How to make your business stand out on Google Maps

Google Maps is the undisputed leader in navigation, with over 126 million active users per month utilizing Google Maps to find and connect with businesses. Based on the number of business profiles currently on maps, the strong competition for customers, and the numerous incentives companies give for reviews, most businesses are aware of the enduring power of Google Maps. This can make it hard to stand out from the crowd, especially when everything is optimized and sponsored. How do you ensure your business stands out amongst all the other 5-star profiles in your community? We have a few ideas that should help.

Why Google Maps is key to local success

With more consumers choosing Google Maps, it’s fairly obvious that your business should be on the platform if you hope to gain traction and drive foot traffic. However, it’s not just about driving foot traffic. The higher you rank on Google Maps, the more likely you are to appear in the first three results on Google Search. This is very important considering that most customers will find your business using keywords rather than directly searching for your company name. Ultimately, optimizing for both Google Maps and Google Search with SEO strategies and the ideas listed below is vital to success. And, for multi-location business, it’s important to make sure that each location has a strong presence on Google Maps with accurate and location-specific information.

How to improve your Google listing

Have a profile for each location, and claim the listing – If your locations function as independent sections of the business, make sure each one is able to claim the listing for their business. By claiming the listing, each location should also be able to start ranking in search for local queries, and on Maps, especially if they optimize for SEO and complete all of the actions below.

Add professional videos and photos – There is nothing worse than finding a business on Google only to scroll through a series of old, unattractive photos that put you off visiting. As a business owner, you want to create a unique, comforting space for people to visit. There is immense value in people being able to see spaces, services, and products before visiting. Using professional videos and photos is the best way to make sure your brand looks its best to potential customers.

Keep everything up to date, including hours – Make sure to regularly update the information on your business profile. To begin, add the legal business name and make sure it stays the same across all profiles so it’s easy to recognize. Link to social profiles, and if it applies, consider using the booking function to make it easy for customers to book services. Google also provides the ability to post regular updates, and when used, the feature will signal to Google that your brand is active on the profile, hopefully giving you a boost in the rankings.

Add services and products – Providing the best user experience will help you stand out in a crowded Google Maps marketplace. A lot of businesses lack vital information on their business profile and instead customers are forced to visit their website for important information like services and products. Using the Google services and products offering can streamline purchasing for customers.

Respond to reviews! – It can be tempting to post a canned response to each review, in fact, we all know exactly what those look like. However, we would caution you against this. If people leave a genuine review and mention a team member, have the team member respond. If someone posts a negative review, make sure to respond to set the record straight, but do not go so far as to engage in a back and forth soap opera. Some things may be best left unsaid. Also, make sure your responses are grammatically correct and checked for formatting so it does not look sloppy. Consumers are quick to pass judgement, so aim for the high, professional ground.

Create an offer – With this feature, businesses can create an offer that will be advertised to customers. This is a great way to drive new traffic and show up at the top of the list for searches in your area! It will require an investment, but even if you only do it every so often, it will still have an impact on your business listings.

Embed a Google Map on your site – Everything comes back around! Embed a Google map or some of the reviews onto your website using a widget. This will make it easy for people to see all of your locations if you are a multi-location business and it’s easy for them to link to the Google profile to see if the location is offering any specials or has different services than the other locations.

It may seem like a chore to try to stand out in google Maps, but the good news is that with a little strategy and effort, you can start to see results. If you’re not sure how to enhance your Google Maps presence, reach out to the MDG team!