Chad Kimball Google Maps Expert Answering Your Questions Here

[Brainbuster]

It is not allowed according to Google guidelines.

You can also have your keyword in the title, you are always risking getting penalized though. ...

And just how would Google know the difference between "your keyword"
and any other words in your title?

Google does not have a folder in its filing cabinet labeled "keywords"
and a different folder labeled "not keywords," so that it can penalize Acme Co. for using a "keyword" in its title.

Google has no idea what your "keywords" are.
The only people who think in terms of keywords is us. Not Google.

 

[growthjunkie]

And just how would Google know the difference between "your keyword"
and any other words in your title?

Google does not have a folder in its filing cabinet labeled "keywords"
and a different folder labeled "not keywords," so that it can penalize Acme Co. for using a "keyword" in its title.

Google has no idea what your "keywords" are.
The only people who think in terms of keywords is us. Not Google.

It is stated pretty clearly in the guidelines what is allowed in the business title for a GMB.
A competitor is looking at your GMB and will report if you have an incorrect business title.

I have gotten many listings bumped out of 3-pack and waay down, it goes quick.

 

[wizeman]

Hey I am ranking at #1-2 for google organic search result but my map listing is ranked at #5 or 6, what could be the issue holding back the map ranking?

 

[Brainbuster]

Hey I am ranking at #1-2 for google organic search result but my map listing is ranked at #5 or 6, what could be the issue holding back the map ranking?

Same here, man. More than double the DR of my competitors, all my domain and page metrics beat theirs, position #1 or #2 in SERP (often beating even Yelp), but in the map pack I'm #4 or even 7 or 8.

Map pack ranking depends A TON on proximity. As far as I know, not much you can do about that.
A crappy GMB with no photo, no reviews, no description, will rank #1 in maps if happens to be 3 minutes nearby; whereas the GMB 15 minutes away with 40 reviews, 53 geo-tagged photos, a 749 word description, may rank #5.

The handful of clever tricks I learned about improving my geo-relevance haven't pushed me up in the 3 pack, even after several months.

 

[paydette]

Same here, man. More than double the DR of my competitors, all my domain and page metrics beat theirs, position #1 or #2 in SERP (often beating even Yelp), but in the map pack I'm #4 or even 7 or 8.

Map pack ranking depends A TON on proximity. As far as I know, not much you can do about that.
A crappy GMB with no photo, no reviews, no description, will rank #1 in maps if happens to be 3 minutes nearby; whereas the GMB 15 minutes away with 40 reviews, 53 geo-tagged photos, a 749 word description, may rank #5.

The handful of clever tricks I learned about improving my geo-relevance haven't pushed me up in the 3 pack, even after several months.

If interested, I can try something for you. I don't need access to your listing. Just a link to it.

Question for you Chad, I was working with a GMB provider but his verification method has failed. Does your course/method for automatic verification still work?

 

[ChadTKimball]

Question for you Chad, I was working with a GMB provider but his verification method has failed. Does your course/method for automatic verification still work?

Sorry folks I just noticed there were a bunch of questions for me in this thread and I missed them... if you're still looking for help with your google maps, post here I'll try to pay more attention.

 

[therealsearone]

Hei @ChadTKimball how u doing?

Have u seen any positive results from adding unstructured citations and map embeds to high quality web2.0s ( high quality meaning unique relevant article plus optimised image and video including local OBL and keyword rich anchor pointing to gmb listing)

Thanks mate

 

[ChadTKimball]

Hei @ChadTKimball how u doing?

Have u seen any positive results from adding unstructured citations and map embeds to high quality web2.0s ( high quality meaning unique relevant article plus optimised image and video including local OBL and keyword rich anchor pointing to gmb listing)

Thanks mate

I used to do this like crazy with software and saw ranking results very fast, but it isnt as useful now as it was before. Still you can do it if it takes no time with software but citations are more like links now, the more authority the citation site, the more power that citation has. Overall citations are losing importance anyway so better to focus on content and links

 

[therealsearone]

I used to do this like crazy with software and saw ranking results very fast, but it isnt as useful now as it was before. Still you can do it if it takes no time with software but citations are more like links now, the more authority the citation site, the more power that citation has. Overall citations are losing importance anyway so better to focus on content and links

Thanks for getting back to me. Iv exhausted the top citations list as well as local and niche citations . Just looking for more movement in the maps. My listing is fully optimised.

