In the contemporary digital world, when it comes to online marketing, a fundamental piece of the puzzle is the increased concentration on local search. With a larger emphasis on mobile search where more often than not, we’re on the move and searching for a local business, as well as our dependency on Google Maps and their ample amounts of data for tapping into the local sphere, it’s clearer than ever that businesses of all sizes need to follow suit. When a business is found locally, it’s vital these businesses have the edge for the potential consumer to jump ship and instead pay a visit to the local flower shop rather than the one down the road. One of the features on Google, which all businesses should be aware of and actively implementing in order to improve their local presence, is called Google Local Justifications; those little snippets of information displayed on the side of a Google Local search result that attempt to provide the user with insights as to why a particular business is relevant to their query. From what they are, to how they work through to how to include them in your business to improve the overall local ranking, we’ll cover all of the key points in this article.
And by using them well you can also improve your standing with people who Google, build trust in your business, increase engagement with your products, and give yourself a competitive advantage. This guide shows you how. If you are a real-world business, a digital marketing or SEO consultant, or simply a real-world business owner who wants to improve your Google listing, now you can unlock the power of Google’s local justifications.
Understanding Google Local Justifications
Google Local Justifications appear as short bits of context under a business’s listing in local search results, and provide the querying user with immediate context as to why that business might be a good fit to their query. This user-facing information is algorithmically generated by Google based on a multitude of data-points coming from the business’s website, its reviews, and its overall online footprint. Justifications are intended to support your users’ decision making about whether to engage with your business, by showing specific features, services or attributes of your business that were ranked as relevant to the search query.
It’s the type of justifications that lends itself to business opportunities For the four flavours mentioned – ‘website mentions’, ‘reviews’, ‘posts’ and ‘services’ – you could continue your journey and explore the fifth flavour that I haven’t discussed yet: ‘in-store availability’. Each of the five flavours, of course, has rich textures that I hope will eventually be illuminated wherever in-depth discussions about search take place. (Perhaps I should start a new blog solely devoted to DISistrict.) For now, I’ll just mention one more reason why justifications are important: each of these types can surface different listed businesses and often for different reasons based on the same query, the same address and the same customer query. To engineer your business’s listing (in-store availability, services, reviews, etc) so that the number of listings that are triggered by these queries increases, and so that any searcher assessment of their likely relevancy also increases, represents a business opportunity.
The Impact of Local Justifications on Search Visibility
In local search results, Local Justifications stand out from the crowd: a user searching for a product or service is likely to take particular notice of a business with a relevant Justification, and the Justification is a quick summary of the value of the business for the user who is skimming search results looking for value. In some cases, the information in a Local Justification is the difference between whether or not a user clicks on a business listing.
Furthermore, local justifications can also improve CTR, another key measure of performance for local SEO. When a search query focuses on an entity, like ‘dentists near me’, and that entity has visible and relevant information about it in the search results – such as business hours, reviews, or directions – users are more likely to click on it and learn more, which in turn signals Google to rank the business higher in future searches. By structurally optimising your online presence to generate these valuable local justifications, a business can increase exposure and, more importantly, improve the chances that searchers will become your customers.
Types of Google Local Justifications and Their Relevance
There are eight seemingly different types of Google Local Justifications, each fulfilling its own goal and providing different benefits. The most frequent justification types are: ‘website mentions’, ‘reviews’, ‘posts’, ‘services’, ‘in-store availability’, ‘satellite views’, ‘street views’ and ‘phone numbers’. Database excerpts are run for these justification types to pull data from various information sources, providing users with different kinds of information that can influence their decisions. For example, ‘website mentions’ are taken from the content of a business’s website. These draw from specific keywords and phrases that match the user’s search query. Website mentions are particularly useful for showing specialty services or products that might be hard discern from the business name.
The second dimension presents four different justifications within each business justification: ‘reviews’, which are drawn from customer feedback; ‘posts’, which are drawn from Google Posts, a feature that allows businesses to advertise sales, events or announcements directly in the search results; ‘services’, which are drawn from descriptions of services a business provides; and ‘in-store availability’, which are drawn from a business’s in-store availability for specific products. Thinking about local justifications in this way serves as an interesting reminder of how immediate and diverse answers to local search queries generally must be. While ‘posts’ and ‘services’ that appear directly in the results are appropriate answers for outright informational queries the other kinds of justifications require context. As an example, ‘reviews’ could be an appropriate answer in cases where the user’s intent is structured as: ‘I want to have [experience] with X.’
