Page 50 - SEO Mad Scientist 2020 Report

Will Google Rank a Site’s Service Page Better if it’s Also Included in a
Local Directory?

Test Setup: November 13, 2020

We often see both local businesses and directory listings in organic local search. Each provides a
slightly different experience based on the intent of the searcher. So if we were to include both
types of search intent in our content, would the page rank better?

The test is simple, as Yelp and other directories usually don't have much unique content outside
of NAP. We put directory links (ordered by proximity) at the top and bottom of the site’s main
page. We included this directory style content in both spots to see if there is a difference in the
effects. Remember, whatever Google reads first could impact their understanding of the intent of
the content.

Our test setup was similar to our old duplicate content "event" test, where we simply searched for
our service term plus location, then took the top 10 Listings from Google Maps and added them
to the top or bottom of our service page

Test Result: November 20,2020

As of the update we were still waiting for pages to be reindexed with our local directory/local
business intent properties. (The reindexing tool was down at this time) Ultimately, the test results
came back inconclusive with no meaningful movement in either direction. We are continuing to
develop and run new tests.

How to Improve Organic Rankings of GMB Website Test

Test Setup:

Our goal was to test how GMB posts, inner linking, and various inbound links influence the
organic rankings of a GMB website. This GMB website was created the same way our previous
proximity test was. We verified a listing at our address and then removed the address and set the
service area in another city and state with a higher search. We also used duplicate content to
build out the GMB site and did not optimize the website provided by GMB.

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