Google My Business Ranking: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success

To succeed with Google My Business ranking, you need to have a verified business listing. This is the foundation of your online presence and helps customers find you.

Having a complete and up-to-date profile is essential. This includes adding high-quality photos, writing a compelling description, and specifying your business hours.

To increase your visibility, you should claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. This involves responding to reviews, keeping your hours up to date, and adding relevant categories.

By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to improving your Google My Business ranking and attracting more customers to your business.

Optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing is crucial for local SEO. Claiming and completing your GMB listing is the first step in establishing visibility in Google Maps. You can do this by searching for your business name on Google or Google Maps and verifying your listing if you haven't already done so.

Your business name must be exactly like your actual legal name without any additional keywords or phrases. Avoid using marketing taglines, store codes, trademark signs, or fully capitalized words in your business name. For example, "Pigs & Butter, the Best Meat in the City" is not allowed, but "Pigs & Butter" is.

A well-optimized GMB listing should include accurate and up-to-date information about your business. This includes your business hours, address, phone number, and website URL. Make sure to fill out every line and section of your GMB listing carefully.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when optimizing your GMB listing:

By following these guidelines and avoiding common mistakes, you can ensure that your GMB listing is optimized for local SEO and helps attract more customers to your business.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for a strong Google My Business ranking. Your website needs to be properly structured to enable Google to easily crawl and index your content.

To optimize your website, start by ensuring that the content on your landing page is localized, relevant to the local audience you're targeting. For example, if you're a restaurant in Austin, mention signature dishes that cater to local tastes.

Your website should be mobile-friendly, as a significant portion of local searches are conducted on mobile devices. A fast-loading website is also essential, as a slow website can lead to a drop in rankings and a poor user experience.

Here are the key components of on-page optimization:

By optimizing these components, you'll be well on your way to improving your Google My Business ranking.

On-Page Optimization is crucial for any website, especially for local businesses. Your website matters, and having a well-optimized website can help you rank higher in local map rankings.

Localized Content is key, as it should be relevant to the local audience you're targeting. Mention local events, festivals, or signature dishes that cater to local tastes. For example, if you're a restaurant in Austin, mention your famous Tex-Mex dishes.

Your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) should be consistent across your Google Business Profile and website. Inconsistencies can confuse search engines and lead to a drop in rankings.

Schema Markup helps search engines understand your content better. Implementing Local Business Schema can be applied to your address, opening hours, social media profiles, and more. This makes it easier for Google to crawl and index your content.

Mobile Optimization is essential, as a significant portion of local searches are conducted on mobile devices. Your landing page must be mobile-friendly to cater to this audience. Aim for a seamless user experience, regardless of device.

Page Speed is also crucial, as a slow-loading page can lead to a drop in rankings. Ensure your landing page loads quickly to avoid frustrating users and search engines alike. Aim for a load time of under 3 seconds.

Relevant Keywords are essential, but avoid keyword stuffing. Include the keywords you want to rank for on your site, especially on your landing page. Use them naturally and contextually.

Internal Linking helps users navigate your website easily. Ensure your landing page is well-integrated with the rest of your website through effective internal linking. This improves user experience and helps search engines crawl your content more efficiently.

Here's a quick checklist to ensure your on-page optimization is in check:

Building relevant backlinks is a crucial part of search engine optimization (SEO), and it's especially important for local search rankings. Quality trumps quantity, so one well-regarded backlink from a trusted, authoritative website can be more beneficial than dozens from lesser-known sites.

Having a good number of quality backlinks signals to search engines that your website is a valuable resource. You can start by looking at your physical neighbors and business contacts for potential link-building opportunities.

Local relevance is key, so focus on getting backlinks from local businesses, news outlets, or community websites. These types of links emphasize your connection to the community and bolster your local credibility and relevance in the eyes of search engines.

To identify potential link-building opportunities, you can use SEO tools like SEO SpyGlass. Go to Domain Comparison > Link Intersection and add a couple of your competitors from Google Maps to find out where they're getting their backlinks.

Here are some key things to consider when building relevant backlinks:

Remember, ideally, these links to your website are "follow" links, which means Google will follow and recognize the source of the link to your content.

Local Search Ranking Factors play a crucial role in determining your Google My Business ranking. There are three main factors to consider: Relevance, Prominence, and Distance. Relevance is how relevant your business is to the query, with Google now looking at categories and subcategories of your business listing.

In fact, 97% of people learn more about a business online than they do anywhere else, and 84% of Google users conduct local searches on a regular basis. This means it's essential to have a strong online presence to attract potential customers.

Here are the three Local Search Ranking Factors:

By optimizing your business for these three factors, you can improve your Google My Business ranking and attract more customers to your business.

