SEO services in Ohio

Local SEO and the map pack in Ohio

How is local SEO different across Ohio?

Ohio had 11,799,448 residents at the 2020 census. Its three largest cities are Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and they are not alike.

Google ranks map results on relevance, distance, and prominence. The city limits above change how the distance part plays out.

Columbus: a big city that keeps growing

Columbus is more than twice the size of Cleveland by population, and it grew by 15% in ten years. Growth brings new residents with no plumber, no dentist, and no lawyer, and they choose from the map pack. It also brings new competitors.

For a Columbus business, "Columbus" is too large to target from one address. The plan starts with a grid scan to find where your top 3 area ends, then adds pages for the neighborhoods and suburbs just past that edge.

Cleveland and Cincinnati: the customers are in the suburbs

Cleveland and Cincinnati are each a fraction of their metro areas. A business inside the city limits may find that most of its customers search from a suburb with its own name. Customers type the suburb, not the city.

Check where your customers live before choosing targets. A business that puts "Cleveland" in every heading while its callers come from the suburbs is aiming at the wrong searches.

Mid-size cities: reachable from one address

In cities such as Toledo, Akron, and Dayton, a complete profile and a steady flow of reviews can hold the top 3 across much of the city. Akron sits close enough to Cleveland that businesses between them have to decide which city to lead with on their site.

Which Ohio rules affect local marketing?

This is a summary, not legal advice. Check the current rule text before you publish.

Attorney advertising: Rules 7.1 to 7.5

A guide to Ohio's rules from CAMG, a legal marketing compliance firm, summarizes the points that touch a website, a Business Profile, or an ad:

• No false or misleading statements (Rule 7.1). Ohio's rule specifically bars describing fees as "cut-rate" or "discount".
• Name and office address (Rule 7.2(c)). A communication must include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or firm responsible for it.
• Written solicitations (Rule 7.3(c)). These carry "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" or "ADVERTISEMENT ONLY" at the beginning and end.
• Specialist claims (Rule 7.4(e)). Limited to lawyers certified by an organization the Supreme Court has approved, with the organization named.
• Paying for recommendations (Rule 7.2). A lawyer may advertise but may not pay someone to recommend the firm. That applies to review requests.

The office address rule is one more reason a law firm should not use a virtual office for its Business Profile. See local SEO for law firms.

Trades: a state board for three of them

The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses contractors in plumbing and hydronics, electrical work, and heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration. Cities and counties can add their own registration requirements, so a contractor who works across a metro should check each one.

If you hold a state license, put the number on your website and in your Business Profile description.

What this means for Local Services Ads

Google checks licenses at the state level where the law requires them. Have your board license ready before you apply. For lawyers, Google checks the state bar license of each lawyer in the firm.

What does the Local SEO program need from a Ohio business?

The program requires:

• a verified Google Business Profile at a real physical address
• at least 10 reviews
• a rating of 3.5 stars or better

Details are on the Local SEO services page and the packages page. If your phone has gone quiet in a market that is growing, start with why your local business is not getting phone calls.