With the popularity of Google Maps growing and voice search on the rise, knowing how to rank your website in this local map and navigation app is a must for local businesses. Appearing in the top 3 positions on the Google Maps Pack will not only boost your visibility, but it will also significantly improve sign-ups, site visits and other desirable conversions. In this article, we’ll look at a variety of tactics that will help you increase your Google Maps website ranking.
The most important factors for Maps ranking are relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is determined by analyzing the business’s description, its categories and services, and keywords that are relevant to the location the company is targeting. This is why it’s essential that your Google My Business (GMB) profile is filled out to the fullest extent and your website is optimized for local keywords.
One of the best ways to boost your GMB listing’s relevance is to focus on writing catchy descriptions that are concise and readable, and include selected keywords that are important for your business. It’s also a good idea to focus on your business’s unique attributes and to keep all data in your GMB listing up-to-date.
Another way to boost your business’s local rankings is by building a strong network of local citations. This means submitting your name, address and phone number to local directories such as Yelp, CitySearch, YellowPages, etc.
Finally, it’s a good idea to create and publish posts on your Google My Business (GMB) profile. This will show that you’re active, care about your customers and want to promote your services on Google Maps.
In addition to these, posting reviews will encourage more people to interact with your business on Google Maps, which will, in turn, boost its rankings. Whenever possible, try to respond to reviews in a basic customer service fashion (guidance, assistance, refunds, etc.) as this will help your business look professional and helpful.
Google Maps has a lot of spam and many times, simply submitting an edit to remove a fake or inappropriate business listing is not enough. In this case, it’s sometimes necessary to use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management that can help you identify and eliminate duplicate listings.
A comprehensive SEO strategy that includes optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing, focusing on relevant local keywords and generating high-quality citations will help you maximize your Maps website ranking and bring in more traffic. If you need help boosting your Maps website ranking, contact us today! We’ll be happy to share our expertise with you.