to ask, and how to get the most out of AI outputs without going against Google’s guidelines.

We’ve put together some helpful responses for you to use next time you’re in this situation—we’re sure it will come up more and more as the year progresses:

Response Example 1: Why do I need an [agency/freelancer/strategist/etc] if I can just use AI?

AI is a powerful tool, but it can’t replace expertise—it can only enhance it. It can generate ideas, automate tasks, and speed up workflows, but it doesn’t know our business, our customers, or the unique challenges we face. That’s where digital marketers (whether at an agency or freelance) come in.

The right answers start with the right questions. AI is only as good as the prompts it’s given. Knowing what to ask, how to prioritize, and what actually matters is a skill that takes experience to develop. For example, while AI can generate helpful outputs, it won’t understand why something works or how to adapt a strategy when/if the market shifts—only a human can bridge that gap.

While AI can remix existing information, it can’t innovate. A strategist blends data, intuition, and experience to build a plan that moves your business forward.

Response Example 2: Why can’t I just have AI write all of the content?

AI shouldn’t write all of our content because AI isn’t always accurate. AI-generated content can pull from outdated or incorrect sources and confidently present misinformation—which can damage trust and credibility. While it can revamp existing information, it can’t provide unique insights or firsthand experience—the things that set brands apart.

Beyond that, search engines have made it clear that using automation primarily to manipulate rankings is considered spam and violates search policies. AI can assist in content creation, but human intervention is essential to keep things compliant for long-term SEO success.

Additionally, AI doesn’t know what content should be created—it just generates what it’s asked for. A real strategist analyzes user behavior and search data to determine what’s worth prioritizing and creating, so our content serves a purpose rather than just existing for the sake of it.

Finally, AI shouldn’t be making decisions alone. A computer isn’t accountable for the accuracy or impact of its content—humans are. That’s why AI should be treated as a tool, not a replacement for real people.

While non-branded queries are crucial for visibility and lead generation, monitoring your branded SERPs and strategically showcasing your expertise is key to establishing your brand as a trusted authority.

Branded SERPs are a direct reflection of your business’s reputation and authority. Optimizing them builds trust and reinforces your credibility. Showcase your industry expertise—both on and off your website—and be transparent about your services, knowledge, and unique value.

In 2025, take steps to improve your brand’s presence by:

• Sharing accurate and consistent information across different channels.
• Highlighting authoritative content that showcases your expertise and value.
• Addressing content gaps by adding material that reinforces your brand values or improves how you’re perceived.

Ignore these opportunities and you risk weakening your credibility and missing out on valuable engagement.

How can I identify where I need to improve my brand awareness?

To find areas you can build on your brand authority, start by asking yourself the following questions:

• Are you active on the right social platforms where your audience spends time? Take steps to build relevant, optimized social profiles that engage with your audience outside of Google.
• Does your website clearly communicate what you do (your product/service), how you do it (your process), and where you do it (your location)? Sometimes it’s as simple as optimizing your banner text to clearly describe what you do or creating webpages for missing services.

For example, there’s almost too much going on here. If you were looking for new windows, this site might be too distracting (see screenshot above).

This other website (see screenshot above) ranks higher than the example above and describes to the user what they do, builds trust, and guides the user to take action.

• Do you showcase whether or not you’re qualified in your field or if you provide a unique value to users? Include details about your business like how long you’ve been in the industry, share any relevant certifications, highlight real-world case studies, etc. Promote this information both on and off your website—anywhere your business is mentioned or listed online or offline.
• Are you leveraging awards, reviews, and testimonials to build credibility? A solid online reputation is the cornerstone of brand awareness. Regularly ask for reviews, actively engage with customers through different channels, and address feedback transparently to build trust.
• Is your brand aligned with your audience’s expectations across all touchpoints? Your content should meet the needs of your audience and answer their important questions at each stage of their customer journey (awareness, consideration, decision, retention, and advocacy). Start by identifying how much of your content is top-of-funnel, middle-of-funnel, and bottom-of-funnel and whether or not that content is actively driving users to the next stage.
• Are you sharing information about your brand through other channels (both online and offline)? You can say all you want about your brand on your website, but that’s not the only place users are searching for goods and services. It’s time to identify where your target audience is active (both online and offline) and take the necessary steps to meet them there.

By aligning your expertise with a strategic focus on brand awareness, you not only improve how search engines perceive your brand but also build stronger connections with your audience. This ensures that potential customers see your brand as trustworthy, helpful, and ready to meet their needs.

Google is not the only platform where people search for businesses, services, or products. To truly connect with your audience, you need to diversify your content distribution to be visible where your audience spends time.

While optimizing for Google remains important, don’t limit your strategy to just Google, meet your audience wherever they are searching. Your audience’s search behavior is evolving. Consider asking yourself the following questions:

• Are users finding my website using AI tools?
• Are they spending more time on social platforms like YouTube,
• TikTok, Instagram, or other social media platforms?
• Are they seeking more visual content to inform their decisions?
• Are they using forums, communities, or Q&A platforms to ask questions about your products or services?

By diversifying your content distribution while maintaining visibility in key areas, you’ll stay top of mind for your audience, ensuring they can find and engage with your brand wherever they are.

How do I find where my audience is searching?

Start by creating audience personas and gathering topics you want to focus on. Based on this information, utilize different audience research tools like SparkToro, Audiense, and/or BuzzSumo to gather more details on:

• Who your audience is
• What their interests are
• What content they consume
• Other account information based on who they follow

For example, SparkToro can show you the social networks most likely used by users who search for specific queries or topics (see screenshot below).

Pay attention to the specific platforms that your audience is currently on, and optimize your content for those platforms to be more visible.

How can I be more visible on these other platforms?

As your audience engages with a wider range of platforms and as their search intent shifts, relying solely on written content like blogs is no longer enough to reach them.

One of the biggest issues that we see time and time again in the industry is brands falling victim to this mentality and this idea that they can just create things, create content and the world will be theirs instead of focusing on the distribution of that content. What I’m saying is that we need to think like a modern media company. Modern media companies like the folks over at Masterclass, where when they create a product, it’s essentially a series of content assets, right? — Ross Simmonds

To stay visible across different channels, tailor your content to where your audience spends their time. For instance:

• If your audience frequently uses YouTube or other video-heavy social media platforms, invest in video content that raises brand awareness, builds trust, or guides users to your site.
• On image-heavy platforms like Instagram or Pinterest, focus on creating infographics, short-form videos, or engaging images that resonate with users and align with their search intent.

