For an organization in this digital-first world, Google Maps has evolved and become more than just a direction-finding website; it’s turned into a strategic platform for the business to access local customers.
When people seek a nearby coffee shop, service repair, or healthcare provider, they usually start with some quick search results on Google Maps. This makes Google Maps a critical ranking component of every successful local SEO strategy.
This guide explores proven strategies for optimizing your Google Maps ranking and unlocking its potential to take your business’s online presence and growth to the next level.
If you are a beginner in local SEO or simply looking to take your existing efforts to the next level, these actionable tips will help you find a solid foothold in your local market.
Why is Ranking Higher on Google Maps Important?
Ranking higher on Google Maps isn’t just convenient, it is a game-changer for businesses trying to make a success of their business in local markets. Here’s why it is so important:
1. Enhances Online Visibility
Google Maps is the first place most users look for local businesses. A higher rank ensures that your business is evident in local search results, increasing the chances of being discovered by potential customers.
2. Drives Foot Traffic
Those who do find your company on Google Maps are likely potential customers who might visit or buy into your product service. A good ranking increases chances of higher exposure, which reflects in footfall to your place of business.
3. Builds Credibility and Trust
Users often link highly ranked listings to reliability and quality. The ranked businesses are thought to be reliable, especially those with positive reviews and other important information about their profile.
4. Generates Targeted Traffic
Unlike general SEO, Google Maps attracts hyper-local, high-intent customers—those who are actively searching for products or services in your area. Ranking higher on Google connects you with a ready-to-convert audience.
5. Improves Mobile and Voice Search Results
Given the prevalence of mobile and voice searches, ranking higher on Google Maps is important because your business will then be visible in searches for things like “near me” or when a virtual assistant is asking for recommendations.
6. Increases Revenue Potential
With more visibility and targeted traffic comes lead generation, conversions, and revenue. The online orders, service inquiries, or walk-ins will increase the bottom line, which directly corresponds to the ranking.
Impact of Local SEO on Google Map Rankings
Local SEO is what decides your business’s ranking on Google Maps. With proper optimization of your online presence for local search, your business will not only be visible but also positioned as a credible and relevant option for users in your area. Here’s how local SEO impacts Google Maps rankings:
1. Increased Visibility in Local Searches
Local SEO tactics can include optimizing the Google Business Profile as well as keywords that are based on location to increase the opportunities of appearing on the coveted local pack of Google Maps. So, your business will be highlighted for pertinent searches, ensuring higher visibility before potential customers.
Source: Google
2. Influence of Reviews and Ratings
Local SEO incorporates positive reviews and high ratings that impact the rankings of Google Maps. Companies with a healthy review profile rank better, attract more clicks, and drive more conversions due to credibility.
3. Proximity and Location Signals
Google Maps ranks businesses according to how close they are to the searcher’s location. Local SEO strategies, such as updating your location data and using geotags, help to strengthen those location signals, thus improving your ranking for searches within a radius.
4. Role of Citations and Listings
Citations—mentions of your business on online directories—are important for local SEO. Consistent and updated citations build the authority of your business and help Google verify your legitimacy, which increases your ranking on Maps.
5. Improved Engagement Metrics
Local SEO strategies are all about content, calls-to-action, and easy navigation, which enhance engagement metrics such as click-through rates and time spent on your website. These signals positively influence your ranking on Google Maps.
How does Google Maps Determine Ranking?
Google’s rank for Maps and local search results is based on the idea of giving users the most relevant and useful information possible.
Their ranking factors have been described as being primarily influenced by relevance, distance, and prominence, which determine in what way your business might help a user’s query and the propensity it has to show up in their result sets.
Here are the key factors that play a crucial role in determining Google Maps ranking:
1. Relevance
Relevance reflects how well the business is closely related to the keyword intent. Your Google Business Profile, containing its category, description, and list of services that Google crawlers scan to define whether the user’s search interest is aligned well with your company, determines good relevance for this query.
