Google Business Profile and Google Maps are an important part of local SEO. Get it right and you will see your company listed in the 3-Pack and higher on Google map results for your brand and for localised keywords.
If you have a Google Business Profile then you are on Google Maps
This is where the confusion lies in Local SEO. Clients want both a high ranking on Google Maps and a high ranking in organic search. Want to rank on Google’s organic search for all your keywords and all of the lcoatons within a 20 mile radius? You need local SEO for Organic Search
Be aware that Google is wary of Duplicate listings and yes people do report them! Every business has a Google customer ID number or CID.
Google’s own algorithms are very good at spotting cheaters, they are not the most advanced software company in the world for nothing
Also referred to as Google Local it has in the past been open to abuse where people were creating profiles at their home.
However, as technology has advanced it is becoming more and more accurate.
No. It has often triumphed as the way to ensure organic search rankings for keyword plus location.
The reality is not true. It is perfectly possible to appear number one in the user’s query where they have added a geographical metric.
Organic search and Google Business Profile are not joined at the hip.
There are many other ways of telling Google where your business is located. It is also possible to cover multiple locations within one website without any additional Google Business Profiles.
Example: https://coderagency.co.uk/seo-news/local-seo-for-google-maps/
This SEO company who we are not familiar with talks about understanding local SEO and ways of boosting your local search ranking by optimising your profile.
One assumes they have taken their own advice.
Yet when I search for Digital Marketing Agency in Norwich in Google they are actually lower on the page and beaten by a company called Yawn Marketing.
When I study their own profile, I see that it is partly optimised however with only eight Google reviews you could argue that there is more work to be done.
But the proof is in the pudding of your own business.
You are likely to have your own Google local listing and be able to find your own business on a Google map or on the The Map Pack or local pack of three business in a search result.
So this has existed no doubt for a number of years yet still your website does not rank your keywords plus location.
Optimising your Google local listing for the right categories ensuring that data is correct adding better images adding answers to questions making sure you have reviews are making sure your opening times are correct is good practice but it is not going to guarantee local SEO success.
The reason they are talking about GMB and Maps is that they believe there must be a correlation between Google Maps and local SEO success at the organic level.
The answer is that though the systems share some ranking signals, they are separate systems and success on one does not guarantee success on another.
All the maps in the profile share your address and location with Google. So, if this is true, surely Google must correlate the information and rank businesses accordingly. It does not work this way.
You will see that Checkatrade and Trustatrader both rank above a number of companies that are actually planning companies based in Battersea. Checkatrade is based in Portsmouth, and Trustatrader is based in Stevenage.
We are not saying that optimising your Google Knowledge Panel (the box or card that appears on the right when you search for your company name, which contains reviews and contact details) is bad.
Having excellent images and appropriate branding can only be a good thing.
Company founded
Clients Trust Us
Keywords
Industry Leader
Read what Google says
Google Maps is connected to your Google Profile. It is not connected to or dependent on your website in any way. This is evident from companies listed on Google Maps that lack a website or even a phone number.
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and prominence. Only prominence can be influenced! Relevance can be improved, but not by much.
Complete everything within your Business Profile (Categories, Services, Hours), keep details accurate and consistent with the information found elsewhere on the internet.
Further GMP optimisation is by
2. By building prominence through reputable mentions/links. This is quite confusing. Do they mean strong backlinks, or do they mean other websites of note that mention you are located where you say you are? In our experience, the best thing is to build both.
Google Map Visibility can change due to YOUR proximity, incomplete info, recent edits, stronger competitors, or policy changes. Whilst Google also notes you can’t pay for better rankings, you can now just advertise on Google Maps. Read more.
If you have a location that is mentioned correctly in your Google Business Profile, then you will be on the map. Sometimes, if you search from within your area, it can be buggy and not show your location.
Fill in all of your details in your Google Profile manager and verify the account. This mean you will automatically be in Google Maps.
All entries are scored. If companies above you are closer, have more relevance, more reviews, and better citations and backlinks, you may well fall in Google Map ranking. However, there is an element of randomness. Re-check your rankings in a week and note where you are now positioned.
Google Maps are not real-time. It is an old, underdeveloped system.
Improvements often take weeks to months to take effect as changes and user signals are processed. Read more on Google.
Follow Google’s guidance: accurate business info, correct primary/secondary categories, and ongoing updates and build backlinks and citations that verify the information you are adding. One without the other will not work. Read more
Google and other website reviews and ratings support Prominence. Asking customers to write a review is worth money in the back.. Read more
How many?
When you search Google Maps for a similar company ensure you have more links than your competition,
Yes, but not in Google Maps. Google insists on verification of your location. That said it is easy to include any number of locations in your local SEO strategy.
If you hide or leave out your address, then you cannot rank on Google Maps. Read more.
Your name must match real-world branding. If you change your business name then the information on the internet no longer matches your details. Although Google is forgiving if you tell it you have changed names and or weebistes, AI not so much. Read more
Go into you Google Profile Manger and delete any duplicate listings.
They can support Prominence and Relevance—Google explicitly references prominence signals like reviews and information across the web. Read more.
This really is the BIG question. We believe that the more websites that confirm your services, address and exact location, the higher Google will rank you in the Google Map rankings.
It is not quite the same as building backlinks for SEO and uses a different scoring system.
No you don’t need a website to appear on Google Maps.
Use Business Profile performance/insights and track website clicks/calls (e.g., events: call history where available, UTM-tagged links). Read more.
