When consumers want to find a new restaurant, book an appointment or get a car repair, they turn to Google Maps. As a result, Google Maps Ranking is becoming an increasingly important factor for local business success. Securing a top spot in the Google Maps pack can significantly improve signups, website visits and phone calls for local businesses.
To rank higher in Google Maps, it’s important to optimize your website and ensure your Google My Business listing is accurate and up to date. Then, focus on getting more reviews and promoting your brand online. With more positive online reviews, your Google Maps ranking will increase.
One of the most important factors in a business’s Google Maps ranking is its relevance to search terms. This means that your business must have the right keywords and descriptions to show up for relevant searches. In addition, the distance of your business to search users will also influence its Google Maps ranking.
Another key factor is prominence, which Google claims is based on a combination of business information (like telephone number and address) and the prominence of a business in both its offline and online community. For example, if your business has a large social following or is mentioned in the press, this could influence its prominence in Google Maps.
Google also takes into account the quality of a business’s reviews. Hence, it’s important to ask for reviews only from customers who have had the chance to fully experience your product or service. Also, make sure to promptly respond to any negative reviews.
In addition to optimizing your website and GMB listings, you should also build local links and create content that’s relevant to the community in which you operate. This will help boost your Google Maps ranking, especially if you have competition from other businesses in the area.
It’s also important to have a mobile-friendly website. This is because most of Google Maps searches are conducted on mobile devices, and if your website has issues like pinching and zooming or broken links, your Google Maps ranking will suffer.
Lastly, make sure to update your business hours and photos regularly. These updates will help your business stay in the top ranks on Google Maps and increase your visibility online. It’s also a good idea to include visual content on your site, such as videos and images of products or services.
It’s also a good idea to track your Google Maps ranking with a tool like Pro Rank Tracker. This free tool allows users to add keyword, organic and localized Google Maps ranking data and see the results in a graphical format. Using this tool can also help businesses determine which keywords are working and which ones need improvement.