How to REALLY rank higher on Google Maps
If you’re a business owner, you know that appearing in Google Maps is essential to driving customers to your door. After all, when people search for businesses on Google, they’re often looking for a specific location. That’s why it’s so important to rank higher on Google Maps, but you already know that right??
There is no doubt that Google Maps is a powerful tool that can be used by businesses in order to reach new customers and grow their businesses. Customers tend to search for businesses on Google for the purpose of finding local businesses, so businesses that appear higher on the search results are more likely to catch their attention.
Google Maps ranking statistics
So much so that in 2020 nearly 93% of consumers used Google to research local businesses If you’re not optimizing your marketing efforts to make sure that you can show up in those search results you’re missing out on a huge segment of the market for your company!
If you rank high in Google Maps, potential customers in your area will be more likely to find your business when they search for related keywords. This can lead to more foot traffic and, ultimately, more sales. In addition, customers who find your business through Google Maps are more likely to leave positive reviews, which can further improve your ranking.
Therefore, business owners should really buckle down to rank higher on Google Maps if they want to attract new customers passively from Google. Local business owners can improve their chances of ranking higher in the search results by optimizing their listings and following some of the six tips that we cover below.
1. Optimize your Google My Business listing
Your Google My Business listing is one of the most important things you can do for improving your ranking in Google Maps so take some time to optimize your Google Business Profile. Be sure to include relevant keywords, include photos, and a description of your business. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are accurate and up-to-date.
2. Get more reviews
You should make sure that you encourage your customers to leave quality reviews by providing them with easy access to do so (there is a handy link you can copy from your google business profile page). You can add a link to your Google My Business listing, or you can add a review widget to your website to allow your customers to leave reviews as well.
Google Maps Reviews as a ranking factor
Google uses reviews as a ranking factor, so it’s important that you obtain as many positive reviews as possible. We have several strategies we use when managing our client’s google business profiles to ensure we get reviews in a timely manner that gets us the best results with our Google Maps SEO campaigns.
3. Add photos
In addition to reviews, photos are also a great way to improve your ranking in Google Maps. Add photos of your business, your products, and your staff. Be sure to add captions and tags to your photos to help them rank in Google’s image search as well.
One other sneaky tip we can recommend on your photos is to make sure you include an overlay of your logo and contact information on your photos somewhere. In the case that your photos rank in Google Image search, you may generate additional traffic or customers potentially when they come across your images!
4. Use keywords
When people search for businesses on Google, they often use keywords. Make sure your website and your Google Business profile listing are optimized for relevant keywords. Use these keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags.
One of the foundations of your Local SEO strategy as a whole is to make sure you slow down and study exactly what your customers would be searching for when looking for your services. These will go into a list of keywords that you will use to manage all your SEO for your Google Business Profile.
5. Promote your business online
In addition to optimizing your website and your Google Business Profile listing, you can also promote your business online. Add your business to online directories (usually you will hear this in relation to local citation campaigns), and create social media profiles for your business.
These additional listings on social media pages or other sources of traffic can help Google recognize your brand as a brand entity and give you additional visibility and credibility that could play into increasing your rankings.
6. Get listed in local directories
Getting listed in local directories is another great way to improve your ranking in Google Maps. The directories are often mentioned in Google’s search results, which means that if you are listed in them, you may get more exposure for your business. This is a topic we explore in detail in some of our other link-building campaigns and citation campaigns.
These tips will help you improve your Google Maps ranking and attract more customers! Let’s get radical about making things happen using our Google Business Profile so we can make 2023 your most productive business year yet. Remember, this marketing channel is underused by a majority of folks most likely many of your competitors, and could be an easy way to gain an edge for your business moving forward!
Need help with your Google Business Profile?
If you need help with optimizing your business to rank higher on Google Maps please reach out and we would be happy to help you develop a strategy to move the needle for your business moving forward! If you’re looking for some of the other Google Maps ranking factors check back for some of our next articles!
