A Google Maps listing is essential for marketing your business. It can attract new customers, help you outshine competitors, and boost your business, all without costing you a dime. However, to enjoy these advantages, your listing needs strong visibility. Simply being listed in an area doesn’t guarantee Google will rank it for searches in that area.

Actually, proximity is just one of many factors Google Maps considers when ranking business listings. This guide will walk you through 10 tactics/strategies to improve your Google Maps listing’s ranking and help you reap all the benefits.

We will cover:

• Creating and claiming your Google Maps listing (if you haven’t already).
• Providing supplementary information that improves your ranking and makes your listing more attractive.
• ​​​​​​Additional website optimizations to further enhance your Google Maps listing’s ranking.

Why should you aim for a higher Google Maps ranking?

Studies reveal that 67% of consumers prefer Google Maps for navigation. Since consumers rarely venture past the first few results when searching for a place, optimizing your Google Maps listing to appear first for relevant searches is critical.

Research also indicates that consumers find their way to Google Maps business listings through keyword (or “discovery”) searches much more frequently (84% of the time) than through searches using a business name (or “direct” searches). Therefore, ensuring your listing ranks high on Google Maps for the terms your potential customers are using is crucial.

Another compelling reason to strive for a good Google Maps ranking is that the top three Google Maps listings will also feature in regular Google Search results if relevant. With 46% of Google searches having local intent, appearing in that “Local 3-Pack” can significantly increase your business’s visibility.

Improving your Google Maps ranking usually translates to securing a first-page position on Google Search results. A third reason to focus on Google Maps ranking is that the optimization steps you take also enhance the quality of your listing and provide consumers with multiple ways to engage with your business. Given that 86% of consumers use Google Maps to find businesses, this opens up numerous opportunities to foster engagement.

How to elevate your business listing on Google Maps

So, how do you get your business listing to appear higher on Google Maps? Similar to on-page and off-page optimizations for local website SEO, there are on-listing and off-listing optimizations for business listing SEO. However, the first step is to get your business on Google Maps and claim your listing, which we’ll cover next.

1. Adding your business to Google Maps

Naturally, you can’t improve your ranking or succeed in Google Maps marketing without a Google Maps listing. Skip this section if you already have one. If you don’t or are unsure, follow these steps to list your business on Google Maps:

1. Go to Google.com/maps or use the Google Maps app on your smartphone and search for your business name.
2. If your business appears in the drop-down menu with a location next to it, you have a listing! Proceed to the next section.

3. If your business isn’t there, you’ll see an option to “add a missing place” in the drop-down menu.

Clicking this option prompts you to enter your business name, category, and location.

It’s worth noting that anyone can add a business to Google Maps. So even if you haven’t personally created a listing, it’s wise to check if one exists. Don’t worry: regardless of who adds your business, they don’t control the listing. Only the person who claims the listing by proving business ownership has control, which we’ll discuss next.

2. Claiming your Google Maps business listing

Claiming your listing is the next step to improving its ranking. Creating a listing only allows you to provide basic information (name, category, and location). Claiming it allows you to provide comprehensive details, which helps your ranking on Google Maps. Furthermore, you can’t implement any other steps in this guide without claiming your listing.

Before claiming your business listing on Google Maps, you need a free Google My Business account. If you have one, go to your Google Maps business listing, select “Claim this business” or “Own this business?” and follow the instructions. If you don’t have a Google My Business account, refer to this post for a step-by-step guide on creating one and claiming your business.

3. Adding information to your Google Maps business listing

Now that you have a Google Maps business listing and a linked Google My Business account, you’re ready to optimize it for better local search ranking. Remember, more information generally leads to a higher ranking. To add more information, log in to your Google My Business account and navigate to the dashboard.

Select the “Info” tab, which includes your name, category, address, service area (if relevant), hours, special hours, phone number, website, products, services, attributes, and description. Optimize these Google My Business account sections to enhance your ranking on Google Maps:

Consistency with name and address Google Maps prioritizes trustworthy businesses, and consistency of information across the web is a measure of that trust. For instance, if your business is called “North Shore Wellness Center,” ensure that’s exactly how it appears in your Google My Business dashboard (explore creative business name ideas here!) and not variations like “N. Shore Wellness Center” or “North Shore Wellness Ctr.” Ensure consistency across all your online platforms: website, Yelp listing, Facebook profile, and more. The same principle applies to address information (e.g., using “St” versus “Street”).

Use a local phone number Google is wary of toll-free numbers (800 and 877) as they are often associated with spam. Using a local phone number with your area code will improve your Google Maps ranking and assure searchers that your business is local.

Include your tracked and main number If you use call tracking, use a tracked number as your primary business phone number and your main number as the secondary number. This directs most calls through the tracked line, allowing you to analyze your listing’s effectiveness. Including your main number helps Google match it with your website and other listings.

