Google Maps Ranking is one of the most important factors for local SEO. If you’re not showing up in the local pack or at least on the first page of Google Maps, then your business is missing out on a lot of visibility, engagement, and revenue. The good news is that you can rank high in Google Maps by using some simple methods, like optimizing your GMB profile, building backlinks, and running review campaigns. However, you’ll also need to ensure that all of your content is optimized for local search, including your website and external content.
Getting your company to show up on the first page of Google Maps is a major challenge, especially when there are so many competing businesses. You have to make sure that your GMB profile is complete, with all relevant information and a strong, accurate keyword-rich title and description. You’ll also need to optimize your website, build quality backlinks, and run a review campaign to boost your local search rankings.
But there are some specific things you can do to increase your Google Maps ranking, like adding photos to your business listings and updating them regularly. You should also consider choosing the correct category for your business, as this can have a significant impact on whether or not you appear in the local pack. You can choose your primary and additional categories through the Google My Business dashboard, but be sure to choose ones that accurately represent your offering and aren’t too broad.
While it may seem obvious, you should make sure that your business has a physical address listed on its Google My Business listing. This is essential for Google to verify that it is a real-world business and not a spam site. In addition, make sure that your phone number is listed in a visible location on your website and in your GMB listing.
You should also make sure that your business is active on social media and has a blog that’s updated frequently. Adding a link to your website in your Facebook and Instagram profiles can help improve your rankings, and blogging on relevant topics can also help your rankings.
Reviews are another major factor for Google Maps rankings, and it’s a good idea to ask your clients to leave a review after each visit. A high rating can significantly increase your chances of appearing in the local pack, and it can also boost conversions.
You should also consider leveraging third-party review aggregators and directories, such as Yelp or TripAdvisor, to generate reviews for your business. While Google has never confirmed this, there is speculation that they do use reviews from these sources in their algorithms for both organic SERP and Maps rankings.