When local consumers perform a search for businesses that offer the services they need, Google Maps is often where they begin their journey. Whether the search involves a restaurant, a mechanic or a cleaning service, consumers want to ensure that they are choosing the most reputable and reliable business. This is why ranking high on Google Maps is so important for any local business. Fortunately, optimizing your Google Maps website ranking doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow these tips to improve your rankings and watch as traffic and clientele grow.
A complete Google Business Profile is essential for success on Google Maps. The Google algorithm takes into account the information on your profile when ranking you, including how frequently people interact with your listing. This is why it’s so important to fill out all of the fields, provide accurate information and update your listing as needed.
Your profile’s description should provide the big picture of your business to orient searchers, as well as unique attributes that will compel them to contact you. Make sure to include keywords in the description so your business can rank for searches with your name, but also for searches involving your products and services.
Another aspect of your Google Business Profile that is crucial to your rankings is the photos you post. Research has shown that businesses with at least one photo receive 35% more clicks and 42% more driving direction requests than those without any photos. Posting photos of your business’s interior and exterior, products, services, staff members and other related content will help you rank higher on Google Maps.
It is important to keep your Google Business Profile’s products and services section up to date, as this will allow users to easily find the information they need when searching. Adding keywords to these sections can also help, as this can help Google understand which types of results you’re trying to rank for.
A major element of a successful Google Maps listing is prominence, which is the combination of how well known you are, your online presence and the number of reviews you have. Prominence is what local map SEOs tend to focus on the most, because it is a factor that can be influenced by your own efforts and the actions of your customers. Using tools like Semrush’s Listing Management tool allows you to manage review generation campaigns and monitor your business’s prominence so that it can continually improve.
Getting your business in the top 3 on Google Maps is essential for any local business. Considering that more than 60% of all searches are performed on mobile devices, the visibility and clientele you can gain from being in the map pack is unrivaled. If your marketing agency is not in the map pack, you are losing clients and revenue daily. Optimizing your Google Maps business listings with the tips above will help you increase your chances of being in the map pack, which will then lead to more views, clicks and ultimately paying clients.