Getting your Google Maps ranking high has become a priority for many local businesses because it significantly increases the chances of attracting more customers and growing your brand. Moreover, most local searches performed on Google are conducted on the search engine’s maps application. As a result, appearing in the top 3 spots of Google Maps pack is essential for businesses that want to grow their presence online. Whether your business sells products or services in a specific geographical area, appearing in the top three positions on Google Maps can dramatically improve visitations, phone calls, sign-ups, and other desirable conversions.
Among all the different ways to optimize your Google Maps profile and get higher rankings, it is important to know what Google considers when ranking local listings. This is especially true when you consider that local optimizations are a combination of a number of factors and there is rarely one magic bullet.
One of the most important factors that can help your Google Maps ranking is proximity. This is because the results for a local search are displayed based on the proximity of the results to the location of the person performing the search.
Another factor that can have a significant impact on your Google Maps ranking is your review volume and the quality of those reviews. Google gives weight to positive reviews and also pays attention to how quickly your business responds to negative reviews.
In addition to your reviews, it is important that your Google My Business profile is complete and up to date. This includes your basic business information, photos, and other details. It is also important that your GMB category matches your primary keywords.
Having the correct category is an important part of optimizing your Google My Business listing because it will help people find your business when they search. It can be easy to miscategorize a business by mistake, and this can have serious consequences for your Google Maps ranking.
Another important factor in determining Google Maps ranking is the number of citations your business has. The more reputable local websites that cite your business, the higher your Google Maps ranking will be. However, it is important that these citations are consistent and have minimal variations (i.e. Rd vs. Road, St vs. Street, etc).
Finally, it is important to understand that Google will flag your business if it finds spam listings on your Google My Business account or in the search results. It is important to report these spam listings as soon as possible to prevent them from affecting your rankings.
Keeping up with all the different factors that go into Google Maps ranking can be time consuming. Thankfully, there are tools like Semrush that can take the hassle out of managing your Google Maps profile and other online listings. With Semrush, you can monitor your local rankings using Heatmap, and use Listing Management to easily update and track your online listings.