In this session Joy Hawkins and Darren Shaw will take a deep dive into some of the changes that have happened in the last year for local search. They’ll highlight 6 of the most-talked-about changes and tell you what you need to know to stay ahead in your Local SEO strategy. They’ll answer questions such as does this change impact my visibility on Google? Does this new feature Google launched impact my ranking? Does this change impact the strategy you should be using regularly when approaching SEO?

1. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Succeeding in Local SEO in 2018
(and beyond)
Joy Hawkins
&
Darren Shaw
MN Search Summit 2018

2. Local Search is not what it
used to be.
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

3. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Back in the good ol’ days
Clicking the business
name would take you
to the website

4. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Today, Google wants to
keep you on Google
PAID
PAID
PAID
PAID
PAID

5. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Local pack leads to Local Finder

6. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
And the Local
Finder has
almost all the
info you need
Address
Phone
Hours
Book appointment link
Latest news/events (posts)
Q&A Reviews
Business description
Links to similar businesses

7. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
These features drive business
In a case study done by
Get Five Stars, they
found that 70% of KPIs
were happening
On Google.
https://www.getfivestars.com/blog/case-study-key-
performance-indicators-local-digital-marketing/

8. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Just some of the GMB features
released in the past 2 years.
Google Posts
Description
Services
GMB Websites
Messaging
VideosQ & A

9. Review
Gating

10. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Are you happy
with our
service?
Private
Feedback Form
Leave us a
Google Review!

11. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
April 12, 2018
“Don’t discourage
or prohibit negative
reviews or
selectively solicit
positive reviews
from customers.”

12. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
What Happens?
Currently for review incentives, Google
removes all the reviews that were left
during the time period of the contest.

13. Descriptions

14. August 2016:
Description is removed
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

15. March 2018:
It’s back!
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

16. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
The guidelines
750 Characters

17. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
The guidelines
Must be accurate and not misleading

18. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
The guidelines
No links (or html code)

19. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
The guidelines
No sales, discounts, or promos
X

20. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
The guidelines
Email addresses are a-okay!

21. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
What not to do

22. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Doing it right!
Ad copy for conversions, not keyword stuffing

23. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Technically against the
guidelines, but emojis!

24. March Algorithm
Update

25. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

26. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

27. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
SERPs = more localized
“Car Accident Lawyer”

28. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
SERP Feature
Changes

29. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
SERP Feature
Changes

30. Services

31. Launched on April 9, 2018
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

32. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Which categories get them?
Health + Beauty
Spas
Hair salons
Fitness
Medical/Dentistry
Etc.

33. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Which categories get them?
Service Area Businesses
Plumbers
Roofers
Lawn care
Pest Control
Etc.

34. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Which categories get them?
Have also seen them here
Lawyers
Hotels/B&Bs
Jewelry stores
Marketing agencies
Insurance agencies
Construction businesses

35. Adding/editing them

36. Adding/editing them
Price is
Optional
Description
is optional

37. Create sections

38. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Where can you see them?
A teeny link on the
Google Maps mobile app.
That’s it!
For now.

39. What do they look like?

40. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Do they help with
rankings?

41. Google
Posts

42. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
In April 2018,
Google moved Posts
to the top on mobile

43. Joel Headley works at PatientPop
and they increased appointment
bookings by about 11% for
thousands of customer listings
via Google Posts.
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

44. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Book an Appointment
Download a Coupon
Get a Free Case
Evaluation

45. 1.One post at a time is enough
2.Make the post look like a button
3.Lead the user to a page where they
can fill in a form
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

46. @JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_
Coming soon!
The Whitespark Google Posts Scheduler

47. 1. Use UTM Codes in the link https://ga-dev-
tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/
a. Campaign Source: GMBPosts
b. Campaign Medium: [Type of Post]
2. Google Analytics > Acquisition > All Traffic >
Source/Medium
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

48. Q & A

49. Launched in August 2017
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

50. High visibility
Brand search
knowledge panel

51. High visibility
Local
Finder
results

52. Questions are being asked
https://www.getfivestars.com/blog/the-big-guide-to-google-questions-and-answers/

53. Types of questions being asked
https://www.getfivestars.com/blog/the-big-guide-to-google-questions-and-answers/

54. Some “questions” are damaging

55. Some answers are useless

56. And sometimes it works out really well

57. Q&A Best Practices
@JoyanneHawkins @DarrenShaw_

58. 1. Monitor and respond, before someone else does

59. Whitespark Reputation Builder

60. 2. Upvote your best question
The question with
the most upvotes is
the one that will
display in the
knowledge panel

61. 3. Report any off-topic questions
This is a review,
not a question. It
would be removed
if reported.

63. 4. Seed the Q&A with your own best questions

64. THANK YOU!
@JoyanneHawkins
@DarrenShaw_
Get 15% off.
Promo Code:MNSEARCH2018
Expires: July 6, 2018