To illustrate, it will rank way higher in your “dog grooming near me” query if, for instance, the profile on Google is very optimized with lots of keywords on details that add up.
2. Distance
The distance between the business location and the location of the searchers is another essential factor. Google Maps favors businesses that are closer to the user’s location. This is especially so with “near me” searches in which the expectation is that results will be local to the immediate location of the user.
3. Prominence
Google measures the reputation and popularity of a business as prominence. Factors considered include;
- Number and quality of online reviews.
- Links and mentions from sources with high domain authority.
- The number of interactions from users to your business listing, whether calls or clicks.
- Prominence is the reputation of your business online and offline, which directly influences ranking.
4. Google Business Profile
Your GBP is the core of Google Maps rankings as it provides a central data source for your business. An optimized GBP will improve your ranking in Google Maps and the local pack dramatically and should be included in your strategy for local SEO.
5. Local Pack Optimization
The local pack is the top three businesses in a boxed area at the top of a search results page. It contains all the necessary information, such as the business name, ratings, and address, making it very visible to users.
Although Google Maps makes a list available for businesses in the area, the local pack emphasizes listing the three most suitable results according to the search conducted. Being shown in the local pack significantly impacts the search visibility and click-through rate.
How to Rank Higher on Google Maps?
Ranking higher on Google Maps requires certain strategies from basics to advanced. From profile optimization to content distribution, let’s have a look at these strategies and how you can implement them:
1. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Google Business profile lays the foundation for making your business visible on local searches. You need to create this profile, offering complete information such as:
- What you offer (services or products)
- Address
- Business name
- Logo
- Contact information
- Website link
- Social media links
This information helps your potential customers reach your business more conveniently, hence increasing engagement.
Here are certain steps to set up and verify your Google Business profile:
- Go to the signup page of Google Business and sign in with your business email.
- Fill out all the details related to your business that will include name, address, phone number (NAP), and business category.
- Verify your Google Business profile through phone or email, according to the available options.
Optimizing your Google Business profile requires you to upload professional pictures of your office premises, teams, and storefronts to establish your recognition. Also, add a description of your brand including location-specific keywords so that Google can understand where your business is.
2. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO
For your website to rank higher on Google Maps, it is necessary to implement local search optimization or local SEO strategies. Here are the tips you should be implementing:
- Location-specific pages: Implement unique pages for each service, which are focused on specific locations. For example, “Online Coaching in Texas”, “Plumbing Services in Tacoma”, etc.
- Embedded Google Maps: Embedding Google Maps to locate your business is a great way of enhancing your visibility in the targeted regions. Google will also recognize this signal to showcase your website or business on Maps.
- Site speed optimization: Your website should provide a quality user experience, ensuring higher rankings on Google Maps. It should respond quickly to user’s behavior and offer smooth navigation between pages. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to optimize these areas.
- Mobile responsiveness: Over 60% of local searches come through mobile devices. So make sure that your website is compatible and fast enough to load quickly on mobile devices. Mobile-friendly websites are often prioritized to show up on Google Maps rankings.
3. Leverage Customer Reviews
Positive reviews enhance your credibility, improve user trust, and directly impact Google’s ranking algorithms. There are certain strategies to leverage customer reviews that can benefit your business, such as:
- Prompt follow-ups and responses: You should keep your customers hooked even after they transact for a product through a request email for feedback or reviews.
- QR Codes: QR codes are a great way to offer customers a scan and review their experience with your brand.
- Address customer’s issues: Promptly act to customers’ issues by offering them convenient ways of resolutions and proposing organic solutions.
- Be grateful: Reply to every review or feedback and showcase gratitude towards their decision of choosing over others.
4. Use Local Keywords
Location-specific keywords provide great exposure to your brand in your targeted region, supporting Google Maps ranking. It will recognize your brand whenever someone searches for the products or services related to your offerings.