Local search ranking factors play a crucial role in determining your business's online visibility. Consistency in your business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) across various platforms and directories is key to local SEO.

Google values consistency in NAP, as it provides assurance that the information presented is accurate and trustworthy. This consistency reinforces your business's authenticity.

A uniform NAP across various platforms and directories can enhance your local SEO. A business with numerous mentions across trusted local directories, websites, or platforms might be deemed more prominent and hence worthy of a better local rank.

Citations from locally recognized platforms or community websites can significantly boost your local standing. These locally relevant citations underline your ties to the community.

Here are the three key reasons why consistency in NAP matters:

It's essential to audit and update your NAP citations to spot and correct any inconsistent data. This will help Google be more confident about your business.

The distance factor is a crucial element in local search ranking. It's something you can't control, as it's determined by your business's physical location.

In fact, the Vicinity update made distance a far more important factor in local search rankings. Before this update, optimized listings could outperform closer listings. Now, that's hardly possible.

Google's goal with the Vicinity update was to show users the closest places without making them walk too far to their desired destination. This is all about people's comfort, after all.

You can't move your business to a new location or make users search for you from a different spot. This means distance is a fixed factor that you'll have to work around.

Even a poorly filled-out listing can get into the local pack if it's located close to the searcher. This is exactly what happened with the Vicinity update, where a listing with no ratings, reviews, or prices still managed to get into the SERP because of its location.

The Relevance Factor is a crucial aspect of Google Maps SEO. It determines how relevant a business is to the query.

In the past, relevance was often tied to having an exact match keyword in your business name. However, a recent update has diminished the power of this factor.

The category and subcategories of your business listing now seem to matter more. This is evident when searching for something like "pub Melbourne".

The local pack features only one result with the word "pub" in the name. This suggests that Google is prioritizing businesses that fit the specific category and subcategory of the search query.

Businesses that accurately categorize themselves in Google My Business may have an advantage in terms of relevance. This can help them appear in local search results for related queries.

Prominence factor is a crucial ranking factor to understand when it comes to Google Maps. It's based on how well-known a business is, both offline and online.

Google's documentation claims that prominence is calculated by looking at your company's website organic positions, Google Business Profile reviews, ratings, and backlinks. This means that having a strong online presence is essential for boosting your prominence.

The power of prominence is clear when you search for a place in a different location. For example, if you search for "gelato Rimini" in a city you're not currently in, you'll see that the top result has 2,000 reviews, while the second location has 761 reviews, and the third has 411 reviews.

A uniform NAP (Name, Address, and Phone number) across various platforms and directories reinforces your business's authenticity. Google values this consistency, as it provides assurance that the information presented is accurate and trustworthy.

The sheer quantity of citations can enhance your local SEO. A business with numerous mentions across trusted local directories, websites, or platforms might be deemed more prominent and hence worthy of a better local rank.

Here are some key points to remember about citations:

Consistency and relevance are key to building a strong prominence factor. By having a consistent NAP across the web and getting cited in locally relevant platforms, you can improve your chances of ranking higher on Google Maps.

Claiming and completing your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the first crucial step in establishing visibility in Google Maps. This provides a primary signal to Google of your business' existence, and the information here is assumed to be accurate and up to date.

Google will cross-reference these details with those it finds on your website and in other local directories and resources. The accuracy and consistency of your GBP information will significantly impact your local ranking.

Fill in all the necessary fields, including your name, business category, phone number, hours, address, photos, description, and any relevant attributes. Keep all your information as consistent as possible with what is displayed on your website.

To move up in Google Maps placements, make sure you fully optimize your Google Business Profile. This includes filling in the necessary fields, adding high-quality photos, and writing an engaging description.

Your Google Business Profile is a crucial part of improving your Google My Business ranking. To get started, claim and verify your profile, which is a simple process of searching for your business name on Google or Google Maps and verifying your listing.

Having a complete profile is essential, as it will help Google understand your business and provide accurate information to searchers. According to Example 4, you should fill in the following elements: Name, Business Category (primary and secondary), Phone number, Hours, Address, Photos, Description, and any relevant attributes.

Consistency is key, so make sure to keep your information consistent across your website and other online listings. As Example 4 notes, even small variations like "Smith Street" versus "Smith St." can make a difference.

To fill out your profile completely, check out Example 5, which lists the following fields to fill in: Business name, Address, Phone number, Hours of operation, Category, Website, From the business, Questions and answers, Photos, Reviews, and Posts. Additional fields may be required for specific industries.

Here's a summary of the essential fields to fill in your Google Business Profile:

By completing your Google Business Profile, you'll be taking a crucial step towards improving your Google My Business ranking and providing a better experience for your customers.

Behavioral Signals play a significant role in determining your Google My Business ranking. Google considers how users interact with your business's Google Business Profile (GBP) when evaluating your local ranking.