How to Optimize Your Business for Google Local Justifications
SEO for Dog-Whistle Local Justifications requires a nuanced strategy of on-site as well as Off-site optimisation means actively managing the reputation of your business from off-site factors such as getting reviews and social media posts. Increasing the number of positive reviews left by customers will generate ‘reviews’ justifications. Posting on Google My Business will generate ‘posts’ justifications. Other types of justifications including ‘popular times’ or ‘offers’ are auto-generated by Google from Google My Business profile data. For example, if you offer swimming lessons, Google can use that information to generate a ‘popular times’ justification saying that others have taken swimming lessons at that time. Likewise, if you offer specials, Google can pass this information on to potential searchers by generating an ‘offers’ justification. Businesses that actively manage their Google My Business profile, ensuring all the information about the services they offer, hours, and in-store availability are accurate, should automatically trigger these auto-generated justifications. A holistic approach to optimisation will maximise the chance of a business appearing in local justifications, and with visual, vivid information, this information is going to be much more appealing than regular search results for potential future customers.
Case Studies: Businesses Successfully Using Local Justifications
Looking at specific examples – businesses that have managed to finesse their practices to take advantage of Google Local Justifications – can help us identify best practices and see where the search results are pointing us. For example, certain local restaurants can repeatedly show up with reviews justifications in search results for their dishes. They might do this by encouraging consumers to share detailed reviews about the restaurant’s menu online and by optimising their Google My Business profile to spotlight the menu via its ‘food’ and ‘drink’ categories. This practice enables these businesses to increase their foot traffic and online orders from diners who are searching for the highest-rated food in their area.
Another could apply to a shop whose goal is to really use ‘in-store availability’ justifications in driving sales. By regularly changing the data they provide to Google My Business (typically in the form of justifications) to reflect stock levels and special offers, a shop may send signals to Google to update search results so that they include timely information that encourages potential customers to visit their store. These justifications not only impact rankings in local search results, but may also help contribute to the shop attracting otherwise uncertain online searchers making their way into their store. Thanks to these and all the other case studies we have encountered over the years, we are hopeful that readers will be more productive and better equipped to benefit from the web’s largest available local database.
Future Trends and the Evolution of Google Local Justifications
As Google tweaks its search algorithms and features over time, we can expect the local justifications to shift, perhaps becoming more and more tailored to each individual user. That is, justifications will become well informed by a person’s prior searches, geographic location and interests. We might also see the expansion of ‘local’ in other directions – one interesting possibility is that businesses promoted on the basis of have-like-this might also exploit the enormous amounts of information Google possesses about its users, tailoring their advertisements to cases where local justifications would make for a good experience. For instance, a user who’s done a lot of past searches for vegan options would likely enjoy local justifications that point them towards the plant-based options available at all the restaurants in their area, even when they aren’t explicitly searching for restaurants that serve vegan options.
A second trend might be that justifications get even more precise when local search companies evolve their systems to leverage more powerful AI and machine learning methods. It’s probably fair to say that as Google becomes even better at recognising user intent and contextual nuance, businesses are going to have an ongoing need to understand and keep ahead of these developments if they are going to continue to refine their online presence and their optimisation for emerging features. And as voice search and mobile search increase in importance, the way justifications are served up could change too – things that business need to keep an eye on if they hope to outflank their competitors. So, keep an eye on the trends, and make sure your local SEO is keeping up.
Conclusion
Google Local Justifications represent a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance their local search visibility and attract more customers. By understanding what these justifications are, how they work, and how to optimize for them, businesses can significantly improve their chances of standing out in local search results. Whether through optimizing website content, managing online reviews, or keeping Google My Business profiles up-to-date, there are numerous strategies that can help trigger relevant justifications and boost a business’s online presence. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, staying ahead of trends and refining local SEO strategies will be crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. By leveraging Google Local Justifications effectively, businesses can not only increase their visibility but also build trust and credibility with potential customers, ultimately driving growth and success in the local market.