To maximize impact, weave your local keywords seamlessly into the following areas:
- Google Business profile description: Highlight what you offer and your service area (e.g., “Top-rated Italian restaurant in Brooklyn”).
- Mention in reviews: You can ask customers to mention the location along with your services or products in their reviews, for example, “The best bakery in Downtown LA!”
- Posts and updates: Organically utilize local keywords in your content that you will use to promote your services or products, especially in ads, blogs, and social media.
- Website content: Map your local keywords throughout your website, category pages, and blogs to attract the target audience.
5. Add Photos and Videos
Photos and videos are another element that can help to rank higher on Google Maps. When your business shows up on Google Maps with quality and appropriate images or videos, people tend to prefer you over others.
They can:
- Reflect on your brand as a professional business, gaining trust from potential customers.
- Help you become a more preferred choice over your competitors.
- Boost engagement and user experience, which is one of the important Google ranking factors.
Make sure you update your Google Business profile with high-quality images and videos, which might include products, events, teams, office premises, etc.
Another great way of using image SEO and other visual content is to stock up your social media profile with team engagement videos, promotional reels, trending shorts, or behind-the-scenes footage to trigger more engagement.
Upload video testimonials from your customers on your website and social media platforms to establish a profound relationship with your customers. Also, use hashtags and tag locations in your posts and content to help customers know your targeted areas.
6. Publish Localized Content
Localized content can help you boost rankings on Google Maps. Search engine fetches content relevant for the users, and if you target location-specific content then it will help your business to show up on Google Maps as well.
Here are certain content marketing ideas that you should be using:
- Help guides: Write about the tips, how-tos, and ways to attract users, especially those who need answers to their queries. For example, blogs on local events, travel guides for specific cities, Write about popular local attractions, events, or hidden gems.
- Charity and sponsorship updates: Enlarge your brand’s involvement in popular events around your region or local areas.
- Seasonal topics: Write about the location-specific topics that can help users directly interact with your information. For instance, “Top clothes to buy in (location/city name)”, and “Best activities to do in (location/city)”.
While crafting localized content, make sure to map local keywords that have the targeted locations for more profitable outcomes.
7. Maintain NAP Consistency
Name, address, and phone number (NAP) are the details that Google uses to identify your business locations and targeted regions. These details help in the verification and authentication of your brand to both customers and Google.
NAP details are usually required for:
- Setting up Google Business Profile.
- Footer, CTA’s, and contact page of your website
- Social media platforms.
- Local directories and review sites.
To best utilize NAP for Google Map rankings, make sure it is consistent and correct across all sources (web, social media, listings, and directories). This will build trust with Google’s ranking algorithm and make your business easily reachable.
8. Build Local Citations
Another way to rank higher on Google Maps is to build citations on local websites and sources. Listing your brand on trusted directories will help with:
- Improve your visibility in local search results.
- Reinforce trust in your business information.
- Drive referral traffic directly from those platforms.
To build local citations and make your business visible on Google Maps ranking, choose the industry-relevant directories.
For example, if you offer travel services then make sure to list your business on websites like TripAdvisor, OpenTable, Yelp, etc. These websites have high traffic and people trust their information.
9. Earn Local Backlinks
Backlinks are again a very important factor in attaining higher Google Maps rankings. These contribute to the authority of your business and higher visibility among target audiences. Here are the profound strategies to build quality backlinks for local recognition:
- Partner with local businesses: Join events and promotional occasions to collaborate with other businesses. This will help you earn brand mentions through blogs, PRs, and news articles.
- Sponsor local events: Sponsoring events in your targeted regions will help you gain recognition in digital media as well. This will help to attain local backlinks from the event news and press coverage.
- Engage local bloggers: Local bloggers have their communities through which they can bring a lot of engagement and traffic. This will help you increase visibility among Google Maps searches through their location-specific posts.
- Host community events: Community-driven events are usually tagged with locations where the whole event will take place. Hosting these events will give you possibilities of brand mentions along with possible tags on various content formats – social media posts, Pinterest, PRs, and articles.
