To take full advantage of Google Maps it is not enough to have your business integrated into it, position it higher in the Google Maps ranking is also important. The first page of a Google Maps listing is highly coveted because users are unlikely to search further than the first page of search engine results. Fortunately, you can improve your SEO and market your business on Google Maps.
The more Google knows about your business, the more it will be able to display your business correctly. So remember to put all the information and submit them to google correctly.
Contact details and websites
Include all possible contact information, including your address, phone number, and website, so that Google can provide as much information as possible.
Hours of work
Adding opening hours to your Google My Business page can make potential customers want to visit your business.
No duplicate information
Google penalizes businesses with multiple phone numbers or locations listed for a real business. Eliminate the superfluous and make sure that all written information is accurate.
Get reviews on Google.
User reviews add another dimension of trust for a business, and Google has recognized this by ranking companies with a high volume of positive reviews in Google Maps. Remember, once your business is open to criticism, you can’t go back.
However, not everything is dark. Unless your service is truly atrocious, bad reviews, statistically speaking, tend to be distant and few.
- To get started, copy the link to your Google review.
- Go to your Google maps list, click on “more information.” and copy the direct link you will find there.
- Share this link on your social networks to encourage criticism.
- You can also create a landing page on your website that leads directly to the Google Maps listing review form.
To give you a boost, ask a handful of trusted and loyal customers (the ones you know will leave you with a positive review) to write customer reviews for you. A few positive reviews will be enough to instantly improve your ranking.
Categorize your business correctly on Google Maps
When you create a Google Maps listing for the first time, you have the option to add a main industry category or keyword to describe your business.
You should use these five elements.
Your main category must be the main classification of your business (e.g. real estate agent, restaurant), while the remaining five categories must include local SEO keywords that act as additional descriptors (e.g. Parisian real estate agent, Mexican restaurant Clermont-Ferrand).
Embed Google Maps on your website
Another way to position yourself higher on the Google Maps ranking is to embed a Google Maps map directly on your website. Most companies place a card on the contact page of their site.
Embedding a Google Maps map is just another way to let Google know that your business is in the location your listings indicate.
Let’s find the process of embedding the Google Maps map with the website
- First, find your business name on Google map
- Click on the three lines next to your company name
- And then click on “Share or embed a map.”
- Finally, copy and paste the link on your company’s contact page.
Optimize the description of your Google My Business listing
Your Google Maps list has a character limit, but instead of putting a superfluous description, you need to add local SEO keywords that describe your business.
Use a local phone number.
Google despises customer service numbers because this type of number is used for spam. Local phone numbers indicate that your business is a physical location in the area.
For this reason, you should use a local phone number with an area code that matches your location. You can use a toll-free number on your website, but if you want to rank higher in Google Maps, use a local number for your GMB listing.
Add photos to the GMB listing.
One of the easiest ways to improve your Google Maps ranking is to add photos to your Google My Business listing. Choose a good photo of your business that appears on your website and highlights it. You can add multiple photos. So choose the ones that will entice customers to come to your company.
To add a photo to your Google Maps listing, simply edit your original listing on Google+ (the listing that drives your Google My Business and Google Maps accounts).
If you have a Google listing, make sure you have all of these resources so that Google puts your business on the first page of Google Maps.