Local Search Hot Topics for 2019 to Bring in 2020

As 2020 approaches, we’re looking back at Advice Local’s most popular blogs from the past year. As you’ll see, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is quite a popular topic and will almost certainly continue to be. Make sure you’re prepared for 2020 by brushing up on everything that was hot from the past 12 months!

Trending Topics From 2019 to Prepare for 2020

Readers found these ten articles to be the most interesting, pertinent or helpful over the past year. If you’re managing the online listings of any local businesses, you can’t afford to not be up to date on everything that was important in local listings over the past year.

1. How to Optimize a Google Business Profile Listing for Service Area Businesses

A lot of our popular articles this year were related to Google Business Profile (GBP). Google Business Profile is still as important as ever, and the advice in this article on how service area businesses can optimize their Google Business Profile listings is still something everyone managing SAB listings should know. From selecting service areas to optimizing product and service descriptions, every component of the GBP listing is crucial.

2. Best Directories for 2019: The List That Local Marketers Love

Published almost a year ago, our list of the best directories for local businesses still contains must-have information for every local SMB. This list of 54 directories that local businesses should be listed in is an incredibly useful resource for anyone marketing local businesses.

3. Mastering Google Business Profile in 2019 and Beyond

On the topic of mastering Google Business Profile, we predicted that 2019 would be a big year for GBP for local businesses — and we were right. We have no doubt this trend will continue going into 2020. Follow our instructions on how to create a Google Business Profile listing, getting to know the GBP dashboard, how to optimize GBP posts and more. It’s a must-read for those managing listings for local businesses.

4. How to Enhance a Local Business’ Online Presence With Bing Places

We can’t forget about Bing! If you manage local businesses, you know that Bing Places is another important tool for making sure those businesses are found online. If you need help optimizing any local business’ online presence and haven’t been paying attention to Bing, check out our how-to and help local businesses get found on Bing Places.

5. Local Search Ranking Factors — What’s Hot for 2019

Google doesn’t officially reveal how the ranking factors in its search algorithms work, but after over a decade working in local search, Advice Local knows what works and what doesn’t. This article describes what factors go into local search rankings and what you can do to optimize the online presence of local businesses.

6. How to Use the Google Business Profile App

Like we said, Google Business Profile is a frequent topic at Advice Local, and we have years of experience to share. Managing local listings on Google Business Profile is now easier than ever using the GBP mobile app for Android and iOS. This article has everything you need to navigate the Google Business Profile app so that you can manage your listings no matter where you are.

7. How to Get More Click-Through and Win With Zero-Click Searches

Did you know that about 61% of mobile searches and 34% of desktop searches on Google are zero-click searches?  Zero-click searches might seem like an area of concern for local businesses who think they are losing traffic, but you can take advantage of them. Read how to get more click-throughs from zero-click searches.

8. The Magic Trio: Google Maps Ranking Facts

When was the last time you visited a business that wasn’t on Google Maps?  Whether you manage the online presence for a service area business or local store, appearing on Google Maps and having a Google Business Profile listing is vital. Here are three factors that go into Google Maps ranking.

9. Do Manual Citation Submissions Perform Better Than Data Aggregator Submissions?

It’s important for local businesses to be found in as many reputable online directories as possible since these citations help drive customers to the business. But what are the advantages of data aggregators over manual submissions? There are pros and cons for both, but aside from saving you time, one advantage of data aggregators is that they amplify accurate data to directories that matter.

10. Why Businesses and Brands Need to Monitor Their Google Business Profile Listing

Having a Google Business Profile listing isn’t enough — if you are managing the online presence of any type of business, you need to be actively monitoring their GBP listings. In this article we discussed the importance of monitoring your GBP listings and what can go wrong if you don’t!

Honorable Mentions Heard Around the Web

Since we only mentioned our most popular 10 blogs above, we had to share two of our other top-performing pages. They are more guides than how-tos, but every local marketer needs to have them in their arsenal.

Helping Local Businesses Attract More Customers With Google Business Profile

Everyone needs to win at GBP and this resource, 5 Strategies to Win in Search Results With a Google Business Profile Listing, will get you there. We cover all of the basics of managing a GBP listing, including how to claim, create and optimize listings, how to get more customer reviews and much more.

Getting Businesses Found Online Through Voice Search

Voice Search became more important than ever in 2019, and voice assistants are now more popular than ever. If you haven’t been optimizing for voice search, you’re falling behind! Click here to download our guide, Voice Search for Local Businesses, Franchises and Brands: The Guide to Getting Found.

But Wait, There’s More!

Don’t forget that Advice Local has a mountain of tools and resources available to help you and your local business clients succeed. This includes things like our “Epic Guide to Local SEO,” which is available for free to download, and products like our listing management services and our vertical directory submission services.

Learn how Advice Local can help you and your local business clients succeed going into 2020 by requesting a demo today.