Getting your business to show up in Google Maps is crucial for any local SEO strategy. Locals use Google Maps to find nearby businesses, choose which one meets their needs and get directions to your doorstep. Google Maps is also the most important interface for your Google Business Profile; aside from showing up for relevant searches, you can drive web traffic, phone calls and a variety of conversion actions – all from Google Maps.
First, let’s quickly run through the most common reasons your business might not show properly in Google Maps.
Your Google Business Profile houses all the information Google uses to show local businesses in Maps and Search. You need to create a Business Profile for each location, including as much relevant information as possible (open hours, services, on-site facilities, photos, etc.).
The information on each Business Profile must be 100% accurate. Also, make sure any information that appears in other locations (your website, social media, directory listings, etc.) is consistent everywhere – especially your business name, address and phone number (NAP).
Your website also provides crucial signals for showing in Google Maps and Search. So, you need to optimise your site for local search:
Create dedicated location pages for every business location you want to show in Maps and Search. Make sure the business info on location pages matches your Business Profile 100%.
Finally, optimise the experience for mobile and conversion goals for local searches (store visits, bookings, etc.).
Off-site activity also plays a big role in local SEO. Many businesses underperform here so use this to your advantage. Dedicate resources to the following seven off-site strategies:
Links are just as important for local SEO and consistent, accurate citations are another important signal.
You’ll also gain a lot by authentically engaging with local communities (holding events, sponsoring events, raising funds, etc.). Aside from building meaningful relationships with locals, you’ll gain local press coverage.
To get your business to show up in Google Maps, follow these five steps.
Given how important your Google Business Profile is, let’s quickly run through the essential optimisations.
First, claim your Business Profile, which you can now do directly from Google Search by typing in your business name. Refer to this Business Profile Help for further guidance: How to find your business on Google
Complete your Business Profile with all the relevant information. Make sure everything you add is 100% accurate and consistent with the info on your website and/or location pages. For more guidance, refer to this Business Profile Help page: Complete your Business Profile on Google
Show the best of your business by adding high-quality photos to your profile. Add quality photos that match your brand image and encourage customers to visit your business.
You can manage your profile via the Business Profile dashboard or directly from Google Search. Log in to the dashboard to edit your business information, add photos or videos and publish posts.
Alternatively, search for your business and click See your profile to manage your profile from Google Search. From here, you can now manage your whole profile, engage with customers (reviews, Q&As, messages, etc.), track your profile performance and plenty more.
You can also keep customers in the loop with updates and changes by publishing posts to your Business Profile. Do this regularly to maintain engagement and deliver important information – like upcoming changes to opening hours. For more info, refer to the following Business Profile Help page: About posts for your Business Profile
Every business location you’re building search visibility for should have its own location page. Make sure each location page includes all of the following:
For more guidance on this, take a look at the following articles:
Seed keywords are phrases you can use as a starting point to find relevant keywords. For example, a local cafe might use seed keywords like “cafe” and “coffee” to build a list of relevant keywords including:
Use this technique to build your target keywords, including primary keywords and long-tail queries.
To add a Google Maps embed to a web page, follow these steps:
According to Similarweb data, mobile generates 65.5% of all web traffic, compared to 32.38% from desktop. Mobile is even more important for local searches so you better have a solid mobile optimisation strategy:
Optimising your website for mobile is crucial but you also need to consider the wider local experience.
Make sure customers can ‘click to call’ from your Business Profile in Maps, use their phone to get directions and complete any relevant actions supported by Business Profile (menu views, online orders, room bookings, etc.).
Always use local SEO best practices as a guide for optimising your local search presence:
The list goes on, but we can’t cover everything here. Familiarise yourself with local SEO best practices and keep in mind that you have to create a local search presence for every business location you want to show in Google Maps.
If you’re struggling to get your business to show up in Google Maps for relevant or high-value searches, our team can help. Call us on 02392 830 281 or send us your details and we’ll call you back.
Kerry has been working in digital marketing almost since the beginning of the World Wide Web, designing her first website in 1995 and moving fully into the industry in 1996 to work for one of the very first web design companies. After a successful four years, Kerry moved to an in-house position for a sailing company, running the digital presence of their yacht races including SEO, PPC and email marketing as the primary channels. A stint then followed at another in-house role as online marketing manager. Kerry moved to Vertical Leap in 2007, making her one of the company’s longest-serving employees. As a T-shaped marketer – able to advise on digital strategy outside her main specialism – she rose through the ranks and in 2012 became the head of the Small and Medium Business (SMB) SEO team. In 2022 she became Vertical Leap's Automation and Process Manager. Kerry lives in the historic town of Bishops Waltham with her husband and daughter. When she’s not at work she enjoys cooking proper food, curling up with a good book and being a leader for Brownie and Rainbow Guides.
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Categories: SEO