Dominate Google Ranking - Key Factors for 2022

Dominate Google Ranking Factors 2022 –  Things took a turn when Google released their new Google Business Profile algorithm update. This update shook the rankings in an effort to level the playing field between prominent businesses and the smaller businesses that weren’t competing in the space.

New Local Google Ranking Factors 2022

• Proximity – Google’s algorithm update will have the greatest impact on businesses that draw their customers from a range outside of the 5km radius.
• Prominence – No longer the highest-ranking factor
• Relevance – How relevant is the content on your Google Business Profile & your website to the intent of the search user?

Data Parameters

• Google Business Profile Signals (Proximity, categories, keyword in business title). 36%
• Review Signals (Review quantity, review velocity, review diversity) 17%
• On-Page Signals (Presence of NAP, keywords in titles, domain authority) 16%
• Link Signals (Inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, linking domain quantity) 13%
• Citation Signals (IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, citation volume) 7%
• Behavioural Signals (Click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, check-ins) 7%
• Personalisation (eg area-specific targeting) 4%

Proximity

What it means to your SAB (service area business). Google’s algorithm update will have the greatest impact on businesses that draw their customers from a range outside of the 5km radius. If you are a carpenter, you no doubt travel to a customer’s premises to complete work, which can be anywhere up to 100kms from your base. How will you reach customers outside of your immediate 5km region?

Prominence

If you want to improve your local rankings, you need to understand how search engines use the proximity of your business and a user’s location for where you rank in search results. Google has stated that downgrading prominence as a ranking factor is going to allow smaller businesses and those closer to the geo-location of the user to rank higher, therefore levelling the playing field.  

We’d like to believe that they are looking out for the little guy, but the cynicism antennae are twitching like crazy. The reason for this cynicism? Google is a business, they don’t make money from people searching, nor do they make anything from organic rankings and Google Business Profiles.

Google makes millions from selling ads, and the more competitive the keyword, the better the bidding war between businesses looking to have their ad in prime position.

Relevance

How relevant is the content on your Google Business Profile & your website to the intent of the search user?

There is a nanosecond between a search term being entered and the results being displayed, but what happens behind the curtain to choose who ranks where? The calculation that values websites is based on the quality and quantity of links to a webpage, prescribing a rank number as a result.

This may not be the order it’s done in (Google secret). There are over 200 ranking factors.

• Google’s bots scan the indexed pages (its database)
• Locates the pages mentioning the searcher’s keywords
• It crosschecks pages (not whole sites) with Business Profiles (they must match)
• It checks your websites DA (Domain Authority Score) (a whole other algorithm to rank or dump slow/old sites)
• Checks proximity to the geo-location of the user

What’s Next?

The best place to start is with a GMB & Presence Audit + Website Audit. Contact the SEO Team to book a time.

With your newfound knowledge, you will have a clearer idea of what the possibilities are for increasing your brand awareness and the opportunities to take up to drive more traffic to your Google Business Profile AND your website.

If you would like Ground Zero Digital to optimise and/or manage your Google Business Profile & Citations, we have some amazing Plans for you to choose from.

• Monthly Optimisation & Post Generation Campaign
• Profile Updates Monthly
• Citation Generation & Management
• Reputation Management
• Review Generation & Management

Follow us on Facebook & LinkedIn & check out our Google Business Profile.

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