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Reader Suggestion: How to Improve SEO/Rankings

Last Updated: January 8, 2025

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We recently got a suggestion from a reader that we cover SEO and how to improve rankings. So, this post is going to do exactly that! This is a massive topic that’s far too broad to go into detail on every point, but we’ll focus on the general topics and, more importantly, the order you should do them in.

1. Clean Up Your Digital Clutter

Your past campaigns have almost certainly left a trail of outdated info. Things like old phone numbers, websites, and addresses, will drag your rankings down because they break your NAP match. That is to say, you’re not presenting a consistent story to Google about your Name, Address, and Phone number (and website). Most marketing companies skip this step, but we always like to start with CleanSlate because it makes no sense to work against the weight of that old information when you can start fresh and set yourself up for long-term success.

  • Track Down Old Info: Search for any outdated phone numbers, addresses, or websites tied to your business. They can mess with your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency.
  • Update Listings: Edit the info where possible. If you can’t, reach out to site operators and request updates.
  • Time-Saving Tip: Consider tools or services like CleanSlate to expedite this process.

This step sets the foundation for everything else you’ll do!

2. Fix Your Website

Your website is the foundation of your SEO success, and it needs to work for both people and search engine bots. Here’s what to focus on:

  • Optimize for Keywords: Research your target keywords and weave them naturally into your page titles, headings, and content.
  • Create for Humans and Bots: Write clear, engaging content for visitors, and structure it so search engines can index your site effectively with clean URLs and proper metadata.
  • Add Substantial Content: Include plenty of text on your site—even if visitors don’t read every word, search engines will. Make sure you focus on only one thought per page. In other words, if you both install and repair roofs, you need a page for each of those things.
  • Ensure ADA Compliance: Use high-contrast text, descriptive alt tags for images, and accessible designs to boost usability and rankings.
  • Simplify Navigation: Keep your menus intuitive and include relevant keywords in the labels so users can find what they need quickly.
  • Handle No-Follow Tags with Care: Use these strategically to avoid accidental ranking issues. Missteps can cause more harm than good.

By making these updates, your website becomes a powerful tool to attract traffic and improve your rankings!

3. Supercharge Your Google Business Profile (GBP)

Your GBP is a ranking powerhouse. Treat it like gold.

  • Keep It Consistent: Ensure your business info matches what’s on your website.
  • Fill It Out Completely: Don’t skip any fields, and choose the right categories for your business.
  • Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Use keywords wisely—Google’s not a fan of overstuffed profiles.
  • Be Honest About Location: Never fake a storefront with a P.O. box or UPS address. Google’s onto that game, and it won’t end well.
  • Caution: Do not push the boundaries here because the penalties are pretty severe now. You only get 2 tries to fix a suspension so better to leave 5% optimization on the table than to try for 105% and end up suspended. If you’re not sure, or this all makes you nervous, we do offer GBP Optimization so we’re always here to help.

4. Leverage Local Directories

Directories are the easiest win in the SEO game. Every listing is a backlink, which gives your rankings a little boost.

  • Get Listed Everywhere: Use services like DirectoryDominator to get into hundreds of directories quickly.
  • Focus on Relevance: Local directories are especially valuable since they connect you with nearby customers.

5. Build Backlinks Manually

Backlinks are like SEO votes of confidence, but the best ones don’t happen by accident. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Collaborate with Industry Partners: Ask suppliers, subcontractors, or other business partners to link to your site. For example, they might list you as a preferred vendor or partner.
  • Guest Posting: Offer to write articles for industry blogs or local businesses, and include a link to your site in the content.
  • Reach Out to Community Colleges or Schools: Propose a small donation, internship opportunity, or collaboration in exchange for a backlink from their .edu site. These carry extra weight in rankings.
  • Sponsor Local Events: Many event organizers list sponsors on their websites, often with a link back to your business.
  • Leverage Community Connections: If you’re involved with a local nonprofit or sports team, ask if they’ll include your business on their website.
  • Get Creative: Think about local chambers of commerce, niche directories, or even online testimonials where a link to your site would make sense.

Manual backlinks take effort, but they’re worth it. For most small businesses, a dozen well-placed links can significantly improve search rankings!

6. Add PPC Advertising

Once your SEO is humming, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads can supercharge your efforts.

  • Save Money with Optimization: We suggest doing this only AFTER your site is already optimized because you’ll pay less for your Google Ads. Otherwise, you’re paying what we, internally, call the “stupid tax.” When your page isn’t optimized for the keyword you’re buying, Google will let you do it but it will be at a higher cost because your “relevancy score” will be worse.
  • Target Specific Goals: Use PPC for seasonal services, discounts, or geographic areas you can’t reach with SEO alone.
  • Pro Tip: Don’t forget to use negative keywords!
  • Don’t Forget: Google Ads is the biggest player in this space but don’t forget Facebook Ads too. Each has it’s strengths and the key is knowing which is the right fit for your circumstances and goals.
  • Not ready to DIY this? No problem! We’ve been doing this for many years and can help you with any Google Ads management or Facebook Ads management you might need.

