Google Maps: a Boon for SEOs

Google Maps: Essential for Local SEO

Google Maps are an integral part of Google’s SEO strategy. A Google map listing can possibly boost your search engine rankings in Google. Google maps give you the advantage of what is called “local SEO “.

When Google crawls your site, it sees the data about your business which is visible to Google through Google maps. It helps Google conclude whether or not people actually go to that place or if they are only giving an address for the purpose of doing business online. It also tells Google that the listings on near the top are more trustworthy than those lower down because evidently more people clicked on them while searching for a particular location.

How important is having a Google map listing? If someone does not have his/her Google map listing complete, Google displays a “Google reviews ” block on top of the listings. This block cannot be removed by Google no matter what you do. It is meant to push people into Google reviews and away from your website.

Likewise, a Google map listing that has an incomplete address or not being verified as being a part of google places can have its rankings compromised because Google does not trust it as one of their official listings.

So, if you need your site to gain authority in Google’s eyes then having complete data about your business on google maps is essential for better search engine rankings. Also, getting reviews left for you on google reviews helps build trust among searchers who are looking to hire your services.

Google Maps SEO Benefits:

– Rankings will improve in google’s search engine results pages.

– Site will gain authority or trust among google users who are looking to visit your place of business.

– Rankings for local keywords focused on the name of your business will improve. e.g.: if you have a restaurant called “curry palace” and the keyword is new york city restaurants , google maps SEO will rank your site higher than another new york city restaurants website that does not have google maps listings optimized .

A Google map of bad quality can hurt your rankings because it tells Google that people are not really visiting that location. This hurts the ranking of all websites linked to that listing, including yours! Local seo is important for small businesses because Google has adopted a strategy where it wants to show Google map listings of a business at the top for specific keywords.

So, if you need your Google maps listing to rank higher for keywords that are related to your business then it is essential that you optimize the Google map listings as much as possible. This will help Google understand that your site deserves a better ranking for those specific keywords.

Google Maps Reviews:

– Google reviews (probably more important than Google maps ) tell Google how happy or unhappy people are with your products and services . It also tells Google whether or not they should trust the Google maps listing of your business because if there are numerous bad reviews, that mean people have expressed their dissatisfaction with your service. If this happens, Google consolidates all review information about your business into one block at the top of SERPs. This cannot be removed by Google no matter what you do.

– Google reviews play a vital role in local SEO. This is because Google trusts Google reviews more than they trust the Google map listings.

– It is important for Google to understand that your business is making money and that it has a good reputation for delivering on its promises. A Google review tells Google all of this and more !!!

How Can We Optimize Our Google Maps Listings:

1) Your Google maps listing should be complete and verified as being associated with Google places. This includes having an accurate address, phone number, website link and opening times. Also, use keyword rich titles for your listings such as “Joe’s Pizza New York City” rather than just “NYC Pizza”. Use keywords in business descriptions too.

2) Include photos of your business and location in Google maps so Google understands how it looks from the outside…

3) The title of your Google map listing should be a call to action that will encourage people to visit your place of business. e.g.: “Joe’s Pizza New York City” has just opened its doors in midtown manhattan! Call us for amazing deals on pizzas today!!!”

4) Ensure that Google receives accurate information about your Google map listing, this means providing business information accurate contact number, opening times etc.

5) You should link any other sites you have, such as a LinkedIn profile , a blog or a Facebook page to the Google map listings . This helps Google understand more about you.

The Google SEO benefits of Google maps are enormous, but so is the responsibility on your shoulders to make sure that all data about your business is complete! Make Google maps your friend and give it what it needs. Improve Google’s trust in you, improve rankings and traffic from Google search engine results pages (SERPs), grow brand awareness locally and dominate local SEO. More exposure leads to more revenue!