Different channels favor different formats, so understanding what works best on the places where your audience is active will maximize your visibility and impact.

How can I be more visible on AI-driven tools like ChatGPT?

It’s one thing to make sure your website can be crawled and important pages can be indexed, but in 2025, it’s important to know how to get your website visible on AI-driven tools as well. For example, having your website indexed and visible on alternative search engines like Bing, grants your site the ability to be shared on ChatGPT.

Double-check that you’re not blocking AI tools from crawling your site and use your content to provide accurate and relevant results.

Here are some additional tips from our recent webinar with Crystal Carter on SEO for Brand Visibility in Large Language Models (LLMs):

• Optimize your SEO for visibility on search engines—first. This lays the foundation for visibility in LLMs.
• Build on your branded entities. LLMs rely on sources like Wikipedia, schema, and backlinks.
• Continuously monitor branded queries on different LLMs and correct any misinformation you come across.

You can take this a step further and monitor traffic from LLMs and other AI tools in GA4.

How can I maintain engagement across these different platforms?

The trick here is to go beyond just publishing re-purposed content. You’ll need to participate in discussions where your audience is active. This means:

• Addressing customer questions directly through your own channels, like social media comments or Q&A sections on your website.
• Responding to questions as a person from the business on forums or platforms like Reddit and Quora (if applicable to your industry).
• Sharing expertise in industry-specific groups or communities.

The goal is to be where your customers are—and stay there—this requires consistency. To be consistent, regularly evaluate where your audience is spending time, monitor shifts in user behaviour or preferences to adapt your strategy, and continuously expand your reach across new channels and platforms (as they emerge).

Success depends on context, intent, and how well tactics align with your business goals. SEO often involves a mix of opinions, case studies, and strategies that may not work the same way for every business so it’s crucial to be making data-informed decisions.

We say “inform” rather than words like “drive” or “guide” for a few different reasons:

1. Data isn’t always 100% accurate—something might not be tracked correctly, or some tracking may have broken during a period of time (or not existed at all), giving unreliable information.
2. You can’t track everything—whether it be government regulations on what you can track or more internet users utilizing ad blockers, you can’t always get the entire picture.
3. Data isn’t the only source of truth for your business—goals and other outside context are important when analyzing your data.

Imagine your business sells products that reduce pressure and moisture in sealed containers during shipping. Your website data shows that desiccant pack pages drive the most traffic, but your company is phasing out 50% of its desiccant line by year’s end. Meanwhile, the real goal is to increase sales of breather valves. Even if desiccant pages attract high traffic and conversions, prioritizing them in your SEO strategy wouldn’t align with your business objectives. Instead, focus on breather valves and other high-potential products that support long-term growth. SEO should work in tandem with business goals—not just chase traffic.

Remember, it’s far less costly to discover early that an idea doesn’t resonate with your audience than to spend years optimizing and marketing a campaign that ultimately fails.

How can I start making more informed marketing decisions with my data?

To make informed decisions, your first step is to get familiar with you or your client’s business goals, then confirm your analytics setup is correct. Goals help you build the right setup and choose the right key events to track.

When you’re confident you’re tracking what you need to, get clarity on:

• Your audience’s journey: Where are they coming from? What social media platforms or websites drive traffic to your site? If your data is inaccurate, identifying these trends becomes nearly impossible.
• Your content performance: What content is converting well? If your key events in GA4 (e.g. a button click) aren’t properly set up to reflect meaningful conversions, you may misinterpret performance.

Making data-informed decisions isn’t just about collecting information—it’s about ensuring your data is accurate, relevant, and actionable to help inform effective marketing strategies.

What if I don’t know how to use GA4?

If you struggle to access or interpret accurate data, focus on improving your reporting and data analysis.

At Full Stacks Playbook, our Practical GA4 or Analytics For Agencies courses will help you build a data-informed approach. Learn how to let the right numbers guide you and stop making risky assumptions with inaccurate data!

Every SEO has to start somewhere. Many of us began with no knowledge, slowly learning in an ever-changing field year-after-year. The constant updates, evolving best practices, and overwhelming volume of information can make it hard to know who to trust or where to find reliable advice—not all information is helpful and some tactics can even be deceitful or harmful.

As SEOs, we have a responsibility to uphold ethical practices and share knowledge that benefits both our clients and the industry as a whole. If you’ve tested and implemented a tactic that works and is ethical, share it!

By lifting others up, we build a stronger, more trusting and trusted SEO community. This isn’t just a passing trend; it’s a foundation for sustainable growth and success in 2025 and beyond.

How do I know I’m learning from a trustworthy source?

Here are a few tips to feel more confident about a brand, resource, or individual you’re taking advice from:

• They can admit to being wrong, or feel confident saying “I don’t know”—this type of person is less likely to lie or deceive just to feel smart or relevant.
• They back up their advice with logic or evidence—not everyone can put together large data studies or research, but there should always be some reasoning behind what someone is saying.
• They regularly cite high-quality research—some pieces of evidence are more reliable than others and you should take that into account.
• They change their mind—SEO is always evolving, it’s best to learn from someone who’s open-minded to making a change to commit to doing better.

How do I keep growing as an SEO?

To continue to build on your skills as an SEO professional and “keep [your] side of the street clean”:

• Stay curious and keep seeking out new strategies, updates, and techniques.
• Evaluate whether a tactic is realistic, ethical, and aligned with business goals.
• Test what works, learn from the results, and share those insights to help others avoid mistakes or harmful practices.

It’s time to prioritize quality SEO tactics so we build more valuable strategies that improve performance, create healthier working relationships, and strengthen trust between businesses and their clients and customers.

Header tags, also known as heading tags, are snippets of HTML code that organize your content into hierarchical sections.

Think of them as the outline of your content–similar to chapters and sections in a book. They range from <H1> to <H6>, with <H1> being the most important and <H6> the least.

• H1: The title of the book (main topic of the page).
• H2: Chapter titles (main sections).
• H3-H6: Subsections and supporting details.

