Monthly Archives: January 2020

GOOGLE NOW DISPLAYS ‘REQUEST QUOTES’ BUTTON ABOVE MOBILE LOCAL RESULTS

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Looks like Google is out to test another new feature on local results. Last month, a ‘Request Quotes’ button made a sudden appearance above the local pack on mobile.

Request Quotes Seems to be a Part of the Messaging Feature in GMB.

The ‘Request Quotes’ button appears to be in line with Google’s efforts to make Google My Business (GMB) an engagement platform. First spotted by Tom Waddington, this new feature allows users to simultaneously request quotes from multiple businesses, provided they all have messaging enabled.

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While any listing can appear in the initial 3-pack, messaging has to be enabled for a business to appear in the results that come up after tapping the ‘Request Quotes’ button.

Final Takeaway

As of now, it is not very clear whether Google has already launched this feature or if it is still in test mode. However, what we do know is that besides enabling messaging within the GMB app, it is also important that the quote requests are replied to within 24 Hours. Failure to do so may lead to deactivation, for not being able to keep up with the responses.

GOOGLE ROLLS OUT LOCAL OPPORTUNITY FINDER TO HELP BUSINESSES UP THEIR LOCAL

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Google is set on helping out small businesses with Local SEO. Google recently announced through its Google Small Business handle on Twitter and Facebook that they are rolling out a brand new tool – Local Opportunity Finder.

The Idea Behind Google’s Local Opportunity Finder

Local Opportunity Finder is designed to help small businesses understand how Local SEO can help them and discover how people nearby generally search for businesses like theirs. Simply put, the tool analyzes what, where, and how people from a specific area are inclined to search for a particular type of business.

When a business name is entered on Local Opportunity Finder, the tool breaks down all the information necessary to improve its online presence into the following categories:

  • Business Profile – A brief overview of the number of searches made per week for businesses like theirs in that region.

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  • Business Info – Insight to the kind of information people nearby look for when they search for such businesses.

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  • Posts – The ideal time to put up a post about their business based on the daily peak time when people search for businesses like theirs.

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  • Reviews – The importance of reviews for such a business and how the company, in particular, is doing in this area.

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  • Photos – How important a role the photos play in Local SEO for such businesses.

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  • Summary – Steps that the company can take to improve its presence on Google Search and Maps.

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Our Takeaway

It sure looks like Local Opportunity Finder could be a huge help for small businesses when it comes to understanding what they need to do to bring their Local SEO strategies to fruition. However, it seems that as of now, only businesses in the US have access to this new tool developed by Google.