As some of you may be aware, Google recently announced the introduction of a new ‘Google Guaranteed Certification‘ – a paid addition to Google’s free GMB service.
But what exactly is this new certification, and what does it mean for SEO? Keep reading to find out more!
A Predicted Addition to GMB.
Unlike recent updates, the introduction of a paid GMB listing with an increased feature set has been widely discussed and heavily anticipated by several leading industry experts. In fact, our very own Marketing Manager, Mat, made note of this in his Paid Marketing Predictions for 2020.
The predictions were influenced mainly by Google’s 2019 marketing survey, in which digital agencies were asked their opinion on upgraded GMB profiles, and even questioned how much businesses might be willing to pay for them. Needless to say, it was pretty clear this was already in the Google pipeline!
So, What’s Included?
For a reported $50/month, an upgraded GMB listing will receive the Google Guaranteed Badge – this backs the services your business offers with a refund guarantee and displays a Green Badge to make users aware of your certification.
The Likely Impact
The first thing that springs to mind when looking at this new feature is the influence it will have on Click-Through-Rate.
We all know the impact of on-SERP SEO and the power that rich search results have – so it’s pretty clear to see the potential impact this new badge will have on CTR and the effect it will take on competition between local listings.
Staying Updated
As with any new service or feature Google introduces, it’s key to stay up-to-date with any news or developments. As such, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on how this is perceived in the wider community, and we look forward to writing future articles on the adoption of this feature.
In the meantime, check out our latest blogs for additional news and guides, or feel free to get in touch to discuss how digital marketing could help your business!