In your experience when backlinking the top citations will a gsa blast, not simply to index them but to pass power or will they need web2.0 And social signals?

Once again thank you for ur help

 

[ChadTKimball]

Thanks for getting back to me. Iv exhausted the top citations list as well as local and niche citations . Just looking for more movement in the maps. My listing is fully optimised.

In your experience when backlinking the top citations will a gsa blast, not simply to index them but to pass power or will they need web2.0 And social signals?

Once again thank you for ur help

Just move on, as long as you get the citations indexed, that is probably as much value as you're going to get out of them. UNLESS the citation provides a FOLLOWED backlink as well, then you could do link blasts to get more juice funneled through that link.

What you really need to do, though, is analyze your top 4 or 5 competition. HOw many citations, reviews, backlinks, and pages of original content do they have? Beat them in all those areas and you will win (most of the time).

 

[Kysco]

Hi Chad! Incredibly informative thread, thank you! Couple questions:

1) Geo in the GMB listing name, is it worth the risk? Does this rule actually get enforced? My business name is officially [brand] + [industry], but from my reading it seems that a very influential factor of showing up in top 3 is having a geo keyword in the listing title. Of course, this is against google TOS, but it doesn't seem like G actually enforces this policy. My niche is not particularly competitive, but wouldn't you know that the top competitor in map pack and SERPs happens to be [shitty brand] + [industry] + [geo]. I've since changed my GMB AND my website title to [my brand] + [industry] + [geo], so that at least I can have my website titled the same as my GMB. Should I change my official business title in all capacity to include the local geo term? Is reporting my competitor actually effective for getting them to remove or change their listing?

2) My industry has strict occupational licensing laws, and it is required for us to list our occupational license number on our website and all our advertising. If I were to apply your technique to start ranking in the cities surrounding my metropolitan area, I would need to basically create nonexistant businesses complete with legit websites (with backlinks, content, reviews, and citations) for each GMB in each area.

How would you get around the requirement of posting your license? I could use my own license, but that would link me to the nonexistant businesses and potentially get my listings removed. I've thought about combing the industry directory for license holders that don't have websites or are basically non-existant outside of the physical business, thinking that they would probably never have any idea whats going on, but this seems like some type of felony if I ever got found out. I could make up a license number and fake license holder, which seems the safest as it would require a competitor doing some deep digging in order to see what's going on. Finally, I could just not put a license number on the website and claim ignorance that my webmaster screwed up if my licensing board ever got wind of it.

How would you handle the "show your license" requirement Chad?

Thanks again for a great thread.

 

[larrynectar]

Ooops got my last post deleted not sure why

Just to make sure I understand

I am based in the UK. Lets say I wanted to create a SEO agency business. targeting smaller local type businesses THEN using your model I would do as follows. PLEASE LET me know where I am wrong

1. Create 10 separate websites with DIFFERENT brand names with addresses in the 10 biggest cities.

2. Each domain name would be brand name PLUS city or state eg Trusted SEO Manchester, Rank SEO Brighton. You should NOT as an alternative have one site with multiple city landing pages and GMBS AND if you did you would need 10 VPNS to stop getting caught as well!

3. For verification you should use a real office not just a co mail box and its better if its not residential as well. Different phone numbers each with right city dialling code

4. Then you get going focusing on the 4 ranking factors

I have a final question ..what about duplicate content issue from the multiple clone sites and would I need separate hosting as well

And thanks its a really great thread

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

Ooops got my last post deleted not sure why

You know why as you read the alert.

 

[larrynectar]

You know why as you read the alert.

