How to Get Your Local Business on Google’s Maps

By Damien Alcock

Starting a business is undoubtedly one of the most satisfying things you can do, but nothing can be compared to the joy of watching it grow. However, it is common knowledge that nurturing a small business to grow is no easy task. In fact, statistics show that 20% of new businesses fail to make it past the first 2 years, while more than double that amount close up within the first five. To put this in perspective, only one in for start-ups makes it beyond 15 years, and these odds are not very favorable.

But then, starting and growing a local business to its full potential is more than possible, especially in modern times when several tools are available at your disposal. Indeed, online marketing is one of the modern business development techniques that can help improve your chances of running a successful business. But the level of success you can get depends on your application of the knowledge you have about the different concepts. One important online marketing skill to learn as a local business owner is Google marketing, and this article will explain everything you need to know about this concept.

What Is Google Map Marketing?

As the name implies, Google map marketing is the process of using different Google map functionality to increase your business’s visibility status on the app. We all know that google maps are often used to search for nearby businesses that offer specific services. But what many business owners may not know is that this platform is a great way to generate online traffic and increase brand awareness.

Not only does this platform tell people about your business, but it also directs them to you. Awesome right? Surely, you are already visualising how your local business can profit from this unique online marketing technique. Well, the way to go about this is to fill in relevant information on your Google My Business profile.

What Does “Google My Business” Mean?

“Google My Business” is a Google marketing tool that allows business owners to optimise their business profiles on Google Maps. Your Google My Business profile should include vital information like your business name, address, schedule, and terms of operation. Optimising your business profile means including key details required to gain recognition on Google Maps listings. Here are some of the key places your business can be listed.

• Google Website and App: This is a general list that appears on Google Maps when a relevant search is done on a device without the location feature. It generates a list of all the specific businesses according to their ranking on the Google search engine. In a nutshell, this listing is based on a specific query, regardless of the location.
• Local Pack: This is also known as the Google map pack, and the listing is based on proximity. This list is brought up when a user with their location does a search for a specific service near them. The information on your Google My Business profile is used to identify how close you are to the user. This listing is very important since it often appears on the top pages of Google search results.

Criteria for Google Listing

Most people have used the Google search engine on multiple occasions before, but not many are conversant with how the result listings work. Have you ever wondered how the listed businesses get to occupy such hallowed positions? Well, for a business to rank among Google’s search results, it must strongly meet two or more of the following criteria.

• Relevance: For a website, blog, or service to be listed among Google’s results, it must first be relevant to the search made on the search engine. This means your business must match what the searcher is looking for before it can be considered for listing. For example, if you own a bookstore, it can only come up when a user does a search about bookstores or any closely related subject.
• Proximity: Once your business is relevant to the search, the next criterion is proximity. Depending on the searcher’s location, your business can gain priority if it is deemed close by. This criterion often comes to play when a user does a search with their location on.
• Prominence: This is the final criterion, and it qualifies your business to rank higher among similar businesses in the same location. The prominence criterion ranks businesses based on their popularity online and in the real world. This means that the more your customer base, the higher you’ll be ranked on relevant search results.

Google Map Marketing Strategies

Google Map marketing is undoubtedly a very efficient online marketing strategy, and it is one you can use to take your local business to the next level. However, you can only make the most of this opportunity if you know exactly how to go about it. Here are some tips to help you make the most of Google Map marketing.

• Update Your Profile: To use Google Map marketing appropriately, you must have a registered Google My Business profile. This will require you to fill in relevant information about your business, and you’ll do well to provide accurate and up-to-date data. A complete profile with detailed information will automatically rank higher on Google’s map results.
• Engage Locals: Since prominence is a criterion for Google listings, you might want to work on your business to make it more popular. You can do this by engaging locals with posts that will encourage them to check you out.
• Get Improved Reviews: When websites are ranked in search engine results, Google reviews are factored in. The higher your review, the more Google trusts you to deliver as a top search ranking choice. So, you want to encourage users to leave positive reviews by providing top-quality services.
• Optimize Your Website: This is a no-brainer and something every online marketer should know. If you want your business website to rank high on search engines, you must ensure it is SEO-friendly. You can do this by optimising your website to meet various SEO standards.
• Track Your Progress: After employing all the abovementioned strategies, the final step involves tracking your performance. This step monitors your progress to help you know if your Google Map marketing is yielding positive results. You can do this by typing relevant searches on Google to see if your business will pop up. If you don’t appear among the search results after about a month, you may need to change your strategy.

Conclusion 

Google Map marketing is one online marketing strategy that can take your local business to the highest level in no time. However, you must first understand how it works to take full advantage of this strategy. Luckily, this article has explained everything you need to know about Google Map marketing and how it can make a difference for your business.

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