How To Get Your Business On Google Maps?
Google Maps for Business
Google Maps is just the first step to a successful search engine optimization campaign. It needs to be paired with a good website that can appear on Google Search and deliberate optimization efforts to increase your click through rate and sales.
In a marketing business context, Google Maps enables customers and clients to find your business through a Google search. Once enabled, your business will show up on Google when people search for local businesses that offer specific digital services.
Getting your business on Google Maps is completely free. You only need to create your business profile on Google, which is also free. From there, you can add your business on Google Maps to reach more digital customers.
How to Get Your Business on Maps Using Google Maps
Step 1: Open Maps and search for your business
Head over to google.com/maps/ and enter the name of your business in the search bar. If your business shows up, then it is already listed. Anyone can add a business on Maps, which is why yours might already be listed.
If, however, your business doesn’t show up in Google Map results, then you’ll get the option to “Add a missing place”.
Step 2: Add a missing place
Click on “Add a missing place”. The next window will allow you to enter details about your business. That includes your business name, category and location.
At this point your business will already be on Maps. But it will neither rank on Maps nor appear in the Local Pack until you claim the listing.
Step 3: Claim your business
In the next window, you’ll find a link to “Claim this business”. This will let Maps know that you’re the owner of the business. As such, Google will allow you to update any information as you see fit going forward. For example, you can add your website, contact details, operating hours and so on.
Step 4: Verify the business
In this final step, Google will need to confirm that you are indeed the owner of the business as you claim. Oftentimes they’ll do this through a postcard that’s sent via email.
It will typically arrive within two weeks. Make sure to not change any details because doing so will request a new code from Google and that will require a new postcard.
The postcard contains a unique PIN that you input online to verify your business. You’ll want to do that within 30 days of requesting the code so that it doesn’t expire. It typically takes a few weeks after verification for your business to go live on Maps and other Google platforms.
What’s The Secret to Maps Rankings?
Location Authority: This is the secret to ranking in Google Maps
Not only does location authority give your business location the power to rank in Maps, but it’s the power to increase the radius in which your business gets found in Google local search.
If you have no location authority, you’ll only see your business in Maps when you are in close proximity to your business.
But with a lot of location authority, you’ll see your business at increasing radius es from your location.
For example, more location authority allows your business to get found at 2 miles, 5 miles, or 10 miles away from your business location.
In other words, location authority increases the proximity radius of rankings for your location.