Google Maps website ranking is a key aspect of local SEO and directly influences traffic acquisition. Properly optimizing your business’s Google Maps listing is a surefire way to see increased traffic from customers searching for products and services in your area.
As a business owner, there are several things you can do to ensure that your Google Maps listing ranks higher. The most obvious is to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. The majority of searches are made on mobile devices, and a non-mobile-friendly website will negatively impact your ranking. You should also use structured data for your business, as this will help Google better understand the information in your listing.
Another important factor is citations. Citations are one of the few factors that Google explicitly states affects your listing’s rank, and a lot of business owners don’t realize how easy it is to get citations. You should focus on getting citations from reputable local websites, and you should make sure that the information in your citations is accurate. Volatility in citations can decrease your Google Maps ranking, so you should try to minimize this as much as possible.
It is also important to keep your business’s Google Business profile up to date, with photos, videos, hours of operation, and a complete listing of your products and services. This will improve your chances of being seen in relevant search results and increase customer engagement. You can also boost your Google Maps rankings by enhancing your profile with promoted pins, which are bolded search results that pop up on the map when users perform certain types of searches.
Lastly, you should be active on social media and use localized keyword research to optimize your campaigns. Using longtail keywords that are specific to your city or region will increase the likelihood of finding local customers. You can also use a rank monitoring tool to keep track of your Google Maps ranking and ensure that you are always on top.
Another way to increase your Google Maps ranking is to utilize the features available within your Google Business Profile. You can post updates, add photos and videos, and even embed your website into your Google Maps profile to get more visibility on Google Search and Google Maps. Google also offers paid local search listings that can put you at the top of the search results for a given location.
Finally, be sure to regularly check your Google Maps ranking and respond to reviews. A quick response to a negative review can quickly improve your reputation and possibly bring in new customers. You should also consider implementing a review management solution like Podium to automate the process of collecting and responding to reviews from customers. This can not only help you improve your Google Maps ranking but also help you grow your business.