In this world of rife competition, you need to play every game to sustain in the business field. Do you remember Charles Darwin’s famous phrase, “Survival of The Fittest,?” The statement is true in every sense of the word in the business sector. And the traditional methods of marketing have changed. Gone were the days, when the advertisement used to be only on television, radio and on huge billboards. In recent times, the popularity of social media have pushed traditional marketing strategies to the backburner. There are various methods and techniques by which you can make your business come in the first place.
Have you started a new business and want to know the way of reaching high on Google Maps. Then you have come to the right place. When did you hear the word “rank”? In your school, when you outnumbered every other student in the class and came first. The whole class’s eyes was fixed on you. Similar, the other two students who gained the second and third ranks were also given acknowledgement. Cut to the present, Google Rankings refers to the place your business appears on the search list. Making your business product or service come on the first page in search results is every owner’s dream. The reason, the first three results get the highest number of conversions. In this article, you get valuable information to get your business rank at the top on Google Maps.
Ranking Factors In Google Maps
In the past, the ranking of Google Maps used to depend on factors such as industry categories and proximity. But, now Google has included other factors in the calculation of rankings. The change holds good for small and medium based businesses. Otherwise, large corporations and companies will overshadow small businesses. By making use of various techniques and methods, you can enhance the ranking and market your business on Google Maps.
1. Check The Rankings
Have you made the check? Then you noticed after some time that the rankings are still low. Now do the following methods mentioned below –
Gather information about your competitors. Do they rank higher than you? You can do a detailed search on their business. Did you find their names in a directory? Then check if your business is also listed in the same.
You can also take advantage of the business citations in Google. By means of this tool, Google provides the customers or the searchers, information with the businesses near the location they want for.
2..It is Mandatory To Verify the Google My Business Information
It is better to make Google know the full details regarding your business. Then it can best display the online listings. Kindly follow the points given below –
Display correct information (contact details) and website. It is mandatory to include all the contact information regarding the address, website and telephone number. It is better to give as much information as possible to Google.
Business hours is an important feature. Google Maps inform users if your business works on certain hours or if the office is closed. When customers search for the right business, displaying the right hours can initiate a customer to the call-of-action mode.
No Duplicate Pieces of Information – Google will always discredit organizations or companies (shall we term businesses as a whole) which has multiple phone numbers or various locations for a single business. You should take off all the unwanted information and ensure that information written is always accurate.
3. Consistent Name Address and Place
Ensure that the NAP listed in all the directories, on the website details page and in the Google pages, stays consistent. The crawlers of Google will get confused if different NAPs are listed on various platforms or directories.
It is your duty to ensure the NAP details are perfect in every directory. Do a routine check for the business. Take time. Click every link to view the type of listing. If you find incomplete details on a website, contact the customer care team and ensure that it gets changed.
4. How Will Google Verify The Information Of Your Business?
After enlisting your business in the Google My Business, you will receive a registered post from Google to verify the address, name and phone number. Prior to the post, you will receive a call from Google.
5. Try To Get Reviews From Google – Add Review Schema
It has been the norm in recent times, to check the reviews of a business product or service before making a buy or place a booking. If the reviews are good, naturally, you can trust the product or service. Similar is the case with Google. If you have a high volume of best customer reviews to your business, the way to reach high on Google Maps is easy.
But exercise precaution. From the second you open the door for reviews, there will be no point of turning back. You never have control over people’s words or reviews, so you might receive flower garlands or brickbats.
But, you have to take the challenge. Not all reviews can be bad, and you can get a dozen in a thousand. To make a start, you can copy the Google review link. And then make the path towards the Google map listing. Click for “more information” and make the pasting. You can share the link across all your social media platforms to get reviews. Want to get more reviews? Try this method. Create a landing page on the website which leads directly to the Google Maps review form.
If you have a product, announce a free sale, and ask the first customers to drop a few good lines about the product. Give a pamphlet having the link. As the positive reviews come, the ranking will rise. In case you have a service, give a discount to the first customers and request them to write a review.
Reviews
Imagine a situation, when you are searching for a product. After a search, you come up with the best two products. But when you check the websites, you find that one website has reviews for all products. The other product website does not have any. Now make a decision of choosing the product. You will definitely choose the one that has reviews. Correct?
Now, the same procedure is followed by Google. And they are right. What do you say?
6. Categorize The Business
Have you created a Google Maps Listing? Then did you take advantage of the option of adding the keyword (to specify the industry category) to give information about your business?
Please note that as a business holder, it is possible to add up to five additional categories. Ensure you make the best use of all the five. However, the primary category should describe your business (restaurant), while the other five categories should provide stand-by assistance. It is better to have local SEO keywords which can add the additional description to the product or service.
7. Business Listings
The ranking to your business will come when Google verifies and confirms that the business is real. It has various algorithms to check the authenticity. For example, it verifies the number of times – the address, name and phone number of your business is listed in the internet. Did you just remember, how backlinks support search engine optimization links? The more, online presence you have on the web, you will get the best search rankings.
The easiest way to move higher up the rankings in Google maps is to submit information to local, national and international listing business directories. If the DA and PA are good, and if you are getting a free listing, then why don’t you make use of the opportunity?
8. Do Not Forget To Include The Google Map On The Website
The best way to rank higher on Google Maps is by way of embedding a Google Map on the website. Now do you understand, why many businesses place a Google Map on the contact page of the website? If you have barely passed out of the college and looking for a job, sure, you would have seen the Google Maps in a wedding or birthday invitation. The map is another way of informing Google that the business is located on the same address listed on your website. Do not forget or never make the mistake of putting a different address on Google My Business listing.
Do you want to include a Google Map on the website? Then search for a relevant business name in the Google Maps section. Do act as per the instructions given and embed the link on the contact page of your business.
9. Optimize The Description In The List
The listing in the Google Maps, definitely has a character limit. But instead of just including a normal description, you can include keywords (local SEO) to describe the business. For example, instead of writing your website gives the best doorstep repair technicians for refrigerator repair in Hyderabad, opt to use Hyderabad’s best refrigerator technician at affordable rates. You can also optimize the title with keyword.
10. Local Telephone Numbers
As a customer, you have a positive opinion about the toll free numbers because there will be no call charges. But Google usually looks down upon these numbers as spam. If you include a local telephone number, then it is an indication of brick and mortar building in the area.
It is this reason, that has prompted many business to use a local telephone number, that too with a area code matching the location. Okay, you want to make the customer’s life easy by including a toll free number on the online presence of your business. But for attaining a high Google Maps ranking, use the local number for the listing on Google. Why don’t you use the Schema Markup?
11. Do You Want To Add More Information?
A picture is worth a thousand words – Proverb.
Now, let us go for the photos. Add a image to the Google My Business listing. You can choose the best photo of your business that is on your database. It should convey the true feelings of your business. Include those which can put the customers in a call-for-action mode.
Conclusion
So, there we go. You have read the article and found ways of how to rank higher on Google Maps. Always remember, for any business or product to become successful, the owner has to be on the motivational path atleast for an year.
Have we missed an important point? Then we request to be excused. You can put in your very valuable suggestions in the Comments Section below. We will follow it up on the next article.