{"id":9643,"date":"2023-05-25T12:47:15","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T12:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/"},"modified":"2023-05-25T12:47:15","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T12:47:15","slug":"how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"How Google Business Profile pre-defined services can impact local SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/manage-edit-google-business-profile-from-google-search-385111\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Business Profile<\/a> (GBP) services might have more to do with local rankings than previously thought, according to recent tests from Sterling Sky <em>(Disclosure: I work at Sterling Sky)<\/em> and Whitespark.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, adding pre-defined services in GBP seemingly impacts local search rankings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Before this finding, you could do little with GBP to influence local search results beyond location, categories, reviews and keywords in the business name. <\/p>\n<p>Now, you can add GBP services to the list of key local SEO factors to prioritize.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#Since_when_did_GBP_services_matter\" >Since when did GBP services matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#Where_to_find_services_in_the_GBP_dashboard_NMX\" >Where to find services in the GBP dashboard (NMX)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#Do_all_categories_have_services_to_add\" >Do all categories have services to add?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#How_do_GBP_services_impact_local_rankings\" >How do GBP services impact local rankings?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#Sourcing_unique_content_ideas_from_GBP\" >Sourcing unique content ideas from GBP<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#Track_your_local_search_results\" >Track your local search results<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/how-google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-can-impact-local-seo\/#Keep_your_GBP_strategy_updated\" >Keep your GBP strategy updated<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Since_when_did_GBP_services_matter\"><\/span>Since when did GBP services matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GBP services didn\u2019t majorly impact local rankings back in 2019 when we conducted the initial test. <\/p>\n<p>At the time, Google was slowly and silently adding pre-defined services to plenty of GBP categories. But when we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterlingsky.ca\/services-in-google-business-profile-impact-ranking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">retested<\/a> this in 2022, the results were substantially different.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Whitespark\u2019s Darren Shaw <a href=\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/blog\/how-to-easily-boost-local-rankings-with-googles-predefined-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">conducted a similar test<\/a> with positive results.<\/p>\n<p>Both tests showed that adding pre-defined services to your GBP listing significantly improves local search rankings.<\/p>\n<p>But excitement over this discovery is only felt within the local SEO community. Many small business owners don\u2019t know how to add services to their listings or where to start. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because Google doesn\u2019t announce new features as much, keeping them hidden in a new and confusing search edit interface nobody likes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_find_services_in_the_GBP_dashboard_NMX\"><\/span>Where to find services in the GBP dashboard (NMX)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To find services in the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-nmx-tips-390006\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GBP new merchant experience<\/a> (NMX), you must go to the services section of the menu. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>From there, you\u2019ll see a list of your categories and corresponding services under each category.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Click <em>Add more services,<\/em> and a new screen will pop up with the current services available to select under that category. Some categories have more services, while others have none.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>If you have any pending service suggestions to accept or remove, you need to do that first before you can click for more services.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_all_categories_have_services_to_add\"><\/span>Do all categories have services to add?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>No. Not all categories have pre-defined services you can add. However, we have noticed that Google is constantly adding new ones. <\/p>\n<p>Check your GBP regularly to see whether there are any new services that are relevant to your business.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, I have seen examples of businesses with multiple listings with different pre-defined services under their primary category.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<em>Plumbing business \u2013 Location 1<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<em>Plumbing business \u2013 Location 2<\/em><\/div>\n<p>So if you manage multi-location businesses, ensure you\u2019re checking services for all your locations to avoid missing out on new services.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_GBP_services_impact_local_rankings\"><\/span>How do GBP services impact local rankings?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>From tons of testing, it seems that adding services in GBP helps improve both implicit and explicit keyword rankings. <\/p>\n<p>This is extremely exciting, considering how hard the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/the-vicinity-update-winners-and-losers-from-the-november-2021-local-update-377624\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vicinity update<\/a> made it to rank for implicit keywords far away from your physical location.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These services also help improve rankings for niche service-based keywords. <\/p>\n<p>For example, under the electrician category, Google shows two services related to \u201calarm installation\u201d and \u201celectric car charging.&#8221; <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>If those are services you want more leads for, then checking those off will help improve your local visibility for searches.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sourcing_unique_content_ideas_from_GBP\"><\/span>Sourcing unique content ideas from GBP<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is also great for getting content ideas, especially if you manage multiple businesses and accounts. <\/p>\n<p>These predefined services can give you unique topics and keywords for your service pages that you probably wouldn&#8217;t have thought of alone.<\/p>\n<p>To my understanding, Google suggests these services based on searches users have done related to the category or the industry the business is in. <\/p>\n<p>In a way, Google is telling you what people are searching for. Thus, it&#8217;s worth mentioning these on your website as long as you provide that service.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Track_your_local_search_results\"><\/span>Track your local search results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As with everything in local search, you should take many screenshots to track results.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Take before and after screenshots of the SERP and local finder when adding new services to your GBP listings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Grab screenshots of top and related keywords and jot down a few notes of what you see.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Then, a few days later, after you&#8217;ve added these services, retake the same screenshots and compare the differences.<\/p>\n<p>The ranking impact seems to take 24 to 72 hours to take effect. I highly recommend tools like Mobile Moxie\u2019s automatic SERP tracker to do this automatically, or you can do it manually using a location-changing extension like GS Location Changer. (<strong>Tip<\/strong>: use incognito and the tool at the same time.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I recommend tracking local rankings using a geogrid tracking tool like Places Scout or Local Falcon. <\/p>\n<p>Both tools let you see how your listing ranks across a service area using pins to show rankings at specific markers within your city.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By tracking local rankings before and after adding services to your GBP, you will likely see a nice increase in local rankings for keywords related to the services you added.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keep_your_GBP_strategy_updated\"><\/span>Keep your GBP strategy updated<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Local SEO is constantly evolving, largely thanks to Google&#8217;s many changes to GBP. Monitor your GBP listing regularly and keep up with the latest product updates. <\/p>\n<p>Google will often silently release features like pre-defined services, so stay updated with your local SEO news.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-business-profile-pre-defined-services-local-seo-427538\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Google Business Profile pre-defined services can impact local SEO<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Google Business Profile (GBP) services might have more to do with local rankings than previously thought, according to recent tests from Sterling Sky (Disclosure: I work at Sterling Sky) and Whitespark.\u00a0 Specifically, adding pre-defined services in GBP seemingly impacts local search rankings.\u00a0 Before this finding, you could do little with GBP to influence local search results beyond location, categories, reviews and keywords in the business name. Now, you can add GBP services to the list of key local SEO factors to prioritize. Since when did GBP [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9643"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9643\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}