Engagement Rate is a crucial factor, as frequent clicks on your business listing, reviews, and interactions like seeking directions showcase genuine interest in your business. This can significantly bolster your standing in local rankings.

A high Engagement Rate can be achieved by keeping your GBP updated, compelling, and engaging. I've seen businesses that regularly post updates, respond to reviews, and encourage customers to share photos of their visits experience a significant increase in engagement.

Clicks for Relevant Keywords are also important, as they indicate to Google that your listing matches the user's intent. Consistent clicks for relevant searches can solidify your position as a top result for those queries.

However, a high Bounce Rate can negatively impact your local rankings, as it may indicate that users didn't find what they were expecting or looking for. This can be a challenge to address, but it's essential to ensure that your GBP accurately represents your business.

User Check-ins and Photo Uploads also provide valuable signals to Google, validating your business's authenticity and indicating that patrons are engaging with and endorsing your business.

Getting more reviews is crucial to improving your Google My Business ranking. Reviews are vital for small businesses, with 86% of consumers reading reviews of local businesses and 57% of consumers saying they'll only use a business if it has 4 or more stars.

To get more reviews, consider your consumer cycle and insert a review ask at some point in the process. This can come in the form of an email, a written letter, or through a reputation management service like Grade Us.

Reviews send all kinds of signals to Google, and a business with 50 positive reviews will look better than one with 20. To determine a "good" number of reviews, Google your industry and location, and take a look at your competition.

A review that contains specifics of what services you provided is a quality review. Bonus points if your reviewer uses a relevant keyword – Google really likes this!

Here are the key ranking factors for reviews:

To encourage customers to use the needed keywords, consider asking for reviews of specific products or services of yours.

You can get short-term placements on top of organic search results by advertising on Google, which can include search ads and advertisements through Google Shopping.

Google ads can be cost-effective, especially if you limit your target keywords to only the most relevant ones.

You pay per click with Google Ads, meaning that any time someone clicks on your ad, you incur a cost.

You can research competitors' Google Ads history on Semrush to see which ads converted best and when, and use the insights to improve your own advertising campaigns.

Promoted pins are another type of paid ad listing that can help you get noticed when users are browsing areas on the Maps app.

These bolded pins pop out on the map without a user having to search for anything, and you can even add a logo to be displayed instead of a standard icon.

Advertising on Google Maps can also help you rank higher, and like any CPC campaign, it comes with the obvious benefit of being above other results.

You can claim your business through your Google Business Profile account and create a Google Ads account to run an ad for your business on Google Maps.

Google Maps offers paid local search listings that can instantly improve your CTR among your peers and bring a bunch of fresh clicks.

Search Results Ads can instantly improve your company's CTR among peers and bring fresh clicks.

You can get short-term placements on top of organic search results by advertising on Google, which can include search ads and advertisements through Google Shopping.

Google Ads can be cost-effective if you limit your target keywords to only the most relevant ones, such as something a customer would take when ready to make a purchase.

You pay per click with Google Ads, meaning that any time someone clicks on your ad, you incur a cost.

Google Ads can be a good combination with content marketing, which can create content that ranks high in organic results and produces leads repeatedly.

If you want to be at the top of maps results in a specific area, then Google Maps offers paid local search listings.

A local map pack will show on a search results page just about every time Google registers local intent, which can help increase your visibility.

Google Maps Ads is not an organic way of promotion, but you can still use it as a means of traffic acquisition.

You need to claim your business through your Google Business Profile account and create a Google Ads account to run a Google Maps ad for your business.

Google Maps Ads can lead to your Google Business Profile listing, which can help increase your visibility and drive more traffic to your business.

Promoted Pins are a great way to get noticed on Google Maps, and they pop out on the map without users having to search for anything.

These bolded pins are another type of paid ad listing, and the type of business being promoted determines what color and style the icons are.

To improve your Google My Business ranking, you'll want to use the right tools and strategies. You can research competitors for ways to increase Google rankings by using Semrush to check the search engine results pages (SERPs) for your business type.

You can also use Google Trends to get insight into what people are searching for. This can give you ideas for relevant content that will help increase your page rank.

To get to the top of Google search results, you'll need the right tools. Some of the best tools include Semrush, which provides comprehensive SEO tools for competitor and keyword research, website auditing, and more. You can start with Semrush for free.

Another tool to consider is Google Ads keyword planner, which is a free tool that provides data and suggestions for keywords to target in ads and your website's content.

If you're looking for a full-service digital marketing agency, you might consider Straight North, which offers a complete ranking strategy with website and organic content, reviews management, and more.

Here are some of the best tools and services for improving rankings and getting to the top of Google's organic search results:

Remember, improving your Google My Business ranking takes time and effort, but with the right tools and strategies, you can increase your chances of success.