Using proper header tags isn’t just about organization—it’s essential for accessibility. When headings are correctly nested by rank (H1 → H2 → H3), screen readers can navigate your content seamlessly, creating an inclusive experience for all users.

Using the correct order for your headings is like writing a clear and organized table of contents. It’s what helps people (and search engines) navigate your page without getting lost. Here’s why getting it right matters:

1. Clarity: The H1 introduces the main topic, and the H2-H6 are subheadings that break down the topic further into additional sections. Using headings makes your content easier for both people and search engines to follow.
2. Readability: Headings let your audience quickly scan and find the information they care about most.
3. Signals importance: Search engines see higher-level tags (like H1) as more critical than lower ones, so using the right tags helps them better understand your page’s structure.

Skipping levels or using headings out of order can confuse both your readers and search engines—so don’t do it.

Let’s put heading hierarchy into action with an example (Swifties, this one’s for you). Imagine your webpage is Taylor Swift’s album Red (Taylor’s Version). Here’s how you’d structure it:

• H1: The album title (main topic)
• H2: Song titles
• H3: Lyrics
• H4: Additional details (writers, composers, featured artists)
• H5: Producers
• H6: Additional credits (musicians, mixing, mastering, etc)

Your H1 is the most important heading and represents the entire page’s focus. This tells readers and search engines what the page is all about, so in this example the H1 is: Red (Taylor’s Version)

Each song is like a chapter in a book. These are your H2 headings because they are the major sections under the album.

For example:

• All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)
• 22 (Taylor’s Version)
• Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor’s Version)

These headings are equally important and sit directly beneath the H1. They tell users and search engines that these are the major elements of the album being discussed.

Within each song, you might want to add subsections. For example, lyrics would fall under their respective song as an H3 heading “Lyrics” that directly relates to its parent H2 heading (the song title).

Let’s say you want to include details about each song, like who wrote it, who composed it, or featured artists. These details would fall under H4 because they are more specific and belong to the “Lyrics” subsection:

• Written by Taylor Swift
• Composed by Taylor Swift & Liz Rose
• Featured Artists: Phoebe Bridgers

These H4 headings are linked to the H3 heading because they provide deeper information about the lyrics of a specific song.

When your content is easy to read, navigate, and understand, everyone benefits—users, search engines, and even accessibility tools. Here’s why header tags are such a big deal:

For Users

• Improved readability: Clear headings help users scan content and find relevant information quickly.
• Guided navigation: Properly structured tags create a logical flow, making it easier to follow your content.
• Promotes accessibility: Screen readers use header tags to navigate through content, making them essential for creating an inclusive experience. Properly nested headers ensure users can find the information they need without frustration.

For SEO

• Improved crawling: Search engines use header tags to understand the main topics of your page. Clear structure improves their ability to index your content accurately.
• Keyword placement: Strategic use of keywords like “SEO header tags” or “heading hierarchy” in your headers can boost relevance.
• Ranking potential: Well-organized content has a better chance of appearing in search results because it signals quality and relevance.

Now that you understand what header tags are, how to use them, and why they are important for SEO. Here’s how to best use header tags to improve your SEO and user experience:

1. Use only one H1 header tag. This makes it as clear as possible to users and search engines what the topic of that page’s content is about. Remember, your H1 doesn’t have to be the largest header tag on the page.
2. Follow the hierarchy. After your H1 break your content into sections with H2s, H3s and so on. Don’t skip heading levels or mix them up. The goal is to keep everything neat, organized, and easy to follow.
3. Don’t overthink the header tag number. Don’t worry about using multiple H2s or H3s, what really matters is the structure not the header tag number. As long as it makes sense based on your content.
4. Start all content with an outline. This will help you organize your headings by your primary topic and related sub-topics.
5. Perform keyword research. Keep your keyword research close by and perform additional keyword research as needed so that your headings are keyword rich.
6. Review Google’s SERP (search engine result page) for high ranking pages on your topic/search query. Make note of how they structure their content and what keyword topics they include in their headings—following a similar structure can help you rank as well!
7. Keep the user journey in mind based on the user intent. Consider the user journey based on your page’s purpose. What action do you want users to take? What information will help them take that next step? Let these insights shape your content outline to align with user intent.
8. Be interesting and write for people first. Of course you want your keyword in a heading, but incorporate it in a way that speaks to your audience.
9. Be consistent. Whether you use title case or sentence case, you want to follow suit across all of your header tags.

Remember, always prioritize your audience—write for humans first and let the structure guide them through your page. If your headings are clear, logical, and helpful to your readers, they’ll naturally make sense to search engines too. Use these tips to create content that performs well in search results while helping your audience!

There are three potential reasons why only one of your business locations is ranking in Google’s local search engine results page:

1. Proximity: Proximity refers to the distance between the business searched for and the searcher. For example, you may be within a certain radius of one of the locations, so Google feels that showing you the closest location is the best search result!

2. Relevance: Google wants to make sure that whatever it shows you in search results is as relevant to your query as possible. That being said, if you incorporate more into your search query about the business (e.g. adding service information), Google may only show the location it feels is most relevant to your query.

This could depend on the content you have on the page linked to from your location’s Google Business Profile or the information included directly on your business profile.

3. Prominence: Google takes into account how well the business is known on or offline. For example, one (or more) of your locations may be featured more online; therefore, Google is showing the one location it believes to be most prominent.

What can I do to increase the visibility, relevance and prominence of all of my business locations for branded searches?

Google provides users with the following guidelines for helping your business rank in local search results:

• Create and claim a Google Business Profile
• Make sure all information about your business is correct and complete
• Verify all locations
• Maintain accurate business hours
• Manage and respond to reviews
• Add photos
• Include product information (if relevant)

We’ve found that this issue can still persist or occur when all of these steps were completed to begin with. We scoured online forums and still weren’t quite satisfied with the responses:

In this forum post, a user explained how “relevance, prominence, and distance” are primary factors of how a local business is ranked and how search results may differ depending on the query, but ultimately, they didn’t actually help the original poster.