7. Engage on Social Media

Yes, social media still matters. Even if it’s not a direct sales driver, it’s a trust builder. Most people still research companies before buying, especially for large purchases. If your social profiles suggest that you’re engaged, active, and putting in effort, they’ll conclude that you probably handle your services the same way. You don’t want to give the impression that you don’t bother, don’t care, and don’t even try…

  • Stay Active: Post regularly to show you’re engaged and up-to-date.
  • Be Visible: An active social profile can sway customers when they’re deciding between you and a competitor.
  • Too busy? We have options like SocialBuzz and SocialStream that can help with that.

Wrapping It Up

Improving your SEO rankings is a marathon, not a sprint. However, by following this roadmap and handling things in the right order, you’ll see better results, save money, and gain more visibility. Remember, every little tweak adds up, so keep at it. And if this feels overwhelming, we’re here to help!

ScamWatch: Paying For Leads That Should Be Free

Last Updated: December 30, 2024

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This edition of ScamWatch deals with something we’re seeing at an increasing rate. It’s very possible that some of these cases are not so much a scam as they are just opportunistic greed, but either way, it’s something you should be on the lookout for. We’re seeing links to profile pages from pay-per-lead providers like Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, Angi, or Housecall Pro end up in the “Website” or “Booking” fields of Google Business Profiles (GBPs) and other online directories. This causes visitors to be sent to platforms where every call, click, or email becomes a billable event, instead of free, organic leads.

Let’s break it down and talk about how to protect your hard-earned traffic.

Why It’s Happening

Sometimes, these links appear in your GBP or directories without your knowledge. It could happen for a variety of reasons:

  • Automated Systems: It’s possible that an automated integration between your accounts and the lead provider is populating this information.
  • Lead Providers Themselves: We’ve seen instances where providers may insert their links without explicit permission.

The result? Customers you’ve worked hard to attract are directed to a lead provider’s page. Instead of contacting you directly, they’re routed through a paid platform that charges you for traffic that YOU generated.

Why It’s a Problem

  • You’re Paying Twice for Leads: Imagine spending money on ads or SEO to bring people to your business, only to send them to a paid lead provider. It’s like paying to build a bridge and then getting charged a toll to cross it.
  • No Added Value: These links don’t provide any extra functionality you couldn’t offer yourself. Adding a booking form to your own website is simple, effective, and most importantly, FREE.
  • Lost Trust: Customers may think the pay-per-lead page is your actual business website, which can be confusing and may reduce credibility.

What to Watch For

Specifically, we’ve recently seen cases where Thumbtack links appear in the “Booking Link” section of GBPs. Our clients have told us they didn’t add these links themselves, nor did they approve them being added on their behalf. This sneaky placement can go unnoticed for months, costing businesses hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

How to Fix It

  1. Audit Your Online Profiles Regularly: Check your Google Business Profile, Yelp, and other directories to ensure your website and booking links point to your own site.
  2. Replace Paid Links: If you see a link to a pay-per-lead provider, replace it with a link to your own website or a booking form.
  3. Add Booking Features to Your Website: Integrate a simple booking form on your site. Many platforms, like WordPress or Squarespace, make this easy with plugins or built-in tools.
  4. Check for Automated Systems: Investigate whether integrations or APIs from lead providers are automatically updating your profile fields. Disable or adjust these settings as needed.
  5. Stay Vigilant: Monitor for any unauthorized changes and act quickly to correct them.

Take Back Control of Your Leads

Lead providers have their place, but you definitely shouldn’t pay them for traffic you’re already generating. Plus, by driving traffic that you generated to these paid services, you’re artificially inflating their numbers and making the service look more effective than it actually is. By keeping a close eye on your profiles and ensuring all links point to your own assets, you can save yourself money and ensure your marketing efforts truly pay off.

Don’t let sneaky links drive up your costs—stay in control and keep those leads flowing directly to your business!

GBP Suspensions Due To “Google Account Restricted”

Last Updated: December 19, 2024

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If you’ve ever dealt with a Google Business Profile (GBP) suspension, you know it’s frustrating, confusing, and disruptive to your business. One sneaky root cause we’re seeing more often is tied to a “Google account restricted” email. Let’s break it down.

What Does “Google Account Restricted” Mean?

This issue pops up when an email tied to your GBP (whether it’s the owner’s or one of the managers’) gets flagged by Google for bad behavior. When that happens, Google will suspend any profile tied to that email address. Ouch.

