A business’s Google Maps website ranking is one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to local SEO. Getting to the top-3 of Google Maps results is a sure-fire way to increase your web traffic inflow and boost your organic reach. It is also a great way to generate leads for your business.
In this article, we’ll share some proven tips that will help you achieve your Google Maps website ranking goals.
Make sure you have a mobile-friendly website. Around 60% of Google searches are done on smartphones, so you want to make sure that your website is easy to navigate on all devices. This will improve user experience, and it will also give Google a better impression of your website.
Ensure that your Google My Business (GMB) listing is up to date. GMB listings that are updated regularly are shown higher on Google search results pages. GMB listings should always have accurate contact information and photos. Adding relevant categories is also a good idea. Ideally, each category should be closely related to your business’s products and services.
Aside from your website, GMB is the main place where you can build credibility and trust for your business online. In fact, a survey by Brightlocal found that 87% of people read reviews for local businesses before making a purchasing decision. So, it is crucial that you encourage your customers to leave positive reviews for your business and be active in responding to those reviews.
Google’s local maps SEO algorithm is complex and includes several factors, such as relevance, distance, and prominence. While relevance and distance are fairly straightforward, prominence is a bit more difficult to pin down. According to Google, prominence is based on how well known your business is offline and online. This includes your company’s website organic position, social media profile activity, citations, and review volume.
The simplest tip to improving your Google Maps website ranking is to start by conducting a full SEO audit of your site. This will reveal any underlying issues that need to be addressed, such as duplicate listings, missing keywords, and broken links. Once these issues are fixed, you can move forward with your local maps SEO strategy.
It is also important to update your website with new content and images as frequently as possible. This will help your business stay current and competitive with the rest of the local pack. Lastly, focusing on nurturing the key areas of your local map SEO campaign each month (either through KPIs or percentage of improvement) can greatly enhance your success in ranking for an array of target keywords.
Aside from these tips, remember to always follow Google’s guidelines when it comes to business listings and SEO in general. This will keep you out of trouble and help you avoid any potential penalties. In addition, it is important to continually optimize your local map SEO strategy as Google is constantly adjusting their algorithms.