With millions of businesses to choose from, Google has developed a sophisticated algorithm that is trust-score based on a number of scoring factors such as proximity, reviews, and NAP (Name, Address, and Phone) accuracy. In other words, Google has developed an automated scoring system that determines the trustworthiness of a Google My Business listing. For local businesses, Google My Business has become increasingly more important over traditional
local SEO
, where the results are out of view. Google My Business optimization is more cost efficient than other forms of local internet marketing while delivering massive returns on investment. Google My Business clusters local business listings into one group and scores the accuracy of the business listing data in the cluster. In the illustration below, you will see the Google My Business results for “Law office in Toronto”. Aside from the two paid advertisements above, you will see that the Google My Business listings are more visible. Those Google My Business results are ranked based upon NAP accuracy, proximity to search, and reviews.