16 Alternatives to Google My Business for Local SEO

Exploring alternatives to Google My Business for local SEO, we’ve gathered insights from SEO consultants to CEOs. From optimizing Bing Places to participating in small business indexes, discover the diverse strategies recommended by sixteen experts to enhance your local online presence.

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Optimize for Bing Places

Bing Places for Business is another great directory for local businesses. Even though Bing isn’t as prominent as Google, it still has a pretty big share of the search market. That makes it worth optimizing your business for. Bing Places works like Google My Business. You can create a detailed business profile that includes your hours, location, services, and photos of your business. This helps you show up in searches on Bing. 

It’s easy to use, particularly if you already have Google My Business in place (you can just use the same information for both profiles). Using Bing Places for Business also gives you more reach so you can get more local traffic to your site.

Jack Genesin, SEO Consultant, Jack Genesin Consulting

Use Industry-Specific Directories

If your business seeks an alternative to Google Business Profile for local SEO, consider professional directories specific to your industry, such as those in the medical or legal sectors. These directories can provide a source of new clientele for service-based businesses struggling to compete on Google Maps.

By optimizing your listings in reputable professional directories, you attract potential clients actively searching for your services and enhance your credibility. This direct connection with your target audience benefits from the established platforms’ inherent trust and authority. 

Deborah Forrister, Search Strategist, Envoca Search Marketing

Expand Across Multiple Platforms

While Google My Business (GMB) is a significant player in local SEO, it’s essential to recognize that Google only accounts for about 40% of the search market. A robust local SEO strategy should also consider other crucial platforms. Alternatives like Apple Business Connect, Facebook, Bing Places, and voice search platforms (Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Bixby, Google Assistant) are equally important.

Building listings across these platforms ensures that your business is found through various search methods, including voice search, local search, and maps. This comprehensive approach not only enhances your online visibility but also strengthens your authority, one of the three pillars of marketing.

Robert Downey, Co-Founder, Simply Be Found

Focus on Google Business Profile

There is no alternative to Google My Business for local SEO. If you want to rank on Google, you have to play Google’s game. You certainly can add other layers to your SEO and online presence, such as getting listed in local directories, but that doesn’t replace the need for a Google My Business profile that’s filled out completely and accurately. It’s a huge ranking factor, so don’t skip this if you want to rank on Google and bring in more local customers and clients via SEO.

Amanda Hamilton, Website & SEO Specialist, Anchor ‹A› Digital Design Co.

Enhance Yelp Listings

One specific alternative to Google My Business for local SEO is leveraging local directories like Yelp. 

Back when I started working with a regional real estate chain, I noticed their Google My Business profile was doing fine, but they hadn’t tapped into Yelp’s potential. We optimized their Yelp listings by ensuring all information was accurate, added high-quality images, and encouraged satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, treating the Yelp profiles much the same as we did the Google Business Profiles.

Within three months, they saw a boost in local search rankings. Yelp’s authenticity and strong community presence make it an invaluable asset for local SEO. It’s also a high-quality citation for any local business.

So, for businesses aiming to enhance their local presence beyond Google, Yelp is a powerful and often underutilized platform.

Ben Poulton, Founder, Intellar SEO Consultancy

Optimize Healthgrades for Medical SEO

As the founder of a medical marketing agency, I would suggest optimizing your business listing on Healthgrades. Healthgrades is the leading online resource for finding and connecting with physicians and hospitals. Over 90% of patients use online reviews to evaluate doctors, so having an active Healthgrades profile is critical. You can add photos, services offered, insurance participation, and much more. Patients can also leave reviews and ratings on Healthgrades, which builds social proof and trust.

Healthgrades profiles rank highly in Google search results, so optimizing your listing improves visibility in Google as well. They also have a robust ad platform, allowing you to promote your practice to audiences searching for specific conditions or treatments. We’ve found Healthgrades to be very effective for lead generation for many of our clients.

Unlike Google My Business, which focuses on generic business info, Healthgrades is purpose-built for healthcare. They have powerful tools for attracting new patients, improving online reputation, and boosting search rankings. For any medical practice looking to replace or supplement their Google My Business listing, Healthgrades is a perfect alternative.

Jeff McGeary, Founder & CEO, PracticeVIP LLC

Google Business Profile is Unmatched

Honest answer: for local SEO, there isn’t anything remotely close to being considered an alternative to Google My Business (now called Google Business Profile).

There are similar products, such as Bing Places and Yahoo Business listings, but I would not consider them an alternative for one simple reason: 92% of the internet uses Google as their primary search engine.

If you are not using a Google Business Profile (which shows above regular webpage results on an organic search), you are missing out on a significant source of potential business.

David Martirosian, Founder, Galaxy Growth Media

Engage on Nextdoor for Local Community

Nextdoor is somewhat of a dark horse in local SEO, particularly effective for businesses targeting very specific local communities. As a platform designed to connect neighbors and local services, Nextdoor gives businesses a unique opportunity to present themselves as a local staple. By setting up a business profile on Nextdoor, companies can engage directly with the community, participate in local conversations, and boost their local reputation.

This platform is particularly beneficial for businesses like home services, local restaurants, and boutiques, where community-based customer segments are crucial. Advertising on Nextdoor can also be highly targeted, ensuring that promotional efforts are seen by the most relevant local audiences. The platform’s community-focused approach means that positive engagement can lead to strong word-of-mouth, significantly influencing local search rankings and online presence.

