In the past 10 years, phones have taken over our world. We use them to communicate, play, learn, find entertainment and more. We also use our phones to find out which shops and businesses are around us. It has never been so easy to look for a curry house or a furniture shop, just look on Google Maps! As a local business, appearing on Google Maps can make a great difference. Google Maps is one of Google's most popular and widely used applications. It makes it much easier for people to find your business. One of the most important aspects of local SEO is proper Google Maps listing optimisation as it has a significant impact on traffic, or more precisely, traffic acquisition. As a result, learning how to improve your Google Maps listing and incorporating it into your online marketing strategy is an excellent idea.
Why is it Important to Rank Well on Google Maps?
Ranking high on Google Maps is amazing for local SEO as it allows you to reach out to possible customers and clients in your area. Aside from that, ranking high on Google Maps means that you are likely to rank high on search engines. You may simply boost your brand recognition this way. It's also worth noting that Google Maps listings include contact information such as your company's phone number, email address, website URL, and physical location. This allows potential customers to engage and interact with your organisation in the way that best suits them. As a result, optimising your Google Maps listing gives you a significant competitive advantage over your market competitors, and it may be a useful tool for increasing sales and brand awareness.
What Can You Do to Boost Your Google Maps Ranking?
There are many different things you can do to help your Google Maps ranking.
Create A Google Maps listing
Without a Google Maps listing for your business, you won't be able to rank high in Google results or engage in Google Maps marketing. So creating your own Google Maps listing is the most important step. It is extremely simple and quick to create a listing, so go for it! It is possible that someone has already created a listing for your business, If you're not sure if your business has a Google My Business listing, go to Google Maps and type in your company name. If it already exists, you can move on to the following stage. Remember that nearly anybody can add businesses to Google Maps, so just because you haven't done so doesn't indicate that someone else hasn't. It is always a good idea to double-check if your business is already listed on Google Maps. You don't have to be concerned if the business listing was made by someone else. This person is unable to change or delete it. It can only be done by someone who can verify they own said business.
Claim Your Listing
If you want to improve your Google Maps ranking, you must prove to Google that you own the business for which the listing was created. You will need to start by entering basic information such as the name, category, and location when creating the listing. Once this is done, you will be taken through a verification process and asked for more details. As you can expect, the more detailed your listing is, the higher it will appear in the search results and attract more potential clients. But how do you take control of your Google Maps listing? All you need is a Google account, which is completely free. Then, find your listing and click on keywords such as "own this business?" or "claim this business.” Then simply follow the instructions.
Provide Valid Contact Details
The more information you provide, the higher the search results from your listing will show. Maintain a constant name and address, utilise a local phone number, provide both monitored and primary numbers, keep your hours current, provide a business description, and categorise your company appropriately. In terms of ranking, the category in which your business appears on Google Maps is really important. As your core category, choose the one that best describes your company's main offering. If any more categories apply, select extra categories.
Provide Good-Quality Images
In order to grab people’s attention and go up in rankings, you need to provide high-quality and optimised images of your company's logo and other relevant images. Uploading high-resolution photographs to your Google Maps listing shows Google that you're active and care about your customers. It will also allow potential customers to know what they can expect from your business. So add pictures of your business and the products/services you offer. Pictures will assist potential clients in determining whether or not a particular location is likely to satisfy their needs. This is especially true when it comes to all forms of entertainment and leisure, such as restaurants and hotels. Lastly, good quality and eye-catching images can make the difference between you and your competitor. So grab your camera and get shooting!
Work on Getting Reviews
Google Maps prioritises business listings with positive reviews because Google values customers’ opinions. So, how do you go about getting feedback? Your business is automatically open for reviews when you create a Google Maps listing. This does not, however, guarantee that you will receive them. You'll need to be proactive in both soliciting and responding to comments. Responding to reviews encourages more to come in while reducing the negative ones' impact. Furthermore, your responses show other candidates how attentive you are to clients and how well you handle problems. Although bad criticism can be terrifying, it is seldom unless your service is truly awful. Furthermore, a poor review can be minimised or even overturned if you respond effectively.
Make Your Website Responsive to All Devices
Make sure your website is adaptable, which means it adapts to any device or screen size. If your listing refers searchers to a malfunctioning website, your Google Maps ranking will suffer.
If you are trying to use local SEO to reach more people, setting up and taking care of your Google Maps listing is one of the best things you can do! Being mindful of your Google Maps presence does not require a lot of effort, does not generate extra costs and is a great asset to help your business rank higher on search engines. So, go for it! If you wish to learn more about SEO, PPC and PR, visit our blog. If you wish to learn more about our services visit our website or get in contact with us.
