FREE Local SEO Blackbelt Questions and Answers
Does GBP Identity (women-owned, etc.) factor towards ranking?
Attributes related to GBP Identity, such as "Women-Owned," "Black-Owned," or other diversity-related identifiers, can factor towards the ranking of a Google Business listing to some extent.
What has the last year shown us to be the primary trend for companies whose Google reviews don't publish?
One primary trend for companies whose Google reviews don't publish is that the users who left reviews are not located anywhere near the business or haven't traveled to the business's location recently.
Google uses various signals and algorithms to ensure the credibility and authenticity of reviews on Google My Business listings. One of the measures Google employs is to filter out reviews that it perceives as suspicious or potentially fake. If reviews are coming from users who are not geographically relevant to the business's location or haven't visited the business recently, Google might flag these reviews as suspicious and not publish them.
Do geotagged photographs improve search engine rankings?
Geotagged photographs themselves do not directly improve search engine rankings. Google's search algorithms do not use geotagged information from images as a direct ranking factor.
The Vicinity Update seems to have had a massive impact on which of the following:
"Vicinity Update" is not a known or widely recognized algorithm update in the context of Google My Business (GMB) or local search. Therefore, I cannot provide specific information about its impact on the ranking of keywords in the GBP name.
Which user role for Google Business Profile was discontinued in 2025?
The user role for Google Business Profile known as "Site Manager" was discontinued. Prior to its discontinuation, the Site Manager role allowed users to have access to the Google My Business dashboard with limited permissions, specifically focused on managing website information associated with the business.
Google will fill up your opening date from other sources if you don't provide it in GBP.
As of my last update in September 2025, the statement is generally true. Google may attempt to fill up the opening date of a Google Business Profile (GBP) from other sources if the business owner does not provide this information during the setup or verification process.
Google gathers data from various sources, including public records, online directories, and other authoritative websites, to populate and update business information on Google My Business listings. This includes details like the business's opening date, hours of operation, address, and phone number.
Can fresh reviews be added to a Google Business Profile that is currently closed?
Fresh reviews can be added to a Google Business Profile even if the business is currently marked as closed. The status of the business (open or closed) does not prevent customers or clients from leaving reviews on the Google Business Profile.
Whether the business is temporarily closed due to specific circumstances or permanently closed, customers can still access the business listing on Google and write reviews based on their previous experiences with the business.
What feature did Google introduce in 2025?
Google did not introduce a feature specifically called "Latino-Owned." It's possible that Google may have introduced new features or updates after my last update, so I recommend checking Google's official resources or recent news for the most up-to-date information on any new features or attributes added to Google My Business profiles.
What is bizarre about the official policy towards reviews of most of the major platforms such as Yelp, Google, Amazon?
In terms of SEO and SMM, keywords are crucial for reviews. Why is that so?
What shade of pink does Google's test heart look like in the SERPs for companies that have the "Identifies as Women-Owned" attribute?
The heart icon displayed in the Google search results for companies that have the "Identifies as Women-Owned" attribute is indeed purple. When a business has this attribute added to its Google My Business profile, the heart next to the business name in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) changes from the default red color to purple.
This year, Local Packs with more than three organic listings have been discovered. How many listings did you find there?
Does the age of the Google listing impact how it ranks?
The age of a Google Business listing can impact how it ranks in local search results. Google considers various factors when determining the ranking of local business listings, and the age of the listing is one of them. The rationale behind this is that older listings have had more time to establish a presence, accumulate customer reviews, and demonstrate their legitimacy and consistency.
What kind of relationship between Google Business Profiles is NOT one of the following?
A real estate agent's home and office might both have Google listings.
A real estate agent may have two separate Google listings—one for their home address and another for their office address. This is because real estate agents often work from both their office and their home.
The home address listing is typically considered a service area business (SAB) listing, where the agent serves customers at their location (i.e., their home). The office address listing, on the other hand, represents the physical office location where clients can visit the agent for consultations or other services.
Does adding photos to your website impact the ranking of your Google listing?
Adding photos to your website can have a positive impact on the ranking of your Google Business listing