Does Video Scheduling for GBP Increase Your Local SEO Ranking?

A Business Profile listing for Google Search and Maps is the single most dominating factor for local search results for Retail, Hospitality, Auto Dealers, Local Businesses, and large-scale retailers. 

Google has prioritized local search, and businesses that are capitalizing on this by optimizing for Local Authority,  Local SERP, and SoLV, are seeing dramatic results. Consumers prioritize video content, and according to Google, 80% of people say they switch between online search and video when researching products to buy.

Why Video Content Matters

Creating video content that is relevant and engaging to your audience pays off. As we know, Google ranks listings based on the meaning of your query, the relevance of web pages, the quality of content, the usability of web pages, context, and settings. This, of course, is based on how users search and how users resonate with really well-created content. 

Since Google acquired YouTube and implemented Cloud Video Intelligence API,  elements from within videos are actually searchable in Google Search. This allows for elements in your videos to be search relevant. In fact, the Video AI scans and catalogs 20,000 objects, locations, and actions.  This means that as you upload your video content, Google will scan it for what is relevant. This is such an authentic way of communicating your brand and products to your consumers. 

Users will click on content that is relevant to them and will share content that they think is relevant to other people. Creating content that first helps your customers find you, then converts them to purchase, and finally, to share should be your goal. 

For example, if users are creating content at your pizza shop or retail location in the not-so-distant future, when someone searches for “Pizza near me,” that video relevancy becomes very important. 

As a business owner, the content on your Business Profile is something that you can curate and ensure that the quality and quantity of your content reflect your brand values and experience. 

• According to Google, 50% of shoppers say that online video has helped them decide which specific brand or product to buy. 
• Video results are 50x more likely to be organically ranked in Google than text-based results. (Forrester)
• Video has an 11,000:1 probability of making it to the 1st page of Google. Text-based results have a 500,000:1 probability of making it to the 1st page. (Forrester)

Here are the practices recommended by Google that increase your topical video ranking.

The Best Video Content for Local SEO

Video content for Local SEO is going to depend greatly on what type of business you have and who your customers are. The most critical element is that the content must be authentic. Google requirements dictate that you must not use stock footage, which is great because customers don’t want to see it. They want to see a preview of the products they’re buying, as well as who they’re buying from and where they’re buying them. People use search, especially local search, in the consideration and decision stages of buying.

3 Types of Videos to post to Business Profiles for Local Inventory (Aka Brick-and-Mortar Locations)

If you sell products online, it is important to have specific types of videos so that your customers can get a sense of your products.

• 75% of shoppers surveyed say they have used a Google product (Search, Maps, YouTube) in the past week to help with their shopping. (Google)
• 55% of shoppers say they use online video while shopping in-store. (Google)
• Video searches for “which [product] should I buy” doubled in 2018. (Google)

1. Product Preview Video

This video shows your product in use, giving your customers a chance to see what they are buying and how it works before they buy it. 

2. Location Walk-through Video

This video shows off your retail location and what customers can expect when they walk in, and where they might find your products.

3. Team Video

In this video, you want to show off your friendly team so customers can know who to expect when they click on Driving directions in Google Maps.

3 Types of Videos to post to Business Profile for Auto Inventory

Maintaining your Auto Inventory and being at the top of your Local Search game is critical. These 3 types of videos will help your customers get a sense of what kind of dealership you are and what they can expect from your inventory as they are searching.

• Over 70% of shoppers say online video has helped them learn more about an auto product they intend to buy. (Google)
• 74% of car buyers who watched online videos to inform their purchase watched branded video content during their purchase process. (Google)
• 92% of car buyers research online before they buy. (Google)

1. Dealership Walkthrough Video

This video shows off your dealership and what it is like when they reach their destination from Driving Directions in Google Maps. Show potential customers a general walkthrough of your show floor and service.

2. Auto Inventory Video

Even though car models change frequently, over 70% of shoppers say online video has helped them learn more about an auto product they intend to buy. So creating short videos of your best auto inventory to highlight can have a big impact.

3. Services Video

If you have services to highlight, have your service team do a quick video that goes over the types of services you offer at your dealership.

Managing Your Videos At Scale with Automation Software

Managing locations at scale is critical to growing your business. Keeping your content relevant and up to date by posting 1x week is paramount for consumers today to evaluate your business or products. 

Creating consistent content, then scheduling this content ahead of time allows you to focus on running your business, not just creating content like posts and photos. If you are an agency that runs multiple accounts, you also know the challenges of logging in and out of multiple Business Profile accounts on Google and keeping track of schedules in spreadsheets. This is why a SaaS automation platform for video scheduling can really scale your business. dbaPlatform is currently the only Local presence Business Profile Automation application software that automates video scheduling.

Remember to schedule frequently. The best way to do that is to create a publishing calendar and make sure that you set a schedule to add new content weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on your buying seasons. HubSpot has some great ideas for general marketing strategies for videos, and many of them can be followed with Business Profile.

Business Profile Video Guidelines

dbaPlatform has built-in the same requirements as Business Profile on Google Search and Maps. Here are the guidelines for preparing your video files.

Important: Your videos show up on your Business Profile only after you verify your Business Profile.

• Duration: Up to 30 seconds long
• File size: Up to 75 MB
• Resolution: 720p or higher

Make sure your videos comply with Google's current Photos & Videos policy. These policies are updated frequently, and they were last updated on May 10, 2021.

How To Add Videos on Google Business Profiles & dbaPlatform

If you are already registered for dbaPlatform, you can log into your account and use this functionality under the Photos & Videos Tab.

When you add your content to dbaPlatform, the same guidelines apply, and if you don’t follow them, you will get an error message. Make sure you check your files before you start uploading.

Here is a link to a helpful knowledge base article. If you need more assistance in uploading your files or troubleshooting, there is an in-app chat ready to answer your questions.

Business Profile Video Scheduler

Check out our YouTube video to see a walkthrough of how the video scheduler works in dbaPlatform. 

Automate Videos for Local Ranking at Scale

dbaPlatform is the only SaaS platform in the Local SEO automation industry that offers video scheduling. This is a critical time saver for any company looking to capitalize on the existing impact that video content has on Google Search during the customer buying process. As Google refines its Cloud Video AI, we will see video become even more impactful in search. It is worth the time and effort, and there are many great platforms out there to help edit your content and make it easy to create authentic searchable, convertible videos ready for Business Profiles.

Book a demo with our sales department today to see how you can scale your business with our Video Scheduler and our many other features Business Profile features. You can enhance your business’s relevance to Google and show up right when your customers are looking for you.