It will look like this:
Google account restricted - sample message illustrating how it will appear to the user

The tricky part? Many GBPs have more than one email associated with them, so figuring out which email is restricted can feel like solving a mystery. For a marketing company like Prospect Genius, we can tell if it’s our email causing the problem by looking to all the other GBPs tied to that account. But most business owners have just a single GBP so it’s much harder to rule out any of the emails that way.

Why This Happens

Since some marketing companies don’t follow Google’s rules, we’re starting to see a rise in the number of “restricted account” issues tied to emails owned by these firms. Unfortunately, if they get flagged for bad behavior on a different GBP, yours will get taken down too, just because it’s tied to that “restricted” account. This makes it critical to choose your partners wisely.

What You Can Do to Protect Your GBP

Here are our best tips for staying ahead of this headache:

  1. Monitor Your GBP Regularly
    Keep an eye on your profile’s status. Suspensions can happen without warning, so it’s better to catch them early.
  2. Vet Your Marketing Providers
    Do your homework on any marketing company you work with. Are they following Google’s guidelines? A rule-breaking company could bring your GBP down with them.
  3. Track Who’s Connected
    Know exactly which emails are listed as owners or managers of your GBP. The more people connected, the more potential for issues. If you have a “restricted” account, you’ll need to identify and remove it ASAP.

Don’t Risk DIY Debugging

Remember: Google only gives you two chances to reinstate a suspended listing. Use them wisely. If you’re unsure what caused the suspension, call in a pro early in the process. Waiting until after your two tries are up severely limits your options.

The Bottom Line

While “deceptive content” remains the most common reason for GBP suspensions, these “Google account restricted” cases are increasing. Stay proactive by monitoring your account, choosing trusted marketing partners, and seeking help when you need it.

Keeping your GBP in good standing is critical to staying visible online. With the right precautions, you can avoid being caught in someone else’s mistakes.

Fake Reviews, Perilous or Genius?

Last Updated: December 11, 2024

You already know how important reviews are. But sometimes, the temptation to “game the system” with fake reviews can feel irresistible. Whether it’s writing reviews yourself, enlisting friends and family, or outright buying them, it might seem like a clever shortcut. Spoiler alert: it’s not.

Here’s our take, based on years of dealing with Google Business Profiles (GBPs), reinstating suspended profiles, recovering lost reviews, and navigating Google’s systems in general.

Fake Reviews Are Shockingly Easy to Detect

Sure, creating a 2 or 3 fake reviews will likely fly under the radar. However, 2 or 3 reviews are neither worth policing, nor likely to do much of anything to help your rating. They will, however, contribute to getting you flagged and your listing suspended if/when you manage to get noticed by the Google police.

Here’s some examples of how simple it is to detect review fraud:

Rate of Acquisition

With millions of GBPs to analyze, Google knows exactly how many reviews businesses like yours typically receive over time. If a roofing company suddenly accumulates reviews at a rate 20 times faster than average, it’s a glaring red flag. No roofing crew is doing 15 jobs a day and getting all those clients to leave glowing reviews.

If you buy fake reviews, you’ll end up with a very unnatural surge of review activity. Since computer systems are very good at monitoring simple data flows like the raw volume of reviews and the rate of change in review acquisition, this type of fraud is incredibly easy to detect.

IP and GPS Data

Google can track where reviews are coming from. If your Florida-based business gets reviews from accounts in California or another country, it’s highly suspicious. If multiple reviews are coming from the same IP address, it’s an outright statistical impossibility—and your GBP could be suspended almost immediately.

Reviewer Account History

Google analyzes reviewer accounts to detect patterns. Accounts created recently with no activity other than leaving one glowing review for your business are major red flags. Similarly, accounts with no real connection to your service area scream fraud.

Text Analysis

Fake reviews often lack authenticity. They’re usually vague, overly promotional, and filled with keywords rather than genuine observations. Real reviews tend to mention specific employees, services, or unique experiences. Google’s AI can identify these patterns, flagging fake reviews with remarkable accuracy.

What Happens When You Get Caught?

The penalties for fake reviews are no joke. At best, Google might delete the fraudulent reviews, wiping out all your efforts. More likely, you’ll manage to both waste your time and/or money AND get your GBP suspended. Depending on how severe the infraction, you might never be able to get your GBP back.

The consequences of fake reviews can be severe. At best, Google may just delete the fraudulent reviews, nullifying all your effort (and possibly expense.) More likely, your GBP will be suspended. Depending on how severely you violated the rules, you might never be able to get your GBP back. We help people recover their profiles every single day as part of our GBP Rescue service, but there are some cases where it’s just impossible. After all, if you offend the company providing you with a free service, you should expect them not to be interested in helping you fix your mess.