Keep your hours updated Google Maps listings indicate whether a business is open, closed, or about to open/close. (During the pandemic, they showed whether a business was temporarily closed, making it a crucial SEO tactic during COVID-19.) Keeping your hours current signals to Google that you are active and, therefore, trustworthy, boosting your ranking. It also prevents customers from showing up at your closed business, potentially leading to negative reviews that can hurt your Google Maps ranking.

Also update your holiday hours to avoid an “hours might differ” label on your listing.

Write a business description Your Google Maps business description should provide an overview of your business to orient visitors and highlight unique attributes that attract searchers. It should also reflect your brand’s tone to establish a stronger connection. Remember to include keywords in your business description to help your listing rank for searches containing those product and service terms, not just your business name.

Accurate business categorization Your business category on Google Maps significantly impacts your ranking. Select the category that best represents your core business offering as your primary category. If other categories apply, list them as secondary categories.

To enhance your Google Maps ranking, choose your primary and additional categories through your Google My Business dashboard. Note that you can’t add custom categories. However, start typing your main offering in the box, and a drop-down menu with suitable categories will appear.

4. Adding photos to your Google Maps business listing

Google appreciates it when you upload photos to your listing. Firstly, it signals that you actively manage your listing, which Google considers for ranking. Secondly, Google’s photo recognition technology is improving, and Google is starting to incorporate images into local search results. Thirdly, a general SEO principle is that Google favors what consumers like, and consumers love photos. Lastly, if you don’t add photos, your listing will display a generic map image like this:

Google Maps business listings without photos are less appealing and may not rank as high as listings with photos.

To enhance your Google Maps ranking, upload high-quality, captivating photos that showcase your business’s atmosphere. To do this, go to the “Photos” tab in your Google My Business dashboard and click the blue circle with a white plus sign. You can then drag and drop multiple photos and/or videos simultaneously. Ideally, aim to add at least one new photo daily.

5. Getting Google reviews

Since Google values what customers value, it’s no surprise that Google Maps favors listings with positive reviews. So, how do you garner more Google reviews? Creating a Google Maps listing automatically opens your business to reviews.

However, you need to actively solicit reviews and respond to them. Responding encourages more reviews and minimizes the impact of negative ones. It also demonstrates to potential customers your attentiveness and problem-solving skills.

Reviews might seem daunting, but unless your service is truly subpar, bad reviews are generally rare. Responding appropriately can mitigate, or even reverse, the damage.

6. Consolidating your Google Maps listings

Google penalizes businesses with multiple phone numbers or locations listed for a single business. Weed out duplicate listings to ensure your main listing ranks well.

7. Regularly posting to your Google Maps business listing

Similar to Facebook, you can publish posts that appear directly on your Google Maps business listing. Regular posting signals to Google that you manage your listing proactively, which influences ranking. Moreover, search engine users typically have high intent; therefore, Google posts allow you to present your offers to a receptive audience.

Creating posts in your Google My Business dashboard allows them to appear on your business listing and demonstrates your activeness to Google.

Leveraging your website to improve your Google Maps ranking

Besides directly optimizing your business listing, certain website improvements can support a higher Google Maps ranking.

8. Ensuring your website is responsive

Ensure your website is responsive, meaning it functions seamlessly across all devices and screen sizes. This is crucial because Google Maps listings link to your website, and almost 60% of Google searches happen on mobile devices. So, if your listing directs users to a website that requires pinching and zooming, has broken links, or loads slowly, your Google Maps ranking will suffer.

9. Incorporating local keywords into your website

Target your website for local search to boost your Google Maps ranking. This helps your website rank higher in Google Search and might also influence your Google Maps listing ranking. Integrate location-based keywords into your website’s core pages, such as the homepage, about us page, contact us page, product/services page, and even blog posts. Don’t limit this to page titles; include them in headings, body text, image tags, captions, and URLs.

Emphasize your local prominence to Google through your website, and it might rank your business listing higher on Google Maps for that area.

10. Embedding a Google map on your website

Embed a Google map on your website, which most businesses do on their contact us page. This further reinforces your business location to Google. Use the same address as your Google Maps listing.

To embed a Google Map on your website, search for your business name in Google Maps. Click on “Share” in your listing and then select the “Embed a map” tab. Finally, copy and paste the link onto your business’s contact page.

Reaping the benefits of a higher Google Maps ranking

This guide covered a lot, so let’s summarize how to improve your Google Maps ranking:

1. Create and claim your Google Maps business listing.
2. Thoroughly complete every section of your Google My Business dashboard.
3. Maintain consistency in your name, address, and (preferably local) phone number.
4. Write a compelling and accurate business description and categorize your business appropriately.
5. Regularly add photos and posts to your listing.
6. Actively seek and respond to Google reviews.
7. Consolidate any duplicate listings.
8. Ensure your website is responsive.
9. Optimize your website for local search using relevant keywords.
10. Embed a Google Map on your website.

Business listings on Google Maps are continuously evolving, enabling consumers to access information quickly and make informed purchasing decisions. By following the tips in this post, you can propel your business to the top of Google Maps and enjoy increased visibility, engagement, and revenue!