Local SEO Fundamentals 5

Question 1

What is 'review velocity' and why does it matter in local SEO?

Accepted Answer

The rate at which a business accumulates new reviews over time

Answer

Review velocity refers to how consistently a business earns new reviews — a steady flow signals ongoing activity and builds prominence.

Question 2

Which practice violates Google's review policies and can result in penalties?

Accepted Answer

Offering discounts in exchange for positive reviews

Answer

Incentivizing reviews (with discounts, gifts, or payment) is explicitly prohibited by Google and can lead to review removal or listing suspension.

Question 3

What is the term for optimizing a local business to appear in searches from users physically near the business?

Accepted Answer

Proximity optimization

Answer

Proximity optimization focuses on ranking well for nearby searchers, which is influenced by the distance factor in Google's local algorithm.

Question 4

Which on-page SEO element is most important for signaling local relevance to search engines?

Accepted Answer

Title tag with city and keyword

Answer

Including the target city and primary keyword in the title tag is one of the strongest on-page signals for local search relevance.

Question 5

A business owner wants to track calls generated from their GBP listing. What is the most common method?

Accepted Answer

Using a call tracking phone number on the GBP listing

Answer

A unique call tracking number on the GBP listing lets businesses attribute inbound calls directly to their Google Business Profile.

Local SEO Practice Test