Advanced Tips to Improve Google Maps Rankings
Certain other helpful tips can make your business visible on Google Maps rankings. Have a look:
1. Implement UTM parameters
Monitor the performance to know how to enhance the strategies and the tactics that have the highest potential. The appending of UTM tags on the URLs makes you track specifically that traffic generated through Google Maps.
Use tools such as Google Campaign URL Builder to generate the URLs with the tags. Use links on the GBP, including buttons for your websites or even a booking link, and then check the campaign details in Google Analytics under “Campaigns”.
Content, promotions, or GBP updates should be adjusted according to the performance metrics gathered from UTM-tagged links. For instance, if a promotion is not driving traffic, it may be necessary to change your messaging or visual appeal.
2. Voice search optimization
Due to voice-activated devices such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, voice search optimization has proved to be a game-changer for local businesses.
Such search terms are generally presented as a question or sentence. Therefore, your long-tail keywords have to be of such form as: “Where is the best coffee shop near me?” or “What time does XYZ store open on weekends?”
Create FAQ Pages on common voice-based queries and utilize natural language within website content and GBP descriptions, matching the search patterns of conversation. Use the terms “near me,” “open now,” or “closest” in related content.
3. Implement geotagging for images
Geotagging simply means dropping geographical metadata including latitude and longitude into an image file. These images are then uploaded to GBP, and Google can more closely associate these images with a business location.
Adding geotags to your images will provide Google with an additional context of the location of your business. Use GeoImgr or ExifTool to add location metadata to photographs. Geotag images of your premise, product, team, or local events before uploading.
Ensure the geotag coordinates reflect your business’s registered address in GBP to reinforce the relevance of your business locally and in addition to photos increase visibility.
4. Encourage check-ins and mentions
Social proof is an effective tool in increasing visibility and engagement for your business on Google Maps. Make sure to motivate customers to check in at your location by giving them incentives like discounts or freebies.
Encourage customers to use branded hashtags when tagging your business. In addition, re-share customer posts that feature your business on your social media channels, crediting the creator. Engage with check-ins or tags by commenting on the post to express gratitude.
5. Track competitors
Keeping an eye on your competitors is important for staying ahead in rankings and enhancing your strategy. Look at businesses that consistently rank higher in Google Maps for your target keywords.
Examine their GBP profiles and identify the categories they use, the types of posts and updates they share, how they manage their reviews, and their optimization strategies.
Emulate good strategies and take opportunities to diversify your business. For example, if the competition is showing their customer testimonials then create a viral video testimonial campaign.
Track Map Rankings with RanksPro
Local SEO is a competitive factor, especially for local businesses and early-stage brands. Tracking your business’s rankings on Google Maps is crucial to knowing where you lie and what you can do to improve.
RanksPro, an all-in-one SEO tool, makes this process easier with its powerful Map Rank Tracker feature. It provides business insights into monitoring your Google Maps ranks in the best possible manner. With the power of advanced functions, you may understand how it is for now and act properly to improve in view.
Here are the key activities you can do to optimize your Google Maps rankings:
- Real-Time rankings: Quickly get an idea of your website’s current ranking on Google Maps for specific domains and locations. Follow real-time ranking changes to evaluate the effectiveness of your SEO campaigns.
- Location-based insights: Use your targeted location to understand how your business is ranking in other areas. For multi-location businesses, track performance in multiple cities or neighborhoods.
- Comprehensive metrics: Get access to all relevant ranking data, including the rank of your business on Google Maps for targeted keywords.
- User-Friendly interface: The intuitive dashboard makes it easy to input domains, select locations, and interpret results without technical expertise. Its customizable reports provide actionable insights at a glance.
RanksPro’s Map Rank Tracker, whether you’re an SEO professional or a local business owner, guarantees you the necessary tools to sustain and enhance your rankings on Google Maps. Amplify your presence, drive in more local customers, and take the lead ahead of others using RanksPro.
