Google Maps Ranking is a crucial topic for local businesses to understand and optimize for, as appearing in the local pack is proven to bring in more customers than any other ranking spot. While optimizing your Google Business Profile and building positive reviews is essential to getting in the local pack, there are many other things you can do to make sure your business is found in a search.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most important factors that contribute to your Google Maps Ranking. We’ll also discuss how you can monitor your local rankings, so you can see how well your optimization efforts are working.
Google has a long list of criteria it looks at when determining which business listings appear in the local pack. This includes the proximity of the business to a searcher, the relevance of the business to the search query, and prominence (how well-known the business is).
Prominence is one of the most difficult ranking factors to pin down, especially after the Vicinity update in 2021. Google’s documentation claims that prominence is based on how well-known your business is, both offline and online. They claim that the prominence factor is a combination of GBP optimization, website organic positioning, reviews and ratings, backlinks, and more.
If you’re looking to rank in the local pack, your first step should be to ensure that all of your information is correct on your Google Business Profile. This will include your phone number, address, and website URL. Having all of this information on your GBP will improve your chances of showing up in the local pack, as Google is able to verify that you are the business owner and have the correct details.
Next, you should focus on optimizing your Google Business Profile. This means making sure that all of your information is correct, and adding relevant categories and services. Having professional photos on your GBP will also help you stand out from competitors and look more authentic in the eyes of searchers. Additionally, you should also be sure to respond to reviews on your GBP. Whether they are good or bad, responding to them will show that you value customer feedback.
Finally, you should also work to promote your business through online channels. This could mean publishing content on authoritative websites or creating social media profiles. It’s also important to be active on local networking events, and to participate in community discussions.
Once you’ve done everything that you can to optimize your Google Business Profile and build positive reviews, you’ll need to monitor your ranking results. This can be done manually through a few manual Google searches (preferably in Incognito Mode and without being logged in to your Google Account) or with the help of one of many different tools that can track and report on Maps rankings. Semrush’s Listing Management tool, for example, provides a detailed view of your average local ranking to help you gauge the results of your optimization efforts.