Searching locally is becoming increasingly popular, and Google is dedicated to providing consumers with accurate and local answers to their queries. With 34 billion searches per month in the US alone, and more than half of them showing local intent, it's no surprise that Google is prioritizing local search results. Mobile searches for “where to buy” and “near me” have grown by 200% in the last two years. To ensure your business listing is optimized for local search, make sure you select a relevant main category. Additional categories are also a ranking factor, as long as they are related to your company.
You can also keep an eye out for any changes in the categories, as there are usually two to ten changes every month. In the past year, we've seen an increase in restaurant categories as well as automotive industry categories. It's estimated that 26% of views come from map-based results, so it's important to review your opening hours manually on Google. To do this, type your company address into Google and check where your company appears; go to all sites and make sure the NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistent. It's not just about the content on your website; Google also analyzes all the images on your website and Google My Business. In low and medium competitive markets, small fluctuations in NAP may not affect your ranking too much, but in hypercompetitive markets, even slight volatility can make a big difference in your local search results. To select a category for your business listing, look for the category option in the Google Business control panel under your company name.
With GMB Crush, you can audit, optimize, engage customers and track the performance of your Google Business listings from one platform. If you're wondering how to appear on Google Maps, it's essential to understand the ranking factors of Google My Business and Google Places. Once you've updated the business information in the Google My Business listing, you'll need to track your ranking regularly. There are two key factors that could influence your company's ranking in Google Maps lists:
- Relevance: Make sure each business listing has a relevant main category and additional categories related to your business.
- Prominence: All service-based companies should include a list of services they offer in their Google Business listing. Additionally, brands with multiple locations or service areas should focus on a search strategy that helps them rank high in local organic ads.
Optimizing it with main and secondary keywords will help you get incredible results. With GMB Crush, you can audit, optimize, engage customers and track the performance of your Google Business listings from one platform.