Google Maps Ranking is one of the most important factors in local SEO, and it can help businesses get more views, clicks, and paying customers. By optimizing their online presence from a keyword, content, and linking perspective, business owners can improve their chances of getting on top of the Google Maps pack.
Getting on the first three positions of Google local search results page can dramatically increase the online reach and traffic inflow for a website. Moreover, appearing on the Google Maps pack can also enhance brand awareness and customer visits to the physical business store. This will lead to higher sales and ROI for the business.
One of the most effective ways to boost your local SEO is by creating a GMB listing, making sure that its basic business information and posting plenty of relevant local content. Another crucial factor in determining whether or not and where your business appears on Google Maps is the quantity and quality of customer reviews. So, you should encourage your happy clients to write positive online reviews on your GMB listing.
It is also crucial to make sure that your Google My Business listing has a compelling, well-written description. It should provide the big picture of your business to help orient searchers and highlight unique attributes that compel people to choose you. It should also contain keywords that are searched for by local consumers. Lastly, you should add high-quality photos to your Google My Business listing, and be sure to use images that are properly tagged with the correct location and category.
If you have a website, you should make sure that it is optimized for local search by including location-based keywords and using schema markup on your website pages. You should also embed your Google Maps on the site to signal to Google that you are a local business.
Another great way to enhance your local SEO is by building local citations. This involves submitting your business name, address, and phone number to relevant directories and websites. By adding a citation to your listing, you can significantly improve its visibility on Google Maps.
You should also embed a map on your website to help Google recognize that you are a local business and rank you accordingly. Another thing that can help you rank higher on Google Maps is having a website that is mobile-friendly. Nearly 60% of searches happen on mobile devices, so it’s important to have a responsive website that works seamlessly across all devices and screen sizes.
Lastly, you should promote your Google My Business listing by placing it on social media and advertising it. You can also pay to have your business listed as a promoted pin, which will appear prominently when people browse for businesses in a particular area on Google Maps. Investing in these paid ads can boost your visibility and help you rank higher on the Google Maps. However, it is important to note that this type of advertising is not as reliable as organic search results.