Whether you’re a business owner or an SEO agency, you know that local search is essential to bringing in new customers and growing your client base. Google Maps is one of the most important components of local search and ranking high on Google Maps can help your clients stand out from their competitors, drive more traffic to their websites, and generate quality leads.
We’re pretty sure that every single person who uses the Internet has looked for a local product or service at some point in their lives. And if they have, they probably discovered the product or service by searching for it on Google. When you do a search for something in a certain area, Google will first present the results from its local Maps. In order to rank well in Google Maps, it’s crucial to optimize your business listing and website. But Google’s constantly updating its algorithms and keeping up with the latest changes can be tricky.
SEO Google Maps Ranking
There are a variety of factors that influence your local search ranking, and many of them are interrelated. The most important ones are your business’s prominence and proximity. Prominence refers to how recognizable your business is, both offline and online. It’s influenced by the quality of your business’s reviews, ratings, and social media presence. It also takes into account the number of mentions of your business name in other local listings, on your website, and in articles and blogs.
Proximity is a more difficult factor to pin down. But it’s a major part of the algorithm. This is how close your business is to the location of someone who’s looking for it. Google’s documentation says that it’s influenced by your NAP data (name, address, phone number) and how accurate they are. It’s also influenced by your proximity to the searcher’s current location and other businesses that have appeared in their searches.
A link to your website is included in your Google Maps business listings. So it’s important to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly and has an SSL certificate. This will make it more likely that people will click on your website, which can lead to them visiting your store and potentially making a purchase. If your website doesn’t meet these requirements, Google could penalize your Maps rankings. The best way to avoid this is by hiring an experienced digital marketing agency that understands the ins and outs of local SEO.