Google Map Optimization: The Ultimate Guide

Joey January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 Local SEO

Listing your business on Google Maps is very important for your marketing strategy. Google maps listing can help your business to be discovered by new customers.

It helps you stand apart from your competitors and generate more business.

These benefits of Google maps listing are only achievable only if the business listing is optimized and has strong visibility.

Google my business will not list a business only because it is located in a specific area, the listing needs to be optimized to be ranked for searches in that area.

Google Map optimization helps in optimizing the business listing so that it can be listed on Google Maps.

Why Is Google Maps marketing or Google Map Optimization so important?

Each day around 3.5 billion searches are processed and handled by Google, which is almost 88% of all the mobile searches in the world.

Local Google searches are known to be directly converted into sales, around 75% of the users who are searching for local products on Google, end up visiting the store the same day.

Google Maps marketing or Google map optimization can play an important role in the way your business is viewed by Google.

It helps determine if your business will appear in the organic search or what is popularly known as the local 3-pack. The local 3-pack is Google Map Results that are displayed at the top of the page in the Google Search results.

Thousands of customers can be channeled towards the business through Google Maps. If your business does not rank in the 3-pack, there are very low chances of your business being found in the search results.

Therefore Google Maps Marketing is considered one of the most important features of local SEO strategy.

What is Google Maps optimization?

Google Maps Optimization is one of the key strategies of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It involves changing or arranging the entrance of Google Map so that the business website receives more web traffic.

Most of the SEO strategies involve on-page optimization.

However, Google Maps optimization is an entirely off-page optimization technique. People no longer rely on Yellow Pages for getting contact details of local businesses.

Today the relevant data is easily available on Google Maps.

What is Google My Business?

Google My business helps in providing detailed information about the business, its contact details, directions to reach on the maps, etc to the online viewers.

Google My Business is a free tool used by businesses and organizations for managing their online presence across Google, including both Google Search and Google Maps.

It verifies the business and allows editing of business profiles whenever required.

How do I optimize Google Maps?

To optimize your business listing so that it has a better chance of showing up in Google Maps for relevant searches, you need to ensure the below-mentioned points:

Create and claim a listing for your business

The first step to optimize your website for Google Maps, you need to claim or create a business listing on Google My Business.

While creating a listing you can provide the name, category, and location of your business. However, when you claim the business listing, you can add several more details.

More the information a business listing contains, the higher are its chances of being ranked on Google Maps.

Fill out all of the information

Now that you are ready with a Google Maps business listing that is linked to your Google My Business account, you can now start working towards optimizing the listing for higher ranking in local search results.

Add important information to your listing like the correct area pin code and address, Working hours and days, Website URL for visiting the website, all the contact numbers, email address, etc.

It is important to list your specific offerings in simple words. Try using important keywords in the listing wherever possible.

Choose the most relevant and common categories under which your business can be listed on Google Maps.

You need to ensure that the information listed in the Google My Business listing is consistent with the information available across the web.

Add high-quality photos to your listing

Google recognizes your listing to be active and worthy of ranking high when you upload good quality photos to your listing.

Google’s photo-recognition technology is fast advancing and it has now started showing images in local search results, so if the listing has images it can be a plus point.

Consumers love photos, they take several decisions based on the images they view on Google. This makes Google Maps’ business listings without photos less appealing to consumers whereby affecting its search engine ranking.

Get good reviews and respond to them

We know that Google prefers what customers love and appreciate. Therefore it is not surprising that Google Maps ranks higher the business listings having positive reviews.

When a business listing is claimed on Google Maps, it will automatically open the option of receiving business reviews.

However, opening up the option doesn’t mean your business will start getting reviews. You will need to be proactive and ask your customers to post reviews.

Once you start receiving reviews ensure that each review is responded to. Responding to reviews encourages more people to post reviews and it also helps reduce the damage caused by negative reviews.

When you respond proactively it creates a positive image in the minds of the viewers as it shows that you are attentive to your customers and how well you resolve issues.

Responding to negative reviews shows that you are ready to resolved issues.

Post regularly to your Google Maps business listing

Similar to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can publish posts regularly on your Google Maps business listing page.

Regularly posting sends the message to Google that you are proactively managing your listing, which plays a very important role in determining the rankings.

Moreover, consumers searching on Google have high intent, so these regular Google posts ensure you remain in the eyes of the viewers and they can help you get your offers in front of the target audience.

Embed a Google map on your website

Embedding a Google Map on your website is another strategy to rank higher on Google Maps. Many businesses embed the map on their contact us page.

It is just another way to tell Google and your customers where the business is exactly located. Remember to use map of the same address which is listed on your Google my business listing page.

How to embed a Google Map on your website? Search for your business name in Google Maps, once it is displayed on maps then click on “Share” in your listing and select the “Embed a map” tab.

Copy and paste the link on your business’s contact page to display an Embed map on your page.

Google My Business SEO Services

When it comes to Google My Business SEO services, GSM Marketing Agency stands above the rest. We are a Tucson based SEO services company; we can help optimize your website to take it to the top of the search results.

Google wants people to find details about a business or service when they need it, with our Google Business Analysis services we can provide you solutions that can help people find your business or service when they search on Google.