Google Maps has become an essential tool for our day-to-day lives. While some people still print out directions and have a passenger rattle off street names and exits, most people use Google Maps to get where they want to go – and even to find businesses. With all the different ways to boost traffic out there, is Google Maps good for SEO or is it just a tool for people to utilize? To that we say: both, both are good. Google Maps brings visibility to your business in a variety of ways. Here’s what you need to know about what makes Google Maps good for SEO.
How Are Google Maps And SEO Connected?
Your Google Maps listing is an essential part of your business. When people talk about SEO, they’re generally talking about where your business shows up in the search results on search engines, how visible it is. There’s that old saying about how being on the second page of a Google search result is as good as being invisible. It’s similar if your business doesn’t rank on Google Maps.
Nowadays, people will turn to Google Maps and type in searches such as “food near me” in order to see what’s around them. About 86% of people use Google Maps in order to look up a business. If your business doesn’t show up, that’s a potential customer you’re losing, given how local SEO impacts ranking business listings.
Research shows that people find businesses on Google Maps through keywords rather than searching a business name about 84% of the time, as found in a Google My Business study. Thus, it’s important for your business to rank well for the keywords that apply to it in order for potential customers to find you.
What You Need To Know About Google Maps Marketing
It’s true there are plenty of reasons that make Google Maps good for SEO. However, Google Maps marketing can be tricky, especially as people see “keywords make you rank better” and then start keyword-stuffing and abusing Google Maps in order to improve their ranking. As such, Google Maps has since cracked down on how people use it, in order to prevent these spam listings and ensure it’s promoting legitimate businesses.
Local SEO and Google Maps are key methods of generating traffic and boosting your business, but you need to be careful to adhere to Google’s ever-changing requirements. There are many businesses that created thousands of landing pages in areas they didn’t even serve in order to generate traffic – if you want to keep Google Maps good for SEO, this is something to avoid.
Here’s what you need to know about keeping Google Maps good for SEO.
Ranking And Google Maps SEO
In order for your business to rank on Google Maps, there are several factors that influence this, such as:
- Whether or not you’ve claimed your Google My Business page
- How close your business is to the center of the city or geotarget
- The domain authority of your website
- The amount and accuracy of your business’s name, address, and phone number (also known as “citations”) on other websites, such as Yelp
- Your average review ratings and how many reviews you have
- Whether your “citation” is on your website and whether or not it has been properly linked with your Google My Business page
- How well your Google My Business page has been optimized and the quality of the content on it
To keep Google Maps good for SEO for your business, you’ll need to keep your business information accurate and up to date. This includes your hours and location and accuracy across both your Google My Business profile and your website. You want a detailed description of your business that is accurate and includes your target keywords, as well as high quality images.
You can also post regularly on your Google Business profile, which helps Google see that your business is active and helps your business grow as you incorporate keywords in a natural way in your posts. Some great posts you could make are updates, new offers or products, and anything you think would be useful for your customers to know.
Since most people look at reviews before choosing a business, having credible reviews is important too, in order for people to know they can trust you.
Keeping Google Maps Good For SEO
There are many ways you can make Google Maps work for you, from running the occasional ad, to linking to your website, to using your social media and building local backlinks, and more. It’s crucial to have a responsive site, to respond to customer queries and reviews, and to ensure all your information is accurate and up-to-date to keep Google Maps good for SEO.
Do You Need Help With Ranking Your Business On Google Maps?
Performance Driven Marketing is an experienced SEO company that ensures we stay up to date with Google’s ever-changing policies. We know how important Google Maps is in order for local searchers to find your business. If you would like to learn more about what makes Google Maps good for SEO or if you need help with SEO, we’re here to help! Contact us today to set up your free consultation.