When it comes to local marketing, securing a top spot in the “Map Pack”, also known as a 3-pack ranking, is a must. This pack of the first three businesses that appear on SERPs is a prime spot to grab in terms of clicks, inquiries, sign-ups and sales.
However, getting to the top of the pack isn’t as easy as just registering a business on Google and securing a listing. In order to get the most out of this local ranking, you need to make sure that your company’s information is completely up-to-date and optimized.
This means that you need to have a catchy company description that includes selected keywords and a well-categorized list of services. It’s also important to keep your business’s opening hours, address, phone number and website up-to-date. A high number of positive reviews also helps with your rankings, as does the fact that your business is verified (as this is a clear indicator to Google that you are the owner of the profile).
The more accurate and complete your listing is, the better. This can be done by verifying your listing, adding images and providing as much detailed information as possible (such as business hours, products or services, contact details, etc.). Another great way to improve your Maps ranking is to entice customers to leave a review, but don’t put pressure on them to do so. Just remind them that their opinions can help other customers make a decision about whether they will use your service or not.
You should also have a strategy in place to monitor and manage your Maps profile. This includes checking for duplicate listings, which can happen for a variety of reasons. For example, an intern may have set up a profile years ago or there could be a competitor with a similar name that is trying to steal your leads. Duplicate profiles should be merged or removed as soon as they are detected. Semrush’s Listing Management tool enables you to do this quickly and easily, and it will even notify you if there are any reviews that have been left on your listing by untrustworthy users.
If you want to optimize your Google Maps rankings, it’s essential to nurture your local SEO efforts each month. This will ensure that your rankings don’t plateau and will continue to rise over time. This will also allow you to identify any changes in your ranking factors and respond accordingly.