Google Business Views Down in 2022? Why Your Not #1
Have you seen a huge dip in search results? Especially a loss of business from your local customers? Many have said Google Business views are down, though for others that’s an up.
This complete tutorial will show you some important information on:
- How to get local views on Google.
- What Google is looking for from your business.
- The 3 algorithm updates effecting Google Business views
- How Google rewards you in the search results.
- The 3 most important areas Google ranks local search results
- The 5 optimisation areas you should focus on
- Why views for your business in Google maps, search & profile listings change.
Video : Google Local Views Down
Timestamps to Video above
- 0:00 Google Algorithm Update Overview
- 0:40 Biggest Google update for 5 years
- 1:00 How to check your Google business views
- 1:40 Monitor your keywords in GBP
- 2:20 Google vicinity update Tweet explained
- 3:30 How Google shrunk the map
- 4:00 How to improve ranking in Google
- 4:38 3 major factors to rank locally
- 5:00 Other improvements from update
- 6:00 Large divide on subscribers poll
- 6:46 How Google will rank you for more views
- 7:26 Enter complete data explained
- 8:10 Verify Your location
- 8:38 Keep hours accurate
- 9:32 Manage and respond to reviews
- 10:00 Add photos for views
- 10:29 What free SEO tools can you use
How Google Business Views Work
You need to monitor your visitors to know if the problem exists in the first place, So you could use Google Analytics, Google Search Console as an additional way of seeing the traffic. By default, you can click on the views in your Google Business Profile results
Yes, there are a few. For local search results and keyword optimisation, I would recommend using something like the excellent Surferlocal 
Yes, they have, this is why optimising and following Googles advice of focusing on customers not search engines are rewarding subscribers on my channel. As you can see from this poll, it’s clear cut from this recent survey I conducted. Last month 2/3rds of Zanet Design Youtube subscribers saw a strong improvement, whereas 1/3rd it went down. A clear cut result one way or the other.
Draw the right conclusion
Some may make the wrong conclusion even asking “Has Google got it in for my business?”
Absolutely not, but there is a reason why you may have lost views in recent months and this is down to 3 particular changes to Google’s Local Search Algorithm
Google Business Views Down, 3 changes is what just happened?
Google’s Biggest Local Search Algorithm Update in Five Years Just Happened in November 2021
Nicknamed the The ‘Vicinity’ Update
Google Business Views change due to Distance
1. Shrinking the area
Why you’re not showing in results – shrinking – The shrinking of the Map area (hence the name, “Vicinity Update”).
As can be seen in the video above and in this diagram, Google has almost halved the area it considers “local” So the reason your business may see a large dip is it’s now not so local to the majority of searchers for your business and keyword combination.
It’s not all bad news as a searcher nearer you may now not have the larger corporation competing in the results, so many small businesses have seen a great benefit from this large “vicinity update”
2. Business Name Spam
Another side effect we’re seeing from this update is a devaluing of keywords in the business name. This is a technique used by SEO Gurus who want to get a huge jump in ranking. It’s not really in keeping with google’s policy, so its a reasonable change and well overdue
3 SEO tips to future proof your lisiting
We all know that there are actually 3 parts to Googles simplified way of ranking your Business profile listing
- Relevance
- Distance – Vicinity
- Prominence
You can really improve your profile when you optimise with these 3 areas in mind
Relevance refers to how well a local Business Profile matches what someone is searching for.
Distance is from the location term used in a search. If a user doesn’t specify a location in their search, we’ll calculate distance based on what we do know about their location.
Prominence is also based on information that Google has about a business, from across the web, like links, articles, and directories.
If you want regular tips from my Zanet YouTube Channel should combine and have a massive impact on your Google My Business rank for 2022.