Google local justifications: Everything you need to know

Rationales are text snippets that Google uses in local search results to explain why a particular business is relevant to a user's search query. These tips help to attract customers by providing them with additional information directly in the search results. Let's take a closer look at them.

Why do justifications matter?

Although justifications do not directly affect rankings, they significantly increase the attractiveness of your business to potential customers. According to a Moz study, 57% of local results contain justifications, making them an important tool for increasing visibility.

Types of Google justifications

1. Mentions on the website: Extracted from the content of your website. These can be service descriptions, page meta descriptions, etc.
2. Reviews: Information is taken from Google reviews. Using keywords in reviews helps to increase relevance.
3. Product availability: Shows which products are in stock if See What's in Store is activated.
4. For sale here: Indicates that a specific product is available in your store.
5. Provides services: Displays the services listed in your business profile.
6. Menu: For restaurants, the information is taken from the menu specified in the Google profile.
7. Posts: Extracts keywords from your Google Business Profile posts.

How to use justification to improve your presence

1. Optimise your site: Add relevant content that Google can use for justification.
2. Manage reviews: Motivate customers to leave positive reviews with keywords.
3. Keep menus and products up to date: For shops and restaurants, this is important to accurately reflect the rationale.
4. Create valuable posts: Use posts to highlight specific services or products.

What you need to know about justification

• They are updated quickly: Results can change in real time after you update your profile or website.
• They do not affect the ranking: They support already ranked results by adding more information.
• Dependent on user-generated content: For example, a ‘For Sale Here’ feature could use user responses to Google questions.

Why can justifications not be displayed?

Some attributes, such as ‘online services’, can block justifications from appearing in local results. Removing these attributes usually solves the problem within 48 hours.

Conclusion

Google Insights is a powerful tool for increasing your business' visibility. Use them to improve your engagement with potential customers, capture their attention with relevant content, and optimise your profiles for maximum results. Managing your justifications wisely will help you compete better in local search.

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