Google Maps SEO

What is Google Maps SEO?

Does your business operate on Google Maps, and will it benefit from increased phone calls and location visits? Google Maps has a different algorithm to the general search results page. Having a local SEO specialist who can navigate these differences is key to driving more enquiries through the tool. Many business owners use Google Maps to increase their online presence but don’t actively optimise the listings; that’s where we come in. Ranking within the first few placements of Google Maps puts your business right at the top of search results and leads to a dramatic increase in your businesses visibility.

Our Google Maps SEO optimisation is designed to increase your presence within local SEO searches.

  • Google My Business setup
  • Google My Business profile management
  • Profile optimisation
  • Review Management
  • Google My Business Post Content Submissions
  • Location directory submissions and citations
  • Local keyword research
  • Local SEO reporting

What are the benefits of Local SEO?

Local SEO offers a consistent way to drive SEO traffic to your website. Localised traffic tends to convert better and offer a better quality audience to your website if you are operating on a regional basis. If you can get your website to the top 3 positions on Google Maps, Google tends to pull through the maps results onto the standard search results page and feature your business listing right at the top of the page.

How does Google My Business Work?

Google My Business is the Google software tool that allows you to manage your business locations on Google Maps. Your crucial business information such as an address, phone number, opening times and services are all controlled within this tool. To register a location, you need to prove there is a physical business at the address. There are various ways to optimise the information attached to your business location, usually through content or links.

Local Keywords

There are two different types of localised searches. The first is when people type a location into their search, such as “SEO Freelancer Hull“. Location keywords provide a clear signal to Google that the searcher is in Hull, and therefore it shows businesses within Hull to match that query. The second is when somebody is in a location such as Hull but types in the base keyword “SEO Freelancer“. In this instance, Google will use information such as where the search is located when tailoring the results and will also tend to show more general search results. Therefore, it is essential to consider these different types of keywords when optimising the website and setting up your local SEO strategy.

Posts and Content Creation

Google My Business has an inbuilt blog posting tool to create content for your business locations. You can use these content posts to add keywords and information about your services that will help boost your visibility on Google Maps.

Link Building and Directory Submissions

Like general SEO, local SEO uses links and citations as a signal for how authoritative a business location is. There are various local directories such as yell.com or business pages that mention your business details and contact information. All mentions of your business locations across the web must match, and there should be links back to your website where possible. We have SEO tools that allow us to seed out your business details to networks of directories and local listings to boost your visibility. 

Reputation and Review Management

It is essential to monitor the reviews that are left for your business on Google Maps. Reviews are an important factor in the SEO visibility for your business locations as Google uses them to assess the authority of your business. Anyone who has a Google account can leave a review, so it is vital to keep them up-to-date and ensure you respond to reviews. Our review and monitoring service includes positive comments for good reviews and flagging any negative reviews to you so you can address them promptly and manage the reputation of your business online.

Google Maps Reporting

Google Maps performance is part of our reporting package, and you can find out more information about this service on our reporting service page. Google My Business gives helpful analytics such as how many people call you, request directions, or find your business listing online. It is essential to measure the impact of any optimisation we perform to ensure that you see a return on investment.

Google Maps FAQs

Most frequent questions and answers

The business location is your property, and we will add you as an owner so you can access it at any time.

Anybody can find your location through Google Maps and leave a review. However, you can also generate a link through the Google My Business platform to send to your customers via email campaigns.

Reviews accurately reflect somebody’s experience with your business, so there is no way to remove them. Instead, the best course of action is to respond to the customer through the tool to rectify the issue.

Toggle ContentIf a review violates Google’s policies, there is a request form to remove the reviews. We can help you if you have any reviews that are in breach.

It is against Google’s guidelines to open a business location if you can not have a physical location.

Similar to standard SEO practices, there is no way to guarantee results. However, you typically start to see improvements within 3-6 months.