Happy Birthday, Google! A look back at the past year.
September 27th marks Google’s 20th Birthday. We have a strong connection to Google, and we’re not just talking about our API (get it?). Google is the leader in all things Local SEO. With constant updates to algorithms, features, and even just stylistic changes (did you see the new Chrome look?) Google is a driving force in the digital world. Google’s influence comes up in pretty much every blog we write, but in just the past year alone, we published 12 blogs dedicated to Google updates, features, and news. Let’s take a look back at the past year and how Google has influenced local search.
#TransformationTuesday take a look at Google’s first logo compared to their logo today.
The past year with Google:
February
Google Joins the Fight Against Review Solicitation
Google joined the governing force, Yelp, Chatmeter, and many others by updating their policies to ensure review legitimacy on their search directories, platforms, partners, and customers globally.
In this blog:
- Google’s stance on review solicitation.
- Why Google removed solicited reviews.
April
What’s the 411 on the 4 Latest Google My Business Updates Influencing Local SEO
Google continues its aggressive approach towards rolling out new features and enhancements to its Google My Business (GMB) platform. With nearly 50% of all searches on Google being local, the search giant is doing all it can to improve the user experience for both businesses and consumers.
In this blog:
- Google reinstates local listing descriptions.
- Services field added to GMB.
- Additional review generation guidelines.
- New GMB guidelines.
Which Online Source Drives More In-Store Traffic: Google My Business vs. Websites
The question that many businesses have yet to answer is: Which online source specifically is driving the greatest number of customers through their doors? The online to offline traffic showdown: Google My Business vs. Websites.
In this blog:
- Which online source produces the most foot traffic?
- How to get more traffic to your GMB listings.
- Why is your website essential to your local SEO strategy?
May
9 Violations that Allow Businesses to Remove Negative Google Reviews
At a time when every review matters, the ability to remove negative Google reviews and bolster your positive reputation online can be a game changer for local businesses. When monitoring your reviews, keep an eye out for any of these 9 review violations that will allow you to flag and remove negative reviews.
In this blog:
- See the 9 review violations.
- How to flag and remove Google reviews.
June
Is Google Deleting Anonymous Reviews? Local SEO Experts Dive into Millions of Reviews to Find Out
There has been a lot of chatter on local blogs about Google’s intention to remove anonymous reviews, either pulling the stars out of the rating from the local knowledge panel or going as far as deleting the reviews altogether. Is this a rumor? What is happening to anonymous reviews?
In this blog:
- Read the Chatmeter study on review removal.
- Find out if and why Google is removing reviews.
The Google Maps 2018 Revamp
At I/O 2018, Google announced some of their most cutting-edge innovations to one of their most rapidly growing products: Google Maps. The latest enhancements highlight the potential of artificial intelligence, personalization, smart technology, and augmented reality.
In this blog see the updates or introduction of:
- Explore tools.
- The new For You and My Score features.
- Group Planning tools.
- AR Navigation tool.
July
Will These New Google Updates Impact Your Local Listings?
Google rolled out some small updates to features that could have a major impact on your local business listings. Take a look at what these changes could mean for managing your online business listings.
In this blog learn more about the following announcements:
- The Speed Update and how it affects your local search rankings.
- Google AdWord conversion tracking.
- LGBTQ-Friendly stickers.
- New report added to GMB Insights
August
Why Google Posts are Essential to your SEO and VEO Strategy
See why Google Posts is headed towards becoming one of the most important pieces of your SEO, VEO™, and overall content strategy.
In this blog:
- What are Google Posts?
- Google Posts for SEO
- Google Posts for VEO
How to Use Google Posts to Increase Foot Traffic This Labor Day
Here’s a look at all the ways incorporating Google Posts this Labor Day (or any holiday) can increase your foot traffic and improve your local SEO efforts.
In this blog:
- How Google Posts can increase foot traffic.
- Creating a Google Post in 7 steps.
- The 5 need-to-know details about Google Posts.
Growth of “Near Me” Searches Shows Importance of Local SEO
Google’s Consumer Insights has reported a 900%+ increase in “near me tonight/today” searches in the past two years. This incredible increase in “near me” searches shows just how important Local SEO is to the success of brick and mortar stores. Here’s a look at some of the most impressive Google search stats and how they affect a brand’s local SEO plan.
In this blog:
- How local search has grown in the past two years.
- How to improve your local SEO strategy.
September
Google My Business Insights Explained
GMB Insights give you a behind the scenes look at how your customers interact with your GMB listings. There is a vast amount of data to be found within Insights, here’s a look at what the data means, how you can use it, and the limitations that come with GMB Insights.
In this blog:
- What are GMB Insights?
- What you can learn from GMB Insights.
- How Chatmeter helps multi-location businesses get more out of GMB Insights.
Google’s ability to release new updates and features is unparalleled. These are just some of the thousands of updates (not including the 500+ algorithm changes) Google has released in the past year. We don’t see any signs of slowing now that Google has reached its 20th year. We wish you a Happy Birthday, Google and look forward to another exciting year with you!