We recently worked with a multi-location business who experienced the same problem the forum user (Zeta) outlined in the above screenshot. The comments and advice included:

• The age of the listing is affecting its ability to appear
• The need for more reviews
• Recommending mentioning both locations on the website
• Recommending linking to the location page from its Google Business Profile
• Waiting it out, and seeing if Google will solve the problem

This Reddit post’s responses included similar advice of:

• Making sure there’s a location page for each location on your website
• Add more images of each location
• Ask for more reviews
• Internally link to location pages throughout the website
• Make sure all information is filled out, and accurate

What if you’ve made the necessary changes mentioned in these forums and by Google? What if you’ve waited half a year (or more!) and are still not seeing more than one location appear — without proximity being the issue?

We had a client reach out to us about one of their locations not being shown when completing a branded search query of “Just Mind Counseling.”

Just Mind Counseling is a business made up of two locations in Austin, Texas:

1. Spicewood Springs Location (North Austin): 4807 Spicewood Springs Rd building 1, #1140, Austin, TX 78759, United States
2. Westlake Location (Central Austin): 7004 Bee Cave Rd Bldg 3, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78746, United States

These two locations are located 9.2 miles apart (or about a 20 minute drive) and when Googling the brand “Just Mind” or “Just Mind Counseling” — without being directly next to, or too close to a single location — a user would only ever see the North Austin, Spicewood Springs location.

Based on the advice given in many forums, this client felt they had completed all of those items and were given further advice to wait 3-6 more months for Google to figure it out — however, after waiting over 8 months, nothing changed. This is where we jumped in.

We made note of a few potential reasons both of these locations might not be appearing in search results — even though each location had a Google Business Profile, a dedicated location page on the website, accurate local citations, and at least 10 or more reviews on each listing!

1. The Westlake (Central Austin) location opened in 2022 and its Google Business Profile was created in August of 2022. However, the client was still seeing only the original location’s business profile appear for branded searches up until April of 2023. The fact that this Westlake location is newer may be causing a prominence issue.
2. When completing different searches, like adding “Austin” or “Austin, TX” to a branded query, we would sometimes see both locations appear, however, this wasn’t a consistent change when just Googling the brand. Meaning, providing Google with more details in the query wasn’t always helping.
3. It was clear through off-page factors that the original location, in Spicewood Springs, was the primary location. This is possibly a strong clue for Google to only want to show the more prominent location in search results.
4. Content on their location pages supported evidence that the Westlake location was a “newer” business, potentially further limiting its prominence signals.

Based on the items listed above, we dug a little deeper to help improve the relevance and prominence of both locations to test if we could see a difference sooner.

#1. Optimize each location’s Google Business Profile

We started with recommending some updates to their Google Business Profiles, including:

• Adding more images of each physical location
• Adding Service Areas (that don’t overlap!)
• Asking for more reviews on their Westlake location

These recommendations weren’t implemented until September of 2023 — while Service Areas haven’t been added yet.

#2. Improve title tags

We wanted to test adding the address to the title tag for each location page to make it even more clear that there are two, separate locations, with different addresses.

For example, the new title tag for the Westlake location (see screenshot above) would be “Just Mind Counseling South Austin, Westlake | 7004 Bee Caves Rd Bldg 3, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78746.”

We then recommended making the same edit to the North Austin, Spicewood Springs location page.

#3. Remove outdated content from the Westlake location page

On the Westlake location page, the text at the beginning of the page read “OPENING AUGUST 2022” (see screenshot below), even though it had already been open for a year.

We felt this could be a potential prominence signal to Google that it’s newer or not a primary location.

#4. Update the H1 header tags to include “Just Mind Counseling”

By adding the branded search term of “Just Mind Counseling” directly in the H1 header tag along with location information, we thought it might also make an impact on relevance signals.

For example, the old H1 header tag was just “South Austin — Westlake Location.” We recommended the H1 header tag to be “Just Mind Counseling Located On Bee Caves Road In Westlake, South Austin” (see screenshot above).

#5. Incorporate more content about each location

There wasn’t a lot of high quality, location-specific content on the original Spicewood Springs and Westlake location pages (see screenshot below).

Therefore, we recommended including more details about each location in the page introduction and include images of both inside and outside the location directly on the page. Rather than just finding driving directions, a user would learn more about the location and visually see its a physical location.

We also recommended reformatting the page to incorporate the following information higher up on the page:

• Google Business Profile map embed
• Name, address, and phone number (N.A.P)
• Hours of operation

#6. Fix errors with schema markup

Each location page had the following schema types added:

• Place
• Article
• Person

None of these schema types were relevant for a location page. Instead, we recommended removing these incorrect schema types and added LocalBusiness schema to each location page (see below for an example):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org/",
"@type": "ProfessionalService,Organization",
"name": "Just Mind Counseling",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"postalCode": "78759",
"streetAddress": "4807 Spicewood Springs Rd Building 1, #1140",
"addressCountry": "US",
"addressRegion": "TX",
"addressLocality": "Austin"
},
"telephone": "512-843-7665",
"priceRange": "$100-$165",
"url": "https://justmind.org",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://justmind.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/header-logo-150x150.png",
"height": "150",
"width": "150"
},
"sameAs": [
"https://facebook.com/justmindaustin",
"https://twitter.com/justmind"
],
"openingHours": [
"Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday,Sunday 09:00-20:00"
]
}
</script>

#7. Improve internal linking between service and location pages

We recommended improving internal linking across the entire website to make it clear to both users and search engines that there are two locations providing their services.

We first recommended a section on each service page to introduce each location and link out to each location page (see screenshot below).

We then recommended incorporating a content block linking out to each service from each location page (see screenshot below).

#8. Include locations in the main navigation

Lastly, we wanted to make sure Google knew the importance of each location page by linking to each from the primary navigation. The original navigation didn’t incorporate each location page (see screenshot below).

The new navigation included “Locations” with a drop down that linked to both the Spicewood Springs and Westlake location pages (see screenshot below).

Some limitations we want to make note of include:

1. We weren’t in direct control of when and how each recommendation was implemented.
2. We didn’t implement one item at a time to test. Instead, we shared a complete list of recommendations which were all implemented over the months of October and November, 2023.

So, while we aren’t sure exactly which changes had a positive impact, we feel confident that taking steps to improve the prominence and relevance of all locations in any of the ways above might help all of your locations appear in Google Search Results — apart from when proximity is a factor!

When you set up a new location, it might not always be enough to:

• Create Google Business Profiles
• Set up primary local citations (e.g. Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, Facebook, etc)
• Build location pages
• Wait for Google to figure it out

There are many more optimizations and things to think about to make sure you’re giving all locations as much visibility as possible.

