Google Maps was launched back in 2005, since then, in its near decade-and-half journey it has come a long way from being just a tool which provided a 2D image of the then in a rage, Google Earth. Today, in the age of Search Engine Optimization, Google map optimization has assumed a place of paramount importance. Now it has become more than just a tool for navigation. It is versatility in pinpointing locations correct to the 200m radius. This has made it an indirect tool for promoting business.
The trend of searching places “near to me” started a few years back. Then google maps used to show all places without any bias. Gradually that changed. In an unprecedented and much-criticized move, people at Google decided that only the top 3 places would show up on google search results. This meant the remaining places which fitted the criteria of “near to me”-kind search patterns would remain hidden. Top 3. That is a lot of competition and effort.
“near to me” search patterns or proximity search patterns gained traction quickly. Traders and business owners realized that this was a golden opportunity to promote their businesses. The rating based search sorting gave rise to a number of businesses coming online and boosting their business.
Search Engine Optimization took a back seat. The race to get on top 3 on Maps began. That is what has led Google Maps to become an active tool for business.
Google map optimization takes the front seat
The general algorithm that Google employs is web page crawling. Think of it like this, whenever someone searches for something, a literal “crawler” crawls through web pages looking for words in those pages. The web pages which contain the words in the search text are shown. Even though the process sounds so-simplistic, it is anything but. The processing power that goes into each search and then the arrangement of results is humongous.
It is now coming to proximity searches like “restaurants near me”. Whenever you type such queries, what that crawler does is a similar thing. Only this time, the crawler prefers mainly the footer sections rather than the whole web page. This is because most of the time, that is where address and information about the business are kept.
The final results are determined by taking into account factors like the review (if any), search hits, citations and online presence. The results, top 3 of them are listed in the search result, and a map is provided. Something similar to the image below:
This is where business can profit. A little bit of ‘optimization’ on their part can lead them to become one of the top 3. And here’s how that can take place.
Google My Business.
First and foremost on this list is Google My Business. It is a tool by Google. Google My Business allows business owners to introduce themselves on the net. A good introduction and valid address can mean the difference in ranking between you and your next-door-competitor.
Go to Google My Business. Register your business. Give a nice 400-word introduction. You should be accurate in specifying where your business is located. Also, it is beneficial for business owners with a business like ‘restaurants’ to specify which area they provide service. Give valid phone numbers.
Your verification should look something similar to this:
You are set on Google My Business.
Get Your Website Ready.
It is very important for any business aiming to spread its online presence to have a website. As mentioned earlier, this site and its pages are like food for the crawler. Better the content on your website; better will be your chances. If you provide multiple services, try to make multiple pages describing each of them. This is better than cramming them all in one page. Try to make sure that the content is unique.
At the footer section of every web page, provide details about your business. You shouldn’t confuse this as “About Us” section. Make a separate dedicated page just for that. These footer sections would help you get better preference from the crawler. And provide optimized results in Google Maps. This may sound like basic content SEO. In fact, it kind of is. But the optimized content generated on your website directly affects your ranking on Google Maps
Give short info about yourselves along with means to contact you. A shortened version of introduction used for Google My Business would suffice. As for hosting, always go for a premium hosting like .com and not for free ones.
Customer Reviews.
This is not possible if your customers are not happy with your service. And you cannot just be upfront about it. You cannot directly ask customers about reviews. If you are using a website, you can drop hints at places like the beginning or ends of pages. Courteous reminders asking your customers to review your services is always a good idea. Some of these testimonials and reviews tend to show up on Google Maps and search results.
You should avoid describing images at footers. Those may make your website seem prettier, but the crawler does not, rather cannot read images. Try to avoid including hidden JavaScript codes or words which match the background of your site.
These are red flags for Google Search Engine crawler. Even if you provide optimized content on your website, the presence of these can degrade your position in the Google Maps search results.
Increase your Online Presence.
Once you have your business set up on Google My Business, provide an optimized description of your business and check all the green flags, what remains is to grow the face of your business. Let’s look at an example of a restaurant owner and how he cleverly used Google map optimization.
Above is the search result for one “The Black Pearl” restaurant. What can be observed?
- The photos were clicked by the business owner and uploaded to Google Maps.
- The address is clear and understandable. The phone number provided is a valid one.
- The timings of the restaurant are mentioned
- The pic gives a pleasant ambience about the restaurant.
These were the green flags. There is. However, a red flag lurking in there somewhere. Can you find it?
The picture that shows up show an empty restaurant. While some may think this shows a clean and pristine environment in the restaurant, it also gives the impression that the restaurant is not that preferred. The chairs are all empty.
What is the Takeaway from this?
To give your business a face in the Google Maps search results, upload pics of your business. These pics should not give any wrong idea. Anyone looking up your business would first look at these images. They would form a first impression based on these images. So give it your best.
Conclusion.
These were some tips which can give your business a boost through Google map optimization. In summary, we can say;
- Make an Online Identity.
- Your Name, Address and Phone Number (the NAP trifecta) must be correct.
- Increase your Online Presence.
- Get a Website.
- Make sure that only optimized and non-plagiarised contents exist on your site.
- Give your Business a face on Google.
If you follow such tips for Google map optimization, then you can rest easy. These are the aspects of a business that RankBrain is concerned with. In case you don’t know what that is, Rank Brain is an ML-based algorithm. It was developed by Google. It is responsible for your rank in the Google Maps and Searches results. Following the tips can make RankBrain a friend of your business.
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