by Yroc Consulting

Google My Business is a wonderful tool.

Leads will come pouring in if you are able to dominate the local market.

However, one day, you check it… and all of a sudden, you see that your competitor has taken your spot on the map for a lucrative keyword.

There’s simply no reason for one of your competitors to show up above you on Google Maps, so we’ve put together this list of “25 Google My Business Hacks for Better Ranking.”

1. Make it easier for your customers or potential customers to communicate with you by using the messaging feature.
2. Make your company more relatable by adding a photo of people on your homepage (people want to work with people).
3. The backend should have at least 3 images for each category: Interior, Exterior, and Team.
4. Don’t forget to fill in your hours (as well as everything else Google asks for). Google loves information, so give it what it wants.
5. Include your top menu items, or the entire thing, with pricing (people want to know if you’re “too expensive” or “not healthy enough.” Let them choose before they call or show up).
6. Having regular posts on Google will give you more exposure and illustrate how you stay relevant (people want to work with a company that stays on top of things).
7. Request testimonials from real customers (people want to be sure they can rely on your business). Online reviews are trusted by 85% of consumers, according to Moz.
8. Make sure that your keywords are included in the review – Ask them to be more specific in their review… 
9. Responses to both positive and negative reviews are always helpful. Not only is this optimization, but potential customers will get a good idea of how you interact with your clients.
10. Feel free to ask your own questions! Use a different account. Using the GMB listing’s Question & Answer section, you can ask common questions about the sales process to yourself. Your best prospects need to know they’re relevant and useful. Seed the pot.
11. Display your social media profiles on your GMB listing by using Schema metadata on your website.
12. You can allow people to book consultations directly with you if that works with your business model by using an appointment scheduling app like Calendly or ScheduleOnce. A link to Appointments appears in your Google My Business listing.
13. Google will have more information about your photos if you geotag them with a site like geoimgr.com. There are many other tools available for this as well.
14. You should use the full 750 character limit for a good business description, including key benefits of your service and a few good keywords.
15. Choose all categories of business and services that apply to your business. Remember you can write in categories as well. This is a great time for keywords.
16. In the “service areas” section, provide each area code that you serve in your service area.
17. Posts on GMB can be used to promote events, important business updates, or boiled down blog posts.
18. Locate how you’re showing up right now with available tools like Local Falcon or Pro Rank Tracker (which we use), and monitor your keyword performance over time to see how you’re showing up in maps and at different locations.
19. Ensure that your name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online directories. If you create 100’s of directory listings on different websites where all of the listings are consistent, this can often have an adverse effect on your ranking on Google maps as well.
20. The idea of having multiple phone numbers representing your business is not ideal. Try to fix your local listings as soon as possible. Meanwhile, add ‘additional phone numbers’ to the ones that are floating around on the web for a quick fix.
21. Make sure all of your local directory listings / NAP listings are indexed! On your website, you can create a page listing out every link (and submit it to index on Search Console). You can also submit them all to Google with various tools. We like Omega indexer and Linklicious.
22. Utilize Google Map Citations, Driving Directions, and other ways to manipulate and increase your presence on maps. You can advertise in various ways. 
23. Google (and everyone else) will appreciate it if you suggest an edit when spammy competitors stuff keywords into their GMB names. If you are a local guide, your edit may be accepted faster.
24. Your website should support the locations you want to rank for. Therefore, if you want to be shown for “Seattle Roofer,” you must have a page on your site that mentions it. You might provide a list of the top remodelers in Chicago if you want to show the “Best Remodelers in Chicago” on the map. Google may consider this when displaying your business on the map.
25.  Consider changing your categories to reflect the categories that your competitor who’s doing well on maps is using.

We have been doubling down with our client’s GMB properties and have seen remarkable results. Following these best practices will help you to pass your competitors and to rank #1 in the 3pack.

And honestly, we’re sick of our competitors taking every conceivable advantage while we wait in the wings.

That ends now.

Yroc Consulting

We live in SEOville, USA, drink only from the fountains that produce the highest ROI, and dine on warm leads. Our goal is to help Optimizers, Agency Owners, Freelancers, Single Moms, Corporation Owners, and you through the complex world of internet marketing.

Recommended Posts

Help Me Write Content: 20 Options

September 17, 2022

New for ’22: Google’s CTRs by Ranking Position

April 9, 2022

Local Search Results are Recalibrated by Google Algorithm Update

January 11, 2022