Link-building is important because search engines use inbound links (links pointing to your website from outside sources) as one of their many ranking factors. According to the Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors study for 2021, both the quality and quantity of inbound links are important for ranking well in the local finder (#4) and for ranking well in organic results (#2). Therefore, the more high-quality links you have pointing to the important pages on your site, the more likely you are to rank higher in Google’s search results.

With increased rankings, come higher click-through rates, higher conversions, and even more indirect benefits. We also know that a quality local link, like a partnership highlight from a related business, can bring with it valuable referral traffic, in turn improving your clients’ brand awareness.

However, it’s not always easy for clients to see or understand these benefits. For example, your client may have had a previous agency convince them that the more backlinks the better! They made unrealistic promises around the number of links they’d build each month and that a big jump in organic traffic would follow. Instead of building quality local links, they paid for 50 low-quality links that did absolutely nothing.

Rather than just telling your client the benefits of link-building, we’ve set out a six-step action plan to truly show the benefits of link-building to get them on board with a local link-building strategy!

Link-building isn’t a one size fits all approach, to benefit the client, links should be built around their goals.

Goals will look different for every client. You may have very specific traffic and organic conversion goals. For example, 10% growth in organic conversions year over year for non-branded search traffic. However, you might also know that your client’s goals are all built around improving their overall brand awareness online. For some (even clients of ours), their local business goals may be built entirely around crushing their competitors!

No matter what drives your client, you’ll want to gather these goals and list them from what’s most important to least! This will help you prioritize what types of links to find and build later on in this plan.

As we mentioned earlier in this post, there are many different benefits of local link-building! In this step, you’ll connect each benefit of local link-building with your client’s goals and what’s important to them.

For example, your client is a local pest control company who wants to improve their organic conversion rate and it’s really important for them to outrank their competitors for their ant inspection service.

As SEOs, we know building quality local backlinks to a related service page can help boost organic rankings. To tie this benefit of link-building to what’s important to this client, you want to play on the psychology of stealing their competitor’s rankings! You can do this by introducing competitor link-building tactics such as finding ways their competitors have built links to their ant inspection service page in the past, what links their building now, and present this information to your client that will get them excited to steal links and in turn, steal their traffic—and hopefully leads that come with those rankings!

Another example, instead your client is a local physiotherapy clinic that wants to increase the number of leads that come from branded search traffic and it’s really important for them to improve their overall brand awareness.

We know that building local links that refer to the business as the expert in the field for a particular subject can help to increase referral traffic from local sources and encourage future branded searches by introducing the brand in potential customers’ minds.

To tie this benefit of link-building to what’s important to this client, you’ll want to present local link-building opportunities that involve your boss or client taking part in the overall conversation about their industry in their local area. Suggest they take part in local:

• Industry podcasts
• Industry webinars
• Industry workshops
• Industry trade shows

You want to position this benefit as a way to get your client excited to talk about their business and share what they do. A local physiotherapy clinic getting featured regularly on a local news station for an expert advice health segment is a great example of a local business positioning themselves as experts in their field!

It’s one thing to get your client to understand why local link-building is important, but there are a lot of additional obstacles you’re likely to face when trying to implement a local link-building strategy. These obstacles include (but are not limited to):

1. Not having enough budget.

A lack of budget is usually the most common obstacle that in-house marketers or agencies face. A lack of budget could mean everything from not having enough budget to hire someone to help write content, create helpful resources, take part in donation or sponsorship-related link-building activities, or a combination of all.

We’re confident that most, if not all SEOs have heard a client say “we don’t want to spend budget on that” or “we don’t have enough budget.” If you don’t have enough budget and your client is rarely open to giving you more, you’ll want to prepare your case on why link-building doesn’t need to be an expensive undertaking. Focus on link-building opportunities that are easier to acquire, less expensive to get, and that foster already existing relationships.

Finding these easier-to-acquire link-building opportunities will help you avoid needing or asking for a lot of budget upfront. Instead, once you begin seeing the benefits from less expensive links, that’s when you can start asking for more budget because you’ll be able to prove the benefit.

2. Not having enough time.

Link-building is a lot of work and it can take up a lot of time depending on the type of business and the number of links that need to be built to move the needle. Link-building can also mean needing your client (the subject matter expert) to spend time helping you create content for link-building opportunities or take time out of their day to build any relationships necessary for local link-building.

If you, or your client, are already too busy to complete important daily tasks, it will be hard to convince them that there’s enough time for you to work on a local link-building strategy. Instead, focus on gathering link-building opportunities that are quick and easy to acquire, like unlinked brand mentions or taking advantage of any current partnerships or sponsorships.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “what if I’ve already acquired these quick and easy link-building opportunities?” This brings us into our next obstacle: not enough resources.

3. No resources to build links to.

Link-building is harder when you don’t have the resources to build links to (e.g. tools, calculators, whitepapers, blogs, etc). Even the tools we use (e.g. BuzzSumo, SparkToro, or Ahrefs) to find local opportunities aren’t accessible if you don’t have the budget!

If you lack the resources to build links to, you’ll want to focus on where you can build links that don’t require creating new resources (or resources that are too difficult to build like calculators, tools, videos, etc). Instead, take advantage of the different ways you can gather content from your clients to update or build other necessary resources. This could include phone calls, shared Google documents, or even taking part in local industry forums like Reddit, or Quora to access subject matter experts.

If you also struggle with a lack of time, there are different ways to gather information from your clients for new resources that can save you a lot of time! For example, one of our clients here in Alberta, Canada, treats clients with back pain (they’re physiotherapists!). We noticed that at the beginning of the pandemic more people were going camping because it was an outdoor activity that didn’t involve much travel. We found a local link-building opportunity for one of our client’s current blog posts, but it needed better, fresher content.

We hopped on a quick 15-minute call to ask them questions to get the content we were missing. The information we gathered from the call was enough to update the post and not only secure the local link but continue to rank in the featured snippet spot for our target query. It took 15 minutes of the client’s time and then just 30 minutes for us to update the post with fresh content!

4. Not having a site others would want to link to.

A slow site, a site with poor quality content, a site with poor user experience, or a site riddled with technical problems isn’t going to be a site that others want to link to!

