Set up Your Google Listing
The first step in getting your business found in the maps section of Google results is to set up a Google account as well as a Google My Business profile page. After claiming your Google business listing, you’ll need to be verified by Google. You can get verified by sharing your business name and address with Google, who will then send you a physical postcard with a code so that you can prove your authenticity.
Once your business has been verified by Google, don’t make the mistake of neglecting your Google Maps business listing by allowing it to languish. Better optimized listings outperform those listings that are not optimized. There are many factors that go into correctly optimizing your Google business listing. Add as many things as possible to your Google My Business listing, including as many photo(s) as possible (royalty-free, of course), accurate business hours and any other special information about your business, such as the services you provide, products you sell and more.
Select the Right Business Category and Optimize Your Page Titles
It’s very important that you take the time to select the right category for your Google My Business page. This may seem very simple and obvious but if your business isn’t listed under the right category, it’s likely that Google will get confused about how you should be listed in Google Maps. Additionally, you want to make sure that your website page titles are appropriately optimized to match up with your Google My Business listing. This will give your business an even higher likelihood of being listed in the Google Maps top three listings.
Setting up and optimizing your Google Maps are the first two steps you should take in getting your business found in the maps section of Google and really earning yourself a lot more leads for your business.
Get More Online Reviews
Behaviors of most online users indicate that upwards of 90% of online consumers read and value reviews of companies they’re interested in. Naturally, positive reviews are influential in giving a business a much more trustworthy appeal. The more Google reviews your business has, the higher your business will rank in Google Maps. You can work with your local Dallas SEO team to put a strategy in place for acquiring more Google reviews, or you can work on getting some reviews on your own.
While we encourage you to get as many reviews for your business as possible – avoid taking any shortcuts or unethical strategies to procure reviews. You want authentic reviews of your business that are left by actual customers. The best reviews are those that are well-written and positive (four or five stars). These are testimonials about your business that the whole world can see!
If your business only has a few reviews and you’re scratching your head about how to acquire more authentic reviews, an effective solution to this problem does exist! A program called BirdEye can send text or email communications to people you’ve served, thanking them for their business. BirdEye asks your customers if they would recommend your business to their family or friends. Those who click on “Yes” will be taken directly to your Google My Business page where they can leave a review!
Any unsatisfied customers who click “No” through BirdEye’s communication portal will be given an opportunity to explain why they were unsatisfied, allowing them an opportunity to vent without their negative opinion(s) being published online.
In addition to the above strategies for getting found in Google Maps, your website simply must be optimized for mobile users. A huge percentage of consumers use their mobile devices to find local destinations while they are on the move. If your website appears in the top three Google Maps results but is unreadable and unresponsive when users click through – they’ll almost always abandon your site and select another local result that is optimized for mobile use.
The success of any business naturally relies on consistent customers or clients who desire your services or products. Regardless of what you’re selling or the service you’re providing, if the right people can’t find you, how will they know your company even exists?
At present, the number of Internet searches performed daily is around 7 billion. These Internet searches are divided between several top-performing search engines, with Google topping the list with nearly 5 billion searches every single day. Naturally, only a small percentage of those 5 billion searches will be people looking for a business like yours in your local geographic region, but even a small percentage of 5 billion is a pretty significant chunk.
If your website is missing out on significant Internet traffic due to not being listed in Google Maps, the bottom line is that you simply not doing your company any justice and you’re actually losing valuable customers. Here is a good example: When an Internet user performs a Google search for “pest control in Fort Worth,” their search results will typically present them with the top three Google Maps listings, or what is sometimes referred to as “the 3 pack.” Guess how many people choose to go with one of the top business results in their Internet queries?
Statistics show that businesses who rank in the top three positions on Google Maps have an approximate click through rate of 35%. Additionally, more than 85% of consumers now perform almost all of their shopping online. Even those shoppers who plan to make a purchase in person perform extensive online research prior to making any large purchases.
Approximately 75% of consumers who looked for a local business online were found to ultimately visit a location within 5 miles of their home.
Did you know that Google will provide search results with the Google Maps listings that are closest to the user’s location (assuming one exists) even if users do not specify a location in their search terms?
It’s also critical to the success of your business that you are being correctly identified and located on Google Maps because it is the number one mapping app consumers use. There are several key steps you must take in order to ensure that your business can be found in Google Maps.
