SEO Myths

We have encountered several false SEO related myths within our local business environment and we decided that it is time we address these myths and finally put them to rest.

Some of these myths are as described below;

Defecting from Google My Business Totally removes your Business from Google Listing

A business may decide to delete duplicate listings on their Google My Business Dashboard. Once a listing is deleted, you instantly receive a scary prompt asking you if you are sure you want to delete the listing. However, truth is that; removing a listing from the Google My Business Dashboard only serves to make the listing unverified. Your business will still appear on Google Maps and will still rank as long as you did not clear all the details prior to deleting it. Deleting it from the Google My Business Dashboard only implies that you no longer wish to manage that listing. The Google Help Center confirms this.

Failure to Take Charge of your Business’s Page Implies that it Will Not Rank on Other Search Engines

We can guarantee that any person forwarding this claim to you is not an expert in this industry and is in most cases looking to benefit from your fear and make sales of their own. Certainly, verifying your listing does improve its ranking, but this is because in most cases businesses that take the initiative to verify add more information to their listing. However, note that if the listings were left as they were prior to verification; it would not improve their ranking much. Proof of this is that there are numerous instances where unverified business pages outrank verified ones even in extremely competitive markets.

Professional or Practitioner listings are Considered Duplicates on Google and may be Removed

In most cases Google will make listings of public-oriented professionals such as lawyers, doctors, realtors, etc. These professionals may want those listings removed. Google obliges only in two instances:

• The professional is not public-oriented: For example, staff members like paralegals do not qualify for listing and will be removed.

• There only exists one public-oriented individual in the business: For example, if a law firm has only one lawyer, it will be considered a solo-practice and the listing of the profession and his office will be merged. To create a single page, these guidelines should be adhered to.

In the case where a professional has retired, moved, or no longer works in the profession, the listing could be marked as ‘moved’. This will ensure that the listing does not appear in the search results but it will be existent in Google’s back-end. In the case where a professional has transferred firms, you should have them update their information and contact information.

Making Posts on Google Plus Improves your Ranking

It is almost impossible for people to see your posts on Google Plus unless they have specifically searched your business’s name. Making regular posts on Google Plus does not automatically lead to an improved ranking despite what you might have heard out there.

‘Maps SEO’ can be effectively developed independent of ‘Organic SEO’

Note, Maps Optimization cannot be separated from Organic Optimization. 75% of the locally high ranking listings will also rank organically on the first page. These two aspects are directly correlated and any changes made on your site can have a significant effect on your local ranking. If you happen to be a local business, it would be best that you involve yourself with an SEO business that understands Google Maps as well as the 3-pack sufficiently. A good SEO Company understands that it is almost impossible to get in the 3-pack without strong organic rankings and strong local signals from the relevant website.

Google is the Highest Authority for Ranking Signals

Google employees and personnel may provide great insight but they have no authority to divulge any tips for getting a website to rank well. Some pieces of advice given by Google personnel that ought to be completely ignored are such as:

• Duplicate listings fix themselves in time.

• Google Plus activity improves your ranking.

• Ranking well in the 3-pack entails altering your business description.

Instead of blindly trusting such advice businesses should ensure that their initiatives match up with proven cases studies and surveys. Do your research.

Setting a Large Service Area Automatically Implies High Ranking in Additional Towns

Google allows businesses to establish a radius indicating the area in which they are willing to offer services to consumers. People will often record a large area with the notion that it helps them rank better in more towns but the truth is, It Does Not. In all probability, you will still only rank high in the town in which the business address is registered.

In case of Relocation of your Business, Mark the Listing for Old Location as ‘Closed’.

Instead of having a big, red ‘permanently closed’ label on the map when potential clients search your business because you marked an old location as closed; all you need to do is edit the address in the Google My Business Dashboard when you relocate. In case there is an unverified duplicate listing at your old address, ensure that it is marked as ‘Moved’.

Google displays what is listed in your Google My Business Dashboard

Google allows businesses to edit information on their listings by verifying it on Google My Business. However, the input of the business is just but one source from which Google will draw information. Google regularly updates verified listings with data gathered from business websites, Google Maps edits, as well as third party sources.

#seo #myth #google