How Search Systems Understand Your Business
Search for a local business on Google, and you'll immediately see a list of potential options. Most business owners assume the search system already knows exactly what each business is. In reality, it doesn't. Just as people build an understanding of someone by gathering information over time, search systems construct an understanding of a business by connecting multiple pieces of information. Every piece of information has a role. This article and its diagrams use a category-first editorial checklist for organizing business information. They do not describe a published Google algorithm or a mandatory processing order. For this article, the practical question to start with is: What kind of business is this? Without that answer, every other detail becomes difficult to interpret. Business hours have different meanings for a restaurant than for a law firm. Appointment information means something different for a dental practice than for an auto repair shop. Even the same ...