To outrank your competitors in Google Maps, it’s crucial to first understand what Local Google Maps is and how it functions. Local Google Maps, in the form of a Google Business profile, is a powerful tool that showcases businesses in a specific geographic area, helping users find the best local options for their needs. By optimizing your presence on this platform, you can significantly increase your visibility and attract more customers.
Here are some things you need to do to dominate the rankings in your local area.
- If you are a new business, try and get your main keyword in the name of your business. For example:
Art’s Plumbing
Jan’s Catering
Hilltop Dental Clinic
- Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) is accurate and in line with what you have in your citations.
- Enter your other GBP info accurately, including service areas, business hours, links to website and appointments, services offered, and keyword optimized business description.
- Choose 1-3 appropriate GBP categories that best describes what your business does.
- Create 4 to 7 GBP Posts per week targeting up to 3 keywords to boost conversions and showcase what you do.
- Create local citations. Here is a list of the top citation sites for the U.S.
- Create niche citations related to your business. A list of sites by industry can be found on the Bright Local website link above.
- Add your services as products. You can include images and most importantly, a link back to your service page for that service or product.
- Add Categories. If your services can be broken into several categories, create those categories.
- Make sure you are targeting your website’s main keyword on your GBP. Also, the services on your website should match the services on your GBP.
- Reviews. Google reviews is one of the most important ranking factors, so try to acquire as many reviews as possible.
- Authority Brand Links. These are brand authority links targeting the GBP CID URL, GBP Site URL. Add keyword anchor text on as many of the platforms that allow it. Use Google Map embeds in any links that allow them, as well as complete NAP and local business details section.
- Branded Social Media. Branded Social Media is part of prominence, or how well your business is noticed on the web. Prominence is a well-known ranking factor for Google in local and organic rankings. Blue Lacy SEO can create up to 100 social media accounts for you and brand them with your business profiles which link them back to your website.
- GEO Networks. GEO Networks is a series of properties and web 2.0 accounts built for a business location rather than a brand. If you have a Google Business Profile listing, you want to add all the location and geographical relevance that you can for better ranking.
- Create a city location page with Google Maps driving directions (only for business addresses).
- CTR Service. CTR (Click Thru Rate) measures the percentage of people who click on a specific link compared to the number of total users who view an advertisement, webpage, or Google Business Profile. This seemingly simple ratio holds immense power as it directly correlates with user engagement and campaign success. A fully managed CTR campaign for your Google Business Profile can increase traffic and rankings in Google Maps listings. This works well for businesses that are just outside the 3-pack.
- Who is CTR Service for?
- Businesses that have a physical location associated with their GBP.
- If you’re not in the top 15 for your keywords, this service is not recommended for you.
- This service is for business owners who rank for their brand name.
- Business owners should have a website that is optimized.
- This service is not for business owners wanting to rank more than 10 miles from their location.
- This service works best if the GBP has been optimized with Citations, Authority Brand Links, Branded Social Media, GEO Networks, and regular GBP Posts.
- Use Geo Grid software to track your local ranking. I use Local Dominator, but you can use any number of Geo Grid software out there.
