Ranking in Google Maps – A Definitive Guide: Strategies, Tips & Best Practices
Introduction: What is Google Maps Ranking and How Does it Work?
Google Maps Ranking is an important part of Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It helps businesses to be seen in the local search results when someone searches for their products or services. It is a powerful tool that can help businesses increase their visibility and reach more potential customers.
It works by using a combination of factors such as location, reviews, and keywords to rank businesses in the local search results. This ranking system is based on Google’s algorithm which takes into account a variety of factors including user location, reviews from customers, and other relevant information. Businesses that have good reviews and are located close to the user will be more likely to appear higher in the map pack rankings.
Your ranking can be improved by optimizing your business listing with relevant information and engaging with customers through reviews. By doing so, you can improve your visibility in the local search engine results page (SERP) and attract more potential customers.
How to Create an Optimized Google Business Profile Listing for Better Ranking
If you want higher search engine rankings, the first thing to do is create an optimized Google Business Profile listing. With 72% of all people who do a local search visiting a store within 5 miles of them, your Google listing a very important part of getting found online. (Source Hubspot)
The best way to get started creating a Google Business Profile listing is by visiting the Google Business Profile website at www.google.com/business/. There, you’ll find step-by-step instructions to help you create an optimized profile listing that will help get your business noticed in search results.
Getting this profile online will help improve your business’s off-page optimization, making it more likely that you’ll be found in searches. This also gives you a chance to show off your business’ personality, which can create a more meaningful connection with potential clients. You can also highlight your awards and accolades, specialties and skills, or services and product offerings.
All of these things are displayed in a three-part box called the “Google Map Pack” on Google Search results pages for people who are searching for businesses like yours. It’s important to have contact information visible here so that customers can easily get in touch with you if they have questions or want to make an appointment.
Any information you have about your business should be included on this page so that when potential clients search for businesses that offer services related to yours, your listing is there for them to see and access.
5 Tips to Maximize Your Visibility in Local Search Results
1. Leverage your title and meta description tags
Optimizing your title and meta description for local search results is a great way to boost visibility and drive relevant traffic to your site. In the past, Google has told us that when it sees a good title tag in the SERPs, it assumes that you’re trying to improve your ranking. And it’s not just Google—if people can’t find you online, they won’t be able to call you either, so consider using a variation of your name or brand as the title of your website.
In addition to using a descriptive title and meta description tag, be sure that both are accurate. If you decide to change this information later on, make sure to keep the same format and keyword phrases so that Google still understands what the site is about.
2. Optimize your Google Business Profile
If you have a physical address, you should create a free Google My Business listing so potential customers know where they can find you and can see your hours of operation. You can add photos, videos, reviews and respond to customer inquiries through this page as well.
3. Create localized content for your business
Be sure that all of your business listings—Google My Business profile, Yelp reviews, Facebook page (if applicable), are targeted to your local area.
Local businesses often think they have no need to create content that specifically targets their location, but that’s a common misconception. Google is constantly refining its ranking algorithms to provide the best information possible to its users, which means that if you’re not providing Google with what it wants, you’ll struggle to rank in local search results.
4. Raise domain authority with inbound links
This is one of the most important ways you can improve your site’s ranking in local search—but it’s also one of the most difficult to grasp. What does domain authority mean? It’s the total value of your domain name, and getting more of those is a process that involves building quality relationships with other websites and earning their trust so that they link back to you and help boost your credibility and reputation online.
A higher domain authority makes you look like more of an expert in your field and therefore more likely to be highly ranked in the local search results.
5. Submit your business to online directories
Online directories are a great way to give your local SEO a boost. Many businesses get their profile up on Google, but why stop at just adding your business on only one directory when there are so many directories out there. Adding your business to as many online directories (especially local ones) as you can possibly find will increase your chances of being found online. It will be time-consuming but it’s worth it. This is a tactic that we commonly use with our own clients with listing and citation management services.
Online business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List, and Trip Advisor and more will make you more visible to potential customers who need your services locally. And to add to that, getting listed on these sites can even help you earn backlinks from them which will help increase your domain authority and improve your ranking on Google’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERP), therefore increasing business visibility to local customers.
Getting Reviews to Boost Your Position on Google Map Packs
As one of the first things potential customers see when looking for any business near them, your reviews are a critical part of your online presence. When it comes to ranking on Google Map Pack, typically you’ll see the businesses with the most reviews near the top.
Now that we’ve established the importance of customer reviews, how do we go about getting them? You have to ask! If you leave your Google reviews to chance, you’ll mostly end up with negative reviews. People aren’t quick to give you a 5 star rating if you just did your job right, but if you mess anything up at all, they may want to shout it from the rooftops.
Clients using our reputation management services have an easy way for to request and respond to customer reviews so that they can clearly show all potential customers how great their service is!
How to Track & Monitor Your Google Maps Rankings
Now that you know how to get your Google Business Profile up and running and start getting your first reviews, a common next step would be to track and monitor your rankings on Google maps.
Well with your GBP, Google will actually keep track of many stats and metrics that can help you monitor how well your business ranks on Google Maps. This includes things like clicks, calls, reviews and even the Q/A section.
Clients of ours can actually pull all these metrics into their main dashboard so they can easily see how their local rankings translate into customers and see how their overall business is trending.
Ready To Boost Your Local SEO and Get Found on Google Maps?
Implementing the steps discussed in this guide will help you get a quick boost to your local seo and ranking on Google Maps. As a final best practice, we recommend taking the time necessary to get your Google Business Profile setup correctly and making sure that your NAP (name, address and phone number) are all accurate.
Once you have the fundamentals, you can start to fill out your business details, describe your services, even create offers and discounts to drive more traffic and customers to your business.
Keeping your GBP optimized and up-to-date will make a big impact on your rank in Google maps. Optimizing our clients Google Business Profile is a fundamental piece of local SEO strategy.
If you enjoyed this post, have questions about it or want to see if we take this work off your hands and drive customers and leads to your business, send us a message with the contact form at the bottom
