Using Google My Business SEO to Rank #1 on Google Maps FAST

Google My Business SEO is essential for any business wanting to rank #1 on Google Maps. This blog post will outline what Google My Business is, its new name and why it’s essential for businesses. We will also explain how to optimise your profile for the best results, including using google reviews to your advantage.

What is Google My Business?

A Google My Business profile is a free listing you can create on Google for your business. It allows you and your business to be visible on search engine results pages (SERPs) and Google Maps.

Google uses this information to generate the results that appear in the Local Pack, Maps, and organic search. If your business doesn’t have a GMB listing, or if the listing is inaccurate, you could be missing out on valuable traffic and leads.

Accuracy is important because searchers are more likely to contact a business when they can trust that the information in the listing is up-to-date and accurate. Out-of-date listings reflect poorly on companies, leading to lost customers and revenue.

Google my business recently changed its name to Google business profile. However, its purpose remains the same, and it still provides information to help customers find accurate business hours, your website, and directions to your location.

Why is ranking on Google Maps important?

Google Maps is the most popular mapping service in the world, with over one billion active users. That’s a lot of potential customers who could be finding your business if you rank high in the local search and maps results. 46% of all Google searches seek local information, and 62% of those search results in a purchase.

If you want to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, you must ensure your business ranks high in the Local Pack on Google Maps. The Local Pack is the map that appears in the SERPs with three businesses listed below it.

How do I optimise my listing to rank faster?

Since this blog focuses on helping you achieve a high ranking as quickly as possible, we’ll go through the methods and ranking factors that will have the most significant impact in a shorter period of time, with the least effort. As always, we recommend working with an SEO Agency with the experience and knowledge to push you up the rankings, but this is a great way to get started.

Primary Business category

Choosing your primary business category may appear to be straightforward, but it is a crucial stage in achieving success. In fact, your primary business category is the number one most influential factor Google will consider when ranking your listing in map results.

SEO is key in this situation. Suppose you own a nail and beauty salon; you could pick either ‘beauty salon’ or ‘nail salon’ as the main category because both accurately describe your business. But now, take those two terms and do some keyword research. While you might want to go with ‘beauty salon,’ It’s possible that between the two, ‘nail salon’ may be a better option because it has more monthly searches and isn’t nearly as difficult to rank for. Remember, you can also choose subcategories that accurately reflect all the services you offer.

Most importantly, ensure the category you choose is relevant to the page content your listing links to.

Your business name

Targeting specific keywords in your business name is one of the most influential factors in ranking on Google Maps. It’s the second most crucial factor, according to recent ranking reports and will help you achieve a high rank quickly for those keywords.

You can take advantage of this by adding relevant keywords to your business name, but you must be careful how you choose to do so. Google’s guidelines state that including any information irrelevant to your business name is not allowed, and your name should accurately reflect your business’s real-world name.

For example, if your nail salon is called “Sarah’s Nails”, you can list it as “Sarah’s Nail Salon” to include the keyword” Nail Salon” while adhering to Google’s guidelines. If you try to be too creative, you risk having your listing suspended.

Google reviews

The first thing people do when looking for a local business on google maps is check reviews. A business’s reputation is essential, and as a business owner, you should understand the importance of collecting positive customer reviews. Not to mention, Google reviews also play a key role in how well your listing ranks on google maps.

If you have the opportunity, ask your consumers to include relevant keywords in their reviews since it isn’t only the quantity of reviews that matters but also those with pertinent keywords that will help you rank higher on search engines.

We suggest you contact every customer you think will have positive things to say about you and ask them to leave a review –– encouraging them to include relevant keywords.

Also, do your best to respond to reviews, both positive and negative. Showing that you’re actively engaged with customers will further help improve your reputation and ranking.

Backlinks

If you own an auto repair shop and another website has an article that includes a link to your website, Google would see this as one backlink. Backlinks are seen as strong ranking signals by Google, so the more backlinks your website has, the higher it will rank on Google Maps,

The backlinks that will matter the most when trying to rank on google maps are local backlinks that point to your website.
If your website has links from other local businesses, bloggers or church/school websites, Google will see that your business is involved in the community, which adds another level of trust. The more local links you have going to your site, the higher up on Google maps your listing will be.

One of the best ways to do this is to engage with your community and ask website owners if they would link back to yours. This will significantly improve your listing’s visibility.

Final Thoughts

Although there are more key ranking factors when it comes to optimising your Google my business profile for google maps, these are some of the most important and effective ones.
If you take the time to complete your profile, target relevant keywords, encourage reviews and collect backlinks, you’re well on your way to ranking number one on Google maps. Just remember to be patient, as SEO is a long-term strategy.

Of course, you can always outsource the task to an SEO Company if you want to save time and focus on more essential things such as running your own company. If you have any queries or require assistance with SEO, please contact us. Our team of specialists are well-versed in Local SEO and always happy to assist!