If you own a local business, Google Maps is an integral part of your marketing strategy. In fact, according to a study from Brightlocal, the top 3 Google Maps results receive up to 28% of all clicks from searchers. That’s a lot of visibility, traffic, and potential sales for your business!
Luckily, you can optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing and monitor your ranking with various analytic tools. With the right strategy, you can climb to the top of the local pack and improve your visibility on Google.
Google Maps Ranking is the process of optimizing your GMB to increase your business’s visibility on local searches. It is also known as “local SEO.” The main goal of Google Maps ranking is to get your business into the “Local Pack” search results — which includes a list of businesses and their details sorted by relevance. Getting your business into the Local Pack can dramatically improve your online presence and bring new customers to your website and physical location.
To achieve this, you must focus on several different components of Google Maps Optimization. First, your GMB must be fully optimized with accurate, up-to-date information. Second, you need to have a strong online reputation with positive reviews and engagement. Third, you need a robust backlink profile to rank higher on the map. Finally, you need to create content that appeals to local searchers and provides value to your community.
While some marketers may think that local SEO is less important than traditional search engine optimization, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Many local searchers make quick purchasing decisions based on online reputation and review data – which is why it’s so vital for your business to show up in the top of the Google Maps rankings.
The main components of Google Maps ranking are prominence, proximity, and freshness. Prominence is a fairly easy component to control, as it relies mostly on how well-known your business is offline and online. Proximity is a little more complex, as it’s based on your business’s physical location in relation to the searcher. Lastly, freshness is determined by the frequency of updates you make to your GMB.
One of the best ways to improve your Google Maps ranking is to update your listing often. This can include posting pictures, announcing events, and more. You can also increase your visibility by adding a Promoted Pin to the Google search results. This will help your business stand out among the crowd of organic and paid search results.
Finally, you should use an analytic tool to track your Google Maps ranking progress. This will allow you to see the impact of your efforts and identify any areas for improvement. With a bit of time and effort, you can boost your local search rankings and attract more local customers to your business!