The Right Way to Boost Your Reviews

Building a strong online reputation takes a little time and effort, but it’s far safer and more sustainable. We recently dove into some simple ways to build out your reviews and future-proof your reputation in this post. Ultimately, you want to achieve a steady stream of inbound reviews, even if that stream is just a trickle. That’s still massively better than getting a flood of reviews out of nowhere. It reflects a more natural review profile and is almost always the result of having implemented smart business practices that will sustain your growth into the future.

The Bottom Line

Google wants reviews to represent real customer experiences, not clever manipulation. While it might be frustrating to watch others cheat the system, remember that Google’s algorithms are always evolving. Fake reviews may offer short-term gains, but they carry significant long-term risks.

So skip the shortcuts and focus on what really matters—providing excellent service that earns real, glowing reviews. Google will notice, and so will your future customers.

Reviews: Why you MUST get them and tips for getting more of them

Last Updated: December 3, 2024

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Let’s cut to the chase: reviews aren’t just nice to have anymore. They’re a massive piece of the Google rankings game, and potential customers expect to see reviews before committing to a purchase. Getting those reviews can be challenging, but don’t worry—we’ve got some tips to help.

Why Reviews Are Critical for Online Success

Google’s ranking algorithm is heavily influenced by reviews. High ratings combined with a solid number of reviews tell Google—and potential customers—that your business is legitimate, reliable, and relevant. So, what’s the “right” number of reviews? The answer is simple: “at least one more than your next-highest competitor.” Of course, this assumes a similar star rating. And as we all know, “simple” doesn’t always mean “easy.”

Whatever you do, don’t fake it. Buying reviews or posting fake ones might seem like a quick fix, but Google can spot this behavior from a mile away. The result? Your listing gets suspended. It’s just not worth the risk.

Why Reviews Matter to Your Customers

It’s not just about algorithms. Reviews are crucial for earning the trust of potential customers. Think about your own habits—when was the last time you booked a service or bought a product without checking the reviews first? In today’s world, where we trust strangers on the internet to guide us in choosing products and services, reviews are a lifeline.

Reviews provide customers with proof of your expertise, reliability, and customer service. They’re a critical part of the decision-making process. While no one is likely to read every single review, they will skim a few—and they’ll definitely consider your star rating. After all, would you eat at a restaurant with a 1-star rating? Would you hire someone to work on your home if they had a 2.3-star rating, and 6 out of their 10 most recent reviews were detailed, angry rants? Probably not.

The Biggest Mistake Business Owners Make

Too often, business owners only start focusing on reviews after receiving a 1-star review. This usually leads to a frantic scramble to gather a few good reviews to “fix” the problem. This reactive approach can tempt you to cut corners—like buying reviews—which, as mentioned, is a terrible idea.

Instead, make reviews part of your everyday process. By consistently gathering positive reviews, you’ll build a cushion of trust. This way, when you inevitably encounter a completely unreasonable customer trying to tank your star rating, it won’t have nearly as much impact.

How to Get Those Sweet, Sweet Reviews

Here are some proven ways to consistently collect reviews:

1. Ask Every Customer, Every Time

After finishing a job, casually ask the customer for a review. Something as simple as, “If you were happy with our work today, we’d really appreciate a quick review!” can work wonders.

Want to sweeten the deal? Offer a small discount if they leave a review on the spot. Customers are far more likely to leave a review while their experience is fresh than if you follow up days later.

2. Make It Easy with a Short Link

Follow up after every job with a direct link to your Google Business Profile review page. Simplify things even further by using a shortened link from a service like bitly.com or tiny.cc. When leaving a review is easy, people are more likely to follow through.

3. Automate with Tools

Services like ReviewStream make the process effortless. Simply upload your customer list, and the tool sends friendly, automated reminders to leave a review. Pro tip: If you sign up for ReviewStream in December 2024, you’ll save 50%! (Yes, that’s a shameless plug, but who doesn’t love a good deal?) Whether you use our service or a similar one, the key is automation—it works for you every day without any extra effort.

4. Don’t Forget Vendors

You don’t have to rely solely on customers for reviews. Vendors and partners you work with can also leave reviews. They may not have purchased your product or service, but they’ve interacted with your business and can validly share their experience. Since they also understand the importance of reviews, they’re often happy to return the favor.

Final Thoughts

Reviews are the backbone of your online reputation. They’re not just about pleasing Google—they’re about building trust with potential customers. By making review collection part of your daily operations, you’ll set your business up for long-term success.

And when that one-star review eventually shows up, you’ll be ready. A strong base of positive reviews will ensure that one unhappy customer doesn’t define your reputation. Keep building those reviews, and watch your business thrive!

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