Introduction:
Google has just launched a new feature which is displayed right above the Google map pack. This new feature can potentially affect the organic traffic a website receives and there is a lot that one can do about it. Way back Google was heavily criticized for using its dominant position in the world of internet search in Europe to push its own content and was finally staggering 2.7 billion by the EU. it seems that in order to avoid any further penalty from the EU, Google has just introduced a new feature as part of local search results. This comes in the form of local directory buttons being displayed right above the google map pack, giving searchers an alternative to Google’s local search results. This feature seems to be currently available throughout European countries only so far.
Why is the Google New Local Search Features so important for one’s local business?
The share position of the buttons in search results is as it sits right above the map pack and below Google ads, so it cannot be ignored. These directories buttons are available on both desktop and mobile phones which is likely to drive traffic away from people clicking on the Google map packs’ results. It is hard to say at this stage exactly how much traffic would be diverted to these directories but it is fair to say that there will be a substantial amount of it. The directories seem to be listed based on Google’s algorithm and keywords being searched for. For example, if one were to search for ‘emergency vet services’ in general and ‘emergency vet services near me, they will receive two different results from the Google Search engine. Depending on the directories being listed and the keywords that are being searched for, clicking on one of them would either take one to a category page where multiple businesses are listed, a single business page, or in some cases a forum page. However, it seems that currently, not all local business verticals are returning a list of directories in the results. But it is just a matter of time before it is rolled out on a bigger scale which would be much more helpful. The good news is that if one searched for the exact name of a business, there will be no directories listed and one can still see their usual Google listing panel.
What should one do about the google New Local Search Features to capitalize on it?
It is simple. One just has to make sure that the business is listed on all the main directories that Google might use. In order to do that, one just has to make use of the search engine optimization techniques to make a list of all the relevant keywords, that one is trying to rank their business for. Once the list of keywords has been made, search for every keyword and make a note of the directories that get listed for each keyword. Once a list of directories has been established, it would be useful to check that if the website one is looking to promote is already listed in them. If it isn’t, it can be just added. It must be remembered that when one goes through this process, the exact same information must be filled in all of the directories so that it does not confuse Google when the website comes across those directories. These will also aid the process of search engine optimization overall as directory listing is one of the local foundations of local search SEO.
Conclusion:
Local listings are important because they tell Google exactly where a business is located, what services does the business provides and how they provide for their customers. Citation building is one of the key factors to local SEO, which is making sure the name, address, and phone number are consistent across all listings. Producing localized content for the website also helps. Registering the business with Google MY Business also comprises the fundamental steps to integrating a website into the new Google local search features. This is deemed to be one of the potent digital marketing hacks in 2022 besides artificial intelligence.