If your client’s website isn’t optimized or accessible, stop where you are and prioritize fixing any technical issues before you pursue a link-building strategy. If they refuse to put in the money and effort to have a website that is link-worthy, even though you’ve explained the benefits of doing so, don’t reward bad people with good work!

This is your friendly reminder that you don’t have to work with everybody.

Based on the obstacles you face, come up with one to two link-building opportunities that fit within your client’s means. This step is to help you get the ball rolling and show your client the opportunities rather than just telling them they exist—this helps build trust!

We recommend the following resources from Greg Gifford for finding local link-building opportunities:

• How to Master Local Link-building course on BrightLocal
• Local U Advanced talk from August 2021

Greg has a bunch of different webinars, podcast episodes, and blogs about local link-building opportunities. If you don’t yet have the skill or resources to find these opportunities yourself, we recommend reading Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to Link-building.

This step takes the guesswork out of the strategy so you’re not leaving your client to figure out what you need. We’ve included some helpful questions below to get you started.

This isn’t an all-encompassing list as it will depend on your local link-building goals and client’s business type, but the goal for this step is to show that you’re as prepared as possible to build a link-building strategy within, or as close to, your client’s means.

1. How much effort will this take?

It’s easy to quantify building citations or adding a few local listings, but it’s not so easy to quantify building a local relationship that can involve multiple emails or lengthy phone calls.

Instead of focusing on how long it will take to build each link, we recommend focusing more on effort. We use points at Full Stacks that take into account both time and effort for each task. It’s made us more accurate in tracking time and billing and leaves us less stressed since the mental strain that can come from sometimes a quick task is accounted for.

For example, if your local link-building strategy includes a lot of opportunities where you need to write new content or build more local relationships, ask yourself, “how difficult will it be to get the content for this post or to build a relationship with local influencers?” rather than “how long will it take me to write new content or build a relationship with local influencers?”

Since relationship building isn’t something you can quantify with time, we recommend building a point system to measure the amount of effort it takes for different types of tasks. For example, let’s look at a scale from 1-4 points (with 4 being the highest amount of effort), here are some examples of tasks that might fall within this scale:

• 1 point: Sending a quick email update (simple task, easy to quantify how long it might take).
• 2 points: Having a call with your client to gather information about a new blog post or resource (takes more effort, as you would have had to prepare a set list of questions, the conversation may run long, etc).
• 3 points: Researching new local link-building opportunities (this takes a lot of creativity and brainstorming for ideas as well as the physical time spent looking for opportunities).
• 4 points: Building a relationship with a local influencer (this includes the time it takes to find local influencers, writing up emails, completing phone calls, etc).

To make it easier to categorize effort, think of high-effort tasks as something you can break down into multiple lower-effort tasks. Therefore, based on the link-building opportunities that fit within your client’s means, consider the effort it will take to truly build those links.

2. How can you tell if your local link-building strategy is making a difference?

If you’ve listened to any of Dana DiTomaso’s talks in the past, data is everything! You’ll need to be sure you have everything you need to track the performance of local link-building for your client.

This could include current traffic and future traffic goals, a custom Google Data Studio report, or historic rankings, but most importantly, you’ll need access to clean, accurate data.

If you can’t accurately track traffic and goals you won’t be able to prove the benefits of link-building to your client.

3. What resources can you utilize and what resources will you need?

This includes all the resources you might need to build links to and the budget and effort you’ll need to acquire or create new resources (if necessary). Be clear about what deliverables you’ll need to get started.

4. How will you complete the outreach?

To avoid filling up your client’s main business inbox and to improve your chances of being responded to during outreach, you’ll want to confirm what outreach email/alias you’ll be using. For example, an email with your client’s business name (your-name@businessname.com).

Hot tip: Ask your client for a list of any close partnerships or business contacts you can reach out to for link-building.

At this step you should know (or have at least thought about):

• What your client’s goals are
• What benefit will get them excited to build links
• What obstacles you might face
• How to overcome these obstacles
• What information you need to get started

Your next step is to present this information to the client for them to sign off on a local link-building strategy!

The way you present this information will depend on how your client prefers to digest their information. This could be over a zoom call, through an email with a document attached of the entire process, or even a PowerPoint presentation.

Some clients prefer to hop on a Zoom call, while others prefer to read and digest the information before meeting with questions. For example, we have a client that will send us videos of them and their screen (using Loom) when asking questions. Since they prefer visually sharing what they’re talking about, we know they would prefer a Zoom call to go over something like this.

If your client rarely jumps on a call and prefers to just get to the point, then a simple email incorporating what you’ve found should suffice—we have a lot of clients like this!

No matter how you present this information, the presentation method itself should be able to cover the following:

1. Why should they care about local link building?

Remind them of their overall goals. What is important to them and how will link building help them reach their goals? The answers to these questions are gathered from steps one and two of this process: the benefits of link building that align with their business goals.

2. What obstacles do you or your client face and how can you overcome them?

Provide your client with the different types of links (organized by priority if possible) that fall within their means. This is where you’ll address the obstacles you noted and some examples of opportunities that address these obstacles from steps three and four.

3. What will you need from your client to be successful?

Provide your client with a list of everything you’ll need to get started based on the opportunities that best fall within their means—this is the list you created in step five!

4. How will your client know if link building is moving the needle?

Finally, the most important part of you presenting an opportunity is to set expectations!

You need to communicate that local link-building isn’t a race to build the most links.

Instead, local link-building is about developing local relationships and building higher-quality links that are more likely to drive real traffic and leads.

You’ll have to agree on what KPIs you’ll use to measure performance (found during step one: goals) and how you will report on the benefits (found during step five: gathering everything you’ll need to be successful).

How can I motivate my client to continue to link-build?

When you finally begin the local link-building process, you need to make sure your client feels motivated to continue!

To ensure your client stays motivated, leave the guesswork out of link-building. Use our easily trackable link-building spreadsheet so that each link-building opportunity is accounted for and can be found in one place. This makes it easy to keep track of what’s been built and what you’re currently working on (because some links can take a while to build!)

Hot tip: Not all clients will be okay with you sending outreach emails on their behalf. To make link-building easier, write outreach emails for your client to send. If your client is the one that should make the first contact, you can either write the email for them to simply copy and paste, or write a clear outline that they can modify where necessary depending on their relationship with the person you want to build a link from.

