What Is Google Maps SEO, and How Does It Work?

Local SEO is the most powerful tool at your disposal for driving local, organic traffic. So, why aren’t all businesses using it? Believe it or not, 1 in 4 businesses still don’t have a?website, let alone an SEO strategy.

Fortunately, that’s great news for you, as it clears your path to the top of the listings. You just need to know how. Let’s talk about how to use Google Maps SEO for the best results.

What Is Google Maps SEO?

Google Maps is an essential part of local SEO where you optimize your website content and business listings for Google Maps. Once you have optimized your Google Business Profile with your location service, you may appear on Google Maps automatically.

However, there’s more to do than optimizing your profile on Google My Business. Your website, off-page factors, and content marketing strategy will all play a role. Optimizing your Google Local Search for specific keywords in your area will ultimately yield the best results.

Why Is Google Maps Marketing So Important?

What’s the point in stressing about Google Maps? Well, there are many reasons. First, think about the last time you searched for local services and pay attention to what you saw.

On the first page of your search results, you likely saw Google Maps first when you searched for “restaurant near me” or “dry cleaners near me”. No matter what type of organic results they are, the first ones always receive the most traffic. If your business relies on local traffic, then being in the first results will make a world of difference to your bottom line.

Also, a lot of people search directly using Google Maps, so if your business listing and website are not optimized for Google Maps, you’re missing out on a free line of traffic.

If your business relies entirely on eCommerce or blog traffic for its bottom line, then Google Maps won’t be a top priority. However, if you rely on in-person shopping or clients in your area, then visibility on the map is essential.

For example, if you search for “gyms in Boston”, you’ll see a listing on Google Maps with dozens of different gyms in every neighborhood in Boston. The difference between ranking in the top 3 and ranking 20th is enormous when it comes to driving traffic.

How to Get the Most Out of Google Maps SEO

Now that you know some of the benefits of Google Maps SEO, you can see why it’s so important to implement in your strategy. Here are some tips to help you get started!

Optimize Your Listing

Ensure that your listing on Google Local Search is complete and updated. If all of the information has remained the same in the last couple of years since uploading it, verify your information. This will let Google know that your data is up to date and accurate.

Posting your hours of operation, holiday hours, location, and contact information is a good start. Try to answer every prompt, including uploading appropriate images of your business. Google loves images, so upload as many as you have of your business location, staff, logos, or anything else that’s relevant.

From there, remain active on the platform by responding to reviews, updating information, and answering questions from customers. Active profiles will inevitably rank higher.

Verify Your Business Location

Next, it’s important to verify your business location and ownership. Google will allow you to skip that part during setup, but make sure that you do it as soon as possible. Google will verify your location by sending a postcard with a verification code to your business address, which you will then have to input.

Don’t skip this step. You won’t be listed on Google Maps without a verified location.

Ask Customers for Reviews

Answering reviews and questions are very helpful in showing you are active on the platform. However, if you don’t receive any reviews, you can’t respond to them. Ask customers or clients to review your business on your Google listing, and respond to their reviews professionally within a timely manner.

Link to Your Website

Adding a link to your website is an important step in optimizing your profile. It will also help users make a decision on whether or not to try your business when they find you on Google Maps. Ensure that your website is optimized for the best local SEO results.

On your website, make sure your data matches your Google listings. This includes your physical location, contact information, and keywords. Optimizing for local SEO generally will help your Google Maps SEO strategy.

Allow Google to Help

Online orders through Google, Google Shopping, and the occasional Google Ad will only help your listing. Ads on Google Maps will help improve your visibility in the short term, which will not only help your bottom line but will also help you earn reviews and traffic on your listing. In the long term, this will help your organic strategy.

Build Backlinks

Backlinks (links from other sites) to your site will help improve your domain authority, which helps establish credibility in Google’s eyes. This is Google’s primary way of determining a website’s credibility. Building backlinks can be challenging, especially for newer sites, but there are strategies to help.

Reach out to local affiliates and ask for a link exchange, buy links from reputable sources (be careful), or develop a strong content marketing strategy to build organic links over time. The organic route is the safest one with the highest payoff, but it may not yield immediate results.

Start Ranking Higher Today

Now that you know the benefits of Google Maps SEO and how to implement it in your strategy, start today for the best results. Like all aspects of SEO, this takes time to come to fruition, but the rewards can last for a long time with minimal upkeep.

Stay up to date with our blog for our latest digital marketing tips, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or for help with your strategy!