Jason Hennessey, CEO, Hennessey Digital

Leverage Yelp for Local Visibility

One effective alternative I’ve discovered for local SEO is setting up and optimizing a Yelp Business account. Yelp offers more than just reviews—it’s a robust platform for enhancing local visibility. Businesses can utilize Yelp to provide detailed business information, respond promptly to customer inquiries, and showcase their products or services through photos. 

A key strategy is to actively encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Yelp. This not only enhances credibility but also improves your ranking in local search results, increasing visibility to potential customers in your area. Consistently updating your Yelp profile with current information and engaging with customer feedback can significantly strengthen your online presence and attract more local clientele.

Matt Gehring, Chief Marketing Officer, Dutch

Boost SEO With EcoMatcher Engagement

We have found that utilizing EcoMatcher has been a game-changer for our local SEO strategy. EcoMatcher allows us to not only promote our eco-friendly products but also connect with environmentally conscious consumers on a global scale. This platform helps us highlight our commitment to sustainability while improving our online visibility significantly. 

In fact, since integrating EcoMatcher into our digital marketing efforts, we’ve seen a 31% increase in local customer engagement and a 27% rise in website traffic originating from targeted local searches. This alternative to traditional local SEO tools aligns perfectly with our mission, resonates with our audience, and effectively boosts our business profile in relevant communities.

Chaitsi Ahuja, Founder & CEO, Brown Living

Utilize Social Media for Local Leads

As an alternative to Google My Business, I’d recommend building out social media profiles for your business, especially on Facebook and Instagram. At Rocket Alumni Solutions, we gained many of our first clients through social media marketing and engagement. 

We started by creating business pages on Facebook and Instagram, posting visual content like pictures of our software in use at schools and shareable graphics with tips for athletic directors. We engaged with followers by replying to their comments and messages, and ran small ad campaigns to boost our posts.

Within a few months, we were getting inquiries and demo requests through Facebook and Instagram. The social proof and word-of-mouth from happy clients sharing our posts ultimately led to new schools signing up. Social media allowed us to establish our expertise, build trust, and gain high-quality leads, all without relying on Google.

Chase Mckee, Founder & CEO, Rocket Alumni Solutions

Streamline Listings With Yext

One specific alternative to Google My Business is Yext. Yext offers a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to enhance their online presence across multiple platforms. This service helps by synchronizing your business information across a vast network of directories, maps, and social media sites. Along the way, Yext ensures that your details are accurate and consistent everywhere. This not only makes your business easier to find but also builds credibility and trust among potential customers.

Yext goes beyond just listing management; it provides robust analytics, customer review monitoring, and the ability to manage your online reputation from a single dashboard. The platform’s intuitive interface and powerful tools make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.

So, marketing experts, if you’re seeking an effective way to boost your local SEO and streamline your digital footprint, Yext gets the job done with precision and efficiency.

Michael Lazar, CEO, Content Author

Boost Local Engagement on Facebook

Facebook Local, a part of the broader Facebook app, combines social networking and local business listings. By creating a robust Business Page, optimizing your postings for local engagement, and encouraging check-ins and reviews from your community, you can leverage Facebook’s massive user base to boost your local visibility. Facebook’s sophisticated ad system allows for hyper-local targeting, which can be incredibly effective for promotions and increasing local awareness of your brand.

Consider investing in local SEO tools that provide analytics specific to local search performance. Tools like Moz Local or SEMrush offer features that help you track your rankings, manage listings, and understand local search performance. This data can guide your decision-making and help refine your strategies for local market penetration.

Marc Bishop, Director, Wytlabs

Collaborate With Local Influencers

Partnering with local influencers and community bloggers has been a surprisingly effective alternative to Google My Business for boosting our local SEO efforts.

We’ve identified and collaborated with popular local gardening bloggers, outdoor lifestyle Instagrammers, and even a few YouTube creators who focus on home improvement in our area. These partnerships involve them featuring our products in their content, but more importantly, linking back to our website and mentioning our physical store location.

This approach has several benefits:

• It creates authentic, localized content that search engines value.
  
• We tap into established local audiences who trust these influencers.
  
• The backlinks from reputable local sites boost our search rankings.
  
• It generates buzz and word-of-mouth referrals in our community.

For example, we worked with a local landscaping blogger on a series about creating backyard retreats. Their posts, which included our store as a resource, significantly increased our local search visibility for related terms.

The challenge is finding the right partners and creating mutually beneficial relationships. It requires more personal outreach and relationship-building than simply setting up a Google My Business profile.

While it may not provide the immediate visibility of Google My Business, we’ve found this strategy creates deeper, more meaningful local connections. It’s about becoming part of the local conversation, not just appearing in search results.

Jonas Murphy, Fulfillment Manager, Pond Fountain Depot

List in Niche-Specific Directories

Industry-specific and local directories are one alternative to Google My Business for driving local SEO. For my specific business type (photographer and photography training), having listings on professional photography associations like the SWPP or Guild of Photographers can be highly effective. I also ensure my business is listed on Yellow Pages, Yelp, and other niche-specific directories to enhance your local SEO.

Nina Mace, Family Photographer, Nina Mace Photography

Participate in Small Business Indexes

Our website is listed on a few different cybersecurity and privacy index websites, and we participate in small, relevant forum websites as well. Don’t overlook a website just because it is not massive. People still explore the entire internet. There are many small-business index sites that local businesses can take advantage of to make themselves easier to find online. 

These include the local chamber of commerce, the BBB, and countless industry-specific indexes. In addition to Google My Business, find all the relevant indexes for your business and get a listing. These also often help with networking and partnering with other local businesses, as well as acquiring backlinks to help your organic SEO.

Bill Mann, Privacy Expert at Cyber Insider, Cyber Insider

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