Copy the link-building spreadsheet and remember, local link-building takes time. Focus on quality links that will drive valuable traffic for your client and measure your performance!

A Google Business Profile suspension means your GBP won’t appear in maps or in organic search results. If your listing is suspended, you’ll be notified when you log into your GBP dashboard.

There are two different types of Google Business Profile suspensions:

1. Hard suspension: A hard suspension is when your profile no longer shows up in Google’s search results.
2. Soft suspension: A soft suspension is when your profile still shows up in Google’s search results, but appears to no longer be verified.

Why Do GBP suspensions happen?

A GBP suspension can happen for a variety of reasons, for example, keyword stuffing your business name, using a fake address, and any other spammy tactic that goes against Google’s guidelines.

Small businesses, and even some local SEOs, take part in spammy tactics to try to “trick” the system or find workaround solutions to rank better. It’s SEO, the whole reason is to rank, right? Not necessarily. During Whitespark’s Local Search Summit, Darren Shaw said it the best: “It’s not all about ranking, but about attracting the right people and customers that are willing to convert.”

Credit where credit is due: Allie Margeson’s presentation sparked this idea—you should definitely follow Allie on Twitter, if you’re not already!

Everything we do as local SEOs has gotten extremely complicated. What’s a ranking factor in GBP? What’s not? Should I hide my address? Which category will help me rank better? Though these are valid questions, the vanity goals of businesses hungry for higher rankings overshadow the concept of actually helping real customers.

It’s easy to get caught up trying to find the best way to do something, but this can lead to relying on dangerous advice and spammy SEO practices. It’s time we take a step back to think about customers FIRST.

The best way to fill out your business profile to avoid suspension is to start by knowing exactly what your customers want and how to provide them with all the information they need. Below is a list of questions from the viewpoint of a customer asking about your business. If you can answer all of these questions and include these answers within your business information, then you’re well on your way to avoiding a suspension.

Stop worrying about what tactics help you rank higher or what the hottest new GBP fad is and think only about your customers for the next few minutes. Remember, it’s about attracting customers that will convert and drive real business, not just ranking number one on Google!

1. What is your business called?

What is your legal business name as represented in the real world? That’s the name you need to share with everyone on your business profile. This should remain consistent on your website, local directories, and everywhere else you appear online to avoid confusion. Remember, you’re thinking about your customers first.

You may have heard that including service keywords or the location in your business name helps you rank better in Google Maps, but you shouldn’t worry about that since it really doesn’t help your customers. More than once, we’ve had a business listing removed entirely from Google because it included the city in its business name when it shouldn’t have been there. Too harsh? Maybe, but we’re not the only ones fighting spam on Google and you should be careful not to fall prey to these spammy tactics.

When someone reports your business to Google for spammy tactics (e.g. keyword stuffing in the business name) it tells Google to take a closer look at listings that go against guidelines, thus increasing your chances of being suspended.

Using your real-world business name will not only help people find your business but also build trust with potential customers because you won’t be confusing them or coming off spammy like these guys…

Not only does this look bad, but it can also cause your business profile to be suspended, which will hurt your business. So, think of your customers first and provide them with accurate information—not only for their benefit but for your own.

2. What can your business do for me?

You should be able to describe what you do to someone outside of your business in a way they easily understand. If you can’t explain what it is you do, then you can’t expect anyone else to understand either. It’s best practice to keep this explanation simple. There’s no benefit to using fancy words or complicated industry jargon; this will just confuse your customers.

Don’t forget to include benefits! Why are you unique? Why are you better than your competitors? These are important questions you should be able to answer when describing what your business does.

For example, Yelo’d Ice Cream isn’t just another ice cream shop, they are an ice cream shop “where you can experience Filipino and Asian inspired flavours in [their] soft serve ice creams and baked goods from cookies to cakes.” This is a great example of a business that is able to clearly describe what they do while incorporating what makes them unique — and tasty!

Once you’ve properly described what it is you do, make sure your customers can find it. You can include this information in your description and in your primary category in GBP’s dashboard.

However, the biggest pain point in local SEO seems to be picking a primary business category in GBP.

There are many articles out there about how to choose the best primary category for your business and it can get pretty complicated—but it shouldn’t be! Choosing the right primary category will help you rank better in Google Maps for your target keywords, but remember, you shouldn’t manipulate what it is you do to rank better in a space you don’t belong in. More often than not, an incorrect primary category is the reason for poor rankings or discoverability issues in Google Maps.

For example, if you’re an HVAC business that also provides some plumbing services, your main primary category shouldn’t be Plumber, it should be HVAC Contractor. The decision of what to choose should be as easy as answering, “What do I do? What is my primary service and how exactly do I help my customers?”

Rank your services from most important to least. The most important service may be the one you want to focus most of your time on, or what makes you the most money—this will look different to everyone! Whatever that is, that should be your primary category. This way, your listing will appear to potential customers searching for services directly related to that primary category.

3. Where can I find you?

Do you have a brick-and-mortar location, do you only serve customers at their location (e.g. their home), or both? Filling out an address on GBP has gotten vastly more complicated over time. More often than not, we see businesses with fake addresses spamming Google Maps results for service area businesses.

It’s your job as a business to be honest about your address. Just because you rank better by including an address on your business profile, doesn’t mean that you’re truly helping your customers.

For example, what if you’re a pest control company in Edmonton that is strictly a service area business (meaning you provide services where your customers are located) and a potential customer is searching for your services while waiting at the doctor’s office? They just found bedbugs last night and are eagerly investigating companies while out running their other necessary errands. They see you’re located just 10 minutes away from their doctor’s office, so they think, “Perfect, I’ll just stop by and speak to someone in person on my way home.”

They pull up to your home address and see no sign on the door. Best case scenario, they call, as they’re confused and you two work it out over the phone. Worst case scenario, they become frustrated and decide to leave a bad review on your GBP because you misled them and wasted time out of their day trying to locate your business.

Be honest! Providing an address in GBP when you don’t have one could hurt your reputation with your customers more than it’s going to help your rankings. By simply answering this question truthfully, you’ll know exactly how and when to share this information with your customers.

