Google Maps Marketing: How to Rank Higher?
What is Google Maps Marketing?
Google Maps marketing is the process of making your business stand out among Google Maps listings. The goal is to optimize your business to rank higher in local search results and attract customers searching for your products or services.
However, let’s be clear. When we talk about Google Maps marketing, it does not refer to just a single platform. Google Maps results are shown in many places, including the Local 3-Pack results, voice searches, and the Google Maps app with 5 billion downloads.
Why use Google Maps marketing?
Google Maps marketing is crucial for attracting local customers. Marketing on Google Maps helps attract customers to your business.
When you have 50% of users visiting a store within a day of doing a local search, it’s vital that you use Google Maps marketing to get those people to find and visit your business. If a user conducts a local search, it generates a list of local businesses through Google Maps. By optimizing for Google Maps SEO, you’re helping your marketing company appear in these local searches and compete with other local businesses.
Google Maps Marketing Strategy
Get Your GMB Listing Verified
To get your business on Google Maps, you first need to have a Google My Business profile.
Google My Business (GMB) enables marketing business owners to show their business listings on Google search and Map results. Almost any type of business can register or claim their GMB listing.
Optimize Your GMB listing
So once you have your GMB listing verified, it’s time to optimize your profile.
GMB signals like categories, keywords in the business description. And more are all ranking factors that will influence your rankings and chances of getting into the much-coveted Local 3-Pack. There are only 3 spots, and you want to make sure you show up for relevant searches to reach your potential customers.
To achieve this, make sure to include keywords your audience uses to find businesses like yours in your digital description.
Get Awesome Reviews
Reviews play a key role in influencing a customer’s decision to purchase. Or not and are thus also a key ranking factor in Google’s algorithm.
Though having a high number of reviews doesn’t guarantee you the #1 ranking in the Local Pack, it will most certainly stand out from your digital competition.
People often rely on other user reviews and recommendations to make their final decisions.
That’s why make sure you are actively soliciting reviews from your customers.
Add Relevant Business Pictures
According to Google, businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for driving directions to their location and 35% higher clickthrough rates to their websites.
Honestly, this is no surprise. People love great visuals, and the brain can often process much more information from an image than through words.
Using the right product and location images can help better engage buyer’s attention, increase trust and boost conversion rates.
Utilize Paid Ads
Lastly, although marketing for Google Maps is free, for businesses looking for quick results and have more room in their marketing budget, using local search ads can be a great option.
Similar to regular Google ads, these paid local ads will bring your business listing to the top of Google Map searches for keywords relevant to your business. It works by using location targeting and appears in both desktop and mobile searches.