Local SEO and Marketing Q&A Session June 3, 2022

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses … local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

This Week’s Updates and Questions

  • Missing reviews survey. 
  • Product post bug. 
  • Justifications are showing up on Google Maps.
  • WhiteSpark developes duplicate finder.
  • What more can I do besides optimizing websites and getting good reviews to become more successful?
  • Is it possible to get a listing to rank in multiple categories? 
  • Should I set up a new GBP for a new service I’m adding to my business? 
  • Has there been an increase in GBP suspensions recently? 
  • Is it possible to merge a business listing and a practitioner listing? 
  • Should I have a separate practitioner listing in addition to an office listing? 
  • Can you run a plumbing business out of your home and show the address or does not showing the address make a difference in ranking?
  • Can I have multiple GBP listings at different locations with only one website? 
  • Is there a legitimate way to suspend my own GBP profile so it no longer displays anywhere? 
  • How do I rank in nearby cities in addition to the city in which the business is located? 
  • Is there any way to find out what the address is on a SAB when I control the GBP? 
  • Should I have my business name followed by my personal name on GBP when I go by my personal name on LinkedIn? 
  • If I have a template website do I need a different one for SEO? 
  • Would Google allow Real Estate Brokers to own the GBP of their agents?
  • Should I use a tracking number for a location with two businesses and only one phone number?  
  • At an address with lots of businesses with the same category, should I switch to a home address and SAB?
  • What should I do if I don’t get confirmation emails of redressal forms when reporting a spam listing? 
  • How do I delete departments in GBP if I have no access?
  • When updating my listings and key citations after moving locations from a local agency, should I use my home address? 
  • What are the effects if the business changed its name but everything else remains the same? 
  • If a practitioner has a GBP and the practice/business also has a GBP, where would you suggest users place their reviews? 
  • What should I do if GBP keeps directing me to claim a duplicate one?
  • What should I do if my business doesn’t show up when searching the business name, but does with a generic one? 
  • What should I focus on in my homepage when I have several categories I can rank for?
  • Does a permanently closed business eventually disappear from the listings?

Links from This Week’s Session