4. When can I contact you?

When are you open? When is someone available to answer the phone? When do you start making house calls? Providing accurate hours of operation is incredibly important for building trust with your customers. Have you ever called your local vehicle service center during their opening hours as shown on their GBP listing just to find out they are closed? It may seem like this isn’t a big deal, but over time this creates more and more frustration!

Filling out accurate hours of operation on your business profile is the easy part, but keeping these hours up-to-date can prove to be more difficult. If you’re having trouble remembering to update your hours, try setting a monthly reminder. Keep that listing accurate!

What if my business only has to close down for a couple of hours? This is where you need to make use of the Special Hours feature.

Do not update your regular hours of operation for a temporary closure! This just makes it easier to forget to update them when they’re back to normal in a day or two. If you forget to change your hours back, you might have already missed out on traffic or potential leads by accidentally making your customers think you’re closed when you’re not.

Setting the right hours will always depend on what type of business you run. Google has even laid out specifics for these things, like practitioners, restaurants, and seasonal businesses, but it all boils down to understanding when you’re available to your customers and providing them with that information.

5. How do I contact you?

Can customers email you, phone you, fill out a contact form, or text you? Make it easy for customers to get in touch with you. For the purpose of GBP, customers can get in contact with you through a phone number or chat via GBP messaging.

What’s your phone number?

Include the number of your business, but more specifically, the one your customers will contact you through. Believe it or not, we’ve come across business profiles where the number wasn’t pointing to the correct department. Remember, if your customers can’t contact you, they can’t convert.

Tracking calls from GBP has become a popular and successful SEO tactic to find out just how many people are contacting you through GBP compared to your website. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using a tracking number in place of your real number as long as you include your real number as the additional number in GBP.

Can I message you?

The GBP messaging feature allows potential customers to contact you directly from your business profile by clicking a “Chat” button at any time, rather than a phone number. Since customers can message you any time, it’s important to make sure that you’re able to not only respond within 24 hours, but with helpful and accurate information—as mentioned in Google’s messaging guidelines. Google has the right to suspend listings that don’t follow these guidelines!

To know if you should include messaging or not, ask yourself if you’ll be able to manage these messages and respond in time. If you believe you can manage messages, it’s best practice to set your automated response message to state when you’ll be available to reply to messages.

However, if you don’t feel like you’ll be able to respond to both phone calls and messages through GBP, let alone all the other ways people can get in contact with you, then you don’t have to turn on messaging—it isn’t necessary to have all forms of contact turned on to rank. You should only supply your preferred contact points, otherwise someone might message you and you might ignore it for weeks.

To learn more about the GBP messaging feature, visit Google’s help page.

6. What services or products do you provide?

Depending on the category of your business, you can include a list of services on your business profile through a service menu or through product posts. The service menu used to be only visible on mobile (shown below), however, it can now be viewed by users on desktop and is even considered a ranking factor.

When filling out this list of services or creating product posts, you should only include services (or menu items if you’re a restaurant) you actually offer. Including products or services that you don’t offer or that are unrelated to your business is against Google’s guidelines and will definitely frustrate your customers.

Google’s guidelines for menus clearly state that “[t]he menu should be representative of the items and services that are available for customers at the business.” Including services you don’t actually offer isn’t going to cause you a suspension per se, but it could result in angry customers and negative reviews. Since reviews are a ranking factor in GBP, adding services that you don’t offer that result in negative reviews will actually hurt your rankings, not improve it like you may have thought initially.

For product posts, Google states that businesses shouldn’t make posts that mislead, misinterpret, or include false statements about your identity or qualifications. Including false or misleading information on your business profile is against Google’s guidelines and could result in suspension.

So, before you try to include services or products you don’t offer just to rank better: don’t. Think about how your customers would feel if they visited your location or clicked through to your website to find out you don’t actually have what they need.

Remember, you’re not here to serve Google, you’re here to serve your customers.

However, there’s an exception! If you’re a tobacco or a liquor store, you aren’t allowed to share any content about what you sell on your business profile—but not to worry! It should be clear by your category what you sell. Make sure to link to your website and include contact information for customers to reach out to you or ask any questions about your products.

Tip: If you can’t list your products on your business profile because of your category, instead include a Q&A. For example, if you’re a liquor or tobacco store you can include a Q&A of “Looking for a specific product?” and write an answer including something like “Contact us at X (phone number or email) with the product you’re looking for and we’ll check stock and let you know if it’s available.”

7. Do you come highly recommended?

Do you have reviews? If so, how many? Are your reviews mostly positive or do your customers seem frustrated? Reviews help you understand where you shine and where you may fall short, and they help customers make purchasing decisions. Since the number of reviews and the quality of those reviews are a ranking factor, spammy review tactics like buying reviews have become more and more popular.

It’s not always clear what the best way for businesses to ask for reviews is. This leads to potentially spammy and fraudulent review tactics. For example, simply outright buying positive reviews, offering a discount or promotion for someone to leave a review, or even asking only the people you know who are satisfied for a review. It’s important to remember that reviews need to “accurately represent the location in question,” meaning they need to be truthful to your business and the service that you provide.

However, there’s been a lot of discussion about how hard it is to remove fraudulent reviews on Google—so why not just buy positive reviews because it’s not like Google will remove them, right? Wrong! It’s against Google’s guidelines to buy reviews and if you get caught you’ll only hurt your reputation.

Remember, this is all about your customers! Make sure everyone reading your reviews is reading about an authentic experience, and the only way to be truly authentic is to ask every single customer for a review and not offer any form of incentive. The more authentic and truthful your reviews are, the more likely potential customers will trust you!

Too perfect isn’t always a good thing, GatherUp covered a study between PowerReviews and Northwestern University that showed customers were more likely to complete a purchase from businesses with a 4.2 to 4.5 star rating. So, ask for reviews responsibly to ensure no one reports you to Google for spammy review practices!

Now that you’ve answered all of these questions for your customers, you should be able to avoid a suspension by not only correctly filling out your business information in GBP, but managing that information appropriately going forward. Remember it’s all about thinking about your customers first and making them happy by providing the information they need in an accurate, easy to understand manner.

We’ll leave this post off with a wise tweet from Ross Simmonds:

So, next time you check in on your business profile (or set up a new one) take a step back and stop worrying about all the ranking factors, tips, and tricks. Instead, think about who you do what you do for: your customers.