Actually I dont entirely but I get the principle of it ...you want to keep the thread as non salesy as possible thats fine

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

Actually I dont entirely but I get the principle of it ...you want to keep the thread as non salesy as possible thats fine

It is not a sales thread.

Plain and simple.

 

[Brainbuster]

It is not a sales thread.

Plain and simple.

Lol

 

[ChadTKimball]

Hi Chad! Incredibly informative thread, thank you! Couple questions:

1) Geo in the GMB listing name, is it worth the risk? Does this rule actually get enforced? My business name is officially [brand] + [industry], but from my reading it seems that a very influential factor of showing up in top 3 is having a geo keyword in the listing title. Of course, this is against google TOS, but it doesn't seem like G actually enforces this policy. My niche is not particularly competitive, but wouldn't you know that the top competitor in map pack and SERPs happens to be [shitty brand] + [industry] + [geo]. I've since changed my GMB AND my website title to [my brand] + [industry] + [geo], so that at least I can have my website titled the same as my GMB. Should I change my official business title in all capacity to include the local geo term? Is reporting my competitor actually effective for getting them to remove or change their listing?

2) My industry has strict occupational licensing laws, and it is required for us to list our occupational license number on our website and all our advertising. If I were to apply your technique to start ranking in the cities surrounding my metropolitan area, I would need to basically create nonexistant businesses complete with legit websites (with backlinks, content, reviews, and citations) for each GMB in each area.

How would you get around the requirement of posting your license? I could use my own license, but that would link me to the nonexistant businesses and potentially get my listings removed. I've thought about combing the industry directory for license holders that don't have websites or are basically non-existant outside of the physical business, thinking that they would probably never have any idea whats going on, but this seems like some type of felony if I ever got found out. I could make up a license number and fake license holder, which seems the safest as it would require a competitor doing some deep digging in order to see what's going on. Finally, I could just not put a license number on the website and claim ignorance that my webmaster screwed up if my licensing board ever got wind of it.

How would you handle the "show your license" requirement Chad?

Thanks again for a great thread.

sounds like you need to ask an attorney about this, I would hate to give you advice that would get you sued. Ask your attorney if you can have multiple maps listings with multiple websites, all different business names at different addresses, and use the same license number on all of them.

I have a final question ..what about duplicate content issue from the multiple clone sites and would I need separate hosting as well

And thanks its a really great thread

separate websites, totally different b usiness names for each, do not clone the sites, do not duplicate the content

 

[larrynectar]

"separate websites, totally different b usiness names for each, do not clone the sites, do not duplicate the content"

Okay got it 10 might be a struggle and will def take longer but I def see your point.

Can i say your advice goes against the usual have one domain and multiple city landing pages ..........is that because it 1. does not work? OR 2. is too dangerous?

BUT you are the real expert and I have always thought Google would catch on to the multiple landing page trick

HOW DO YOU FEEL ...re city name in the brand name and domain name?

 

[mengkenneth]

Hey Chad,

I have a business with 4 physical locations and 4 corresponding GMB listings. Ive put my brand name + keywords into each of the location, however only 1 GMB listing is to my main website. Ive noticed that if i link all the GMB listings to my main site all the listings suffer in rankings.

Any idea how to approach this? Should i create 4 different domains for each of the GMB listings and rank them separately with their own back links and citations? Ive tried linking sub-pages from my main site to the other 3 listings but there doesnt seem to be any results.

Appreciate your advice!

 

[growthjunkie]

Hey Chad,

I have a business with 4 physical locations and 4 corresponding GMB listings. Ive put my brand name + keywords into each of the location, however only 1 GMB listing is to my main website. Ive noticed that if i link all the GMB listings to my main site all the listings suffer in rankings.

Any idea how to approach this? Should i create 4 different domains for each of the GMB listings and rank them separately with their own back links and citations? Ive tried linking sub-pages from my main site to the other 3 listings but there doesnt seem to be any results.

Appreciate your advice!

where are the other GMB links going to?

Sounds like you need to build out awesome location pages on your website

ranking 4 different domains is going to suck donkey balls compared to getting one site to rank