10 Myths About Local SEO

Anyone who is conducting an online business understands the importance of search engine optimization. Without it, no matter how good your business is, it may find itself struggling to survive. Unfortunately though, while you may fully grasp its importance, you may struggle to shift your way through the conflicting myths that exist. We’re here to help you to cut through all the hype and find out what’s true and what’s not. Here are ten of the most common misunderstandings about local SEO that everyone needs to know.

1. You Can Get Higher Rankings by Claiming Your Website with Google

There are definite benefits to be gained by claiming a website in GMB (Google My Business) but higher rankings is not one of them. If you are looking to generate more traffic to your site to attract local people to a physical location, or to get higher visibility this can certainly be the push you need. However, in order to improve your rankings, there is a lot more work involved than just claiming your site.

2. GoogleMyBusiness Is Not Necessary

While you can certainly get by without it, you might find that you’re shooting yourself in the foot. GMB is how Google collects data about your business and relays it to searchers. When you are competing in a local area, having all your contact information in one place can help customers to connect with you.

3. Suite Numbers Can Boost Your Rankings

Many people believe that adding a suite number to their physical address makes their location sound more impressive. However, this practice may actually work against you. In fact, according to SEO pros at the Lavie Agency, Google could perceive this as a fake address and you may end up being classified as spam, which could get you even less visibility. Google generally ignores suite numbers so unless your customers need an easy way to locate you, avoid using them if they are not necessary.

4. Google Uses Only Information from You

Google uses much of the data you provide, but not everything. They collect information about your business from multiple sources, verifies anything provided from other sources and then uses only what’s necessary. Whether you are the only one contributing or not, others can edit and update your listing at any time.

5. Citations Are Not Important

A citation is when another website mentions your business including location and contact information. While you may not get an immediate bump in traffic, Google looks for these citations to use as one of the factors that determine your ranking. There are many sites that allow you to upload your business information just so you can have these citations for that very purpose.

6. Breaking Google Guidelines Will Damage Your Ranking

While you may be subject to penalties for breaking a Google guideline it will not have an impact on your ranking. Violation of a Google guideline could result in some type of suspension, which will definitely incur penalties but there is no Google algorithm that will affect your website’s position in the pecking order.

7. If You Aren’t Listed in GoogleMyBusiness You Can’t Have a Presence in Google

Occasionally, there may come a time when there are duplicate listings of a website. You may get a warning that says if you delete the information you will be removed from GoogleMyBusiness and all your data will be lost. However, if you delete your listing from GoogleMyBusiness, it does not remove all information. Customers will still be able to find you in Google maps, and your site will still be able to rank.

8. If You Have Citations You Don’t Need Backlinks

Citations alone are not enough to improve your ranking on Google. This is especially true when you are operating in a competitive market. Backlinks are equally as important if not more so. The more links you can gather from Authority sites, the better your ranking position will be.

9. Your Location Matters

Your location matters when you’re trying to attract local foot traffic to your business but it has little impact on your ranking. Google has a very specific algorithm that determines ranking for every website, however your physical location is not part of it. Posting your location can help customers to decide if they want to visit you but beyond that it is not factored into the equation.

10. Customer Reviews Are Unimportant

Your reputation is very important in any business. According to one study, 93% of consumers pay very close attention to customer reviews. If a customer reads a negative review and leaves your website you can bet that Google pays attention to that. There is no separating reviews from rankings and a positive review could easily sway a customer to your side and boost your overall reputation.

These are just a few of the most common misconceptions we find when it comes to SEO. A good plan is essential for your business success, but when creating your plan, always make sure that you’re working with realistic truths and not following the kind of myths that can send you down a bad road that could end up destroying your business or its reputation.