In recent months Google has started peeling back the layers of their Services feature to the public. One of the biggest changes is a new search function that specifically focuses on Services. If a person wants to find someone to repair their dishwasher, they can search by that specific service and find locations nearby that offer it.

Google Services Search

Not only does this give the public a more convenient way to find the services they are looking for but it also allows businesses to get a step ahead of their competitors. Initial studies have shown that by adding Local Services, businesses have ranked higher in local searches in the proceeding weeks. As this is a constantly evolving aspect in the local space, best practices and functionality may change. Before getting into how to manage Services, let's cover the two types of Services within Google.

1. Structured Services. These are services that Google had coded into the system. Structured Services are based on the categories you have set for a location. Not every Category has Services underneath, but this adds to the importance of adding any applicable secondary Categories to your locations. So far research indicates that Structured Services can positively influence your local SEO, while the jury is still out on Free Form Services.
   
2. Free Form Services. These are services that users can write themselves into Google. So far there are very few guidelines or best practices for these, which may also be the reason they have no noticeable impact on Local SEO. Still try to avoid keyword stuffing, and only list services that your location provides that are not listed under Structured Services.

Manage Locations

In the Manage Locations module in LocalClarity, Services have been added as an option. Once the page loads (it can take a few minutes to build the sheet for large brands) there are two tabs to choose from: StructuredServices & FreeFormServices.

Under StructuredServices you will notice a dropdown option for locations that have Categories which include Structured Services:

Select the applicable Services for your locations. If all of your locations have the same Categories and Services, you can simply drag and drop each Service throughout the sheet. This will save a lot time. If Categories and Services offered differ, the process becomes a little more manual. Make sure to hit Update to save changes.

The FreeFormServices tab looks similar, except there are no dropdown cells. Here you can enter in any Services your locations have that were not covered by the Structured Services. Once finished hit the Update button to save.

Best Practices:

1. Make sure your Categories are up to date and correct. Having the Primary Category and Additional Categories filled out will increase chances of having Structured Services to pick from.
   
2. Do not keyword stuff your Free Form Services. Keyword stuffing is never as good of an idea as you think. It would not be surprising if Google starts flagging spammy Services down the road.
   
3. If your offerings differ from location to location, come up with a quick form/survey to send out to your store managers or area directors. Either provide a list of services they can check off, or have them fill out services they provide.
   
4. It is important to make sure the Services listed are actually provided by your location. Remember, if someone searches based on a Service and a location doesn't actually have it, that could create problems.
   
5. Structured Services are similar to Categories in that they do translate by language. If you have locations across multiple countries, make sure your Categories and then your Services are in the correct language.
   

Services is an evolving field within Google and in turn LocalClarity. Stay tuned for more updates on our LoopedIn